Resurging violence in Israel-Palestine

This brief provides an overview of rules of international law binding upon actors involved in the escalating tension and resulting violence that has recently erupted in the Palestinian-Israeli context. The brief clarifies relevant legal obligations of the parties involved, as well as those of other actors with influence in the context.

The main source of contention of the eruption of violence in April and May 2021 was the planned eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah. This timeline provides an overview of the families’ long battle against attempts by Jewish settlers to evict them.

This thematic note focuses on discrimination in the Palestinian-Israeli context, including in the recent tensions and violence. It looks at discriminatory policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) and in its own territory, and analyses them in view of its obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL).

This thematic note addresses the law regulating use of force in the context of law enforcement operations. In the wake of resurging violence in the Israeli-Palestinian context, the note focuses on practices of the Israeli security forces (ISF), that appear to entail a systemic breach of the law in question.

This thematic note addresses the law regulating arrest and detention of persons. It focuses on practices of Israeli authorities in the course of the resurging violence in the Israeli-Palestinian context that appear to entail a systemic breach of the law in question.

This thematic note addresses the law regulating the conduct of hostilities. It focuses on the most recent round of hostilities in the Israeli-Palestinian context that took place in May 2021, involving rocket and mortar attacks launched by Hamas and other armed groups towards Israel and airstrikes conducted by the Israeli military in Gaza.

This thematic note addresses the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. It focuses on relevant international law and humanitarian concerns stemming from the prolonged closure enforced by Israel on Gaza, and exacerbated by the recent resurgence of hostilities between Israel and armed groups in May 2021.