Peaceful Assembly
On 10th February 2026, families, civil society groups, and political factions held demonstrations in Ramallah and Tulkarm, including sit-ins outside International Red Cross offices, calling on the international community to address prison abuses and protect detainees’ rights.
On the same day, Palestinian communities inside Israel staged protests to express anger over rising crime and insufficient security measures. Residents in several towns organised demonstrations to demand stronger policing and protection from organised violence, emphasising frustration with what they viewed as government inaction.
Separately, in the West Bank, residents organised protests to voice opposition to what they described as arbitrary and heavy-handed actions by Israeli forces following widespread detentions. The protests came after security personnel carried out operations on 3rd March 2026 across Qalqilya, Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, and East Jerusalem, taking into custody approximately 40 Palestinians, including young people, previously imprisoned individuals, and women, while conducting home searches and questioning. The demonstrations took place in locations such as the Dheisheh and Jalazoun refugee camps, where protesters blocked streets and gathered in public areas to call for the release of those arrested and to highlight restrictions on movement and political expression.
Expression
In early February 2026, it was reported that two senior Human Rights Watch (HRW) experts, Omar Shakir and Milena Ansari, had resigned after alleging that the organisation halted the publication of a report covering Israel’s denial of the Palestinian right of return, which it characterised as a crime against humanity. In public resignation letters, they claimed the decision departed from standard editorial procedures and reflected concern over potential political backlash. Shakir stated that internal discussions suggested fears the report could be portrayed as threatening Israel’s demographic character. HRW responded that it remains committed to the right of return for Palestinians but paused the report because it determined that parts of the research and legal analysis required further strengthening, adding that the review process was ongoing.
In separate developments, on 23rd February 2026, Israel’s Defence Minister issued a military order banning five Palestinian online media platforms after designating them as “terror organisations” under counter-terrorism laws, and accusing them of incitement. The media platforms are Al-Asima News Network, Al-Quds Compass, Maydan al-Quds, Miraj Network, and Quds Plus. The decision forced at least one outlet to suspend operations and exposed journalists to warnings and potential legal consequences. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) condemned the measure as a serious attack on media freedom.
IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger stated, the ban
“represents a significant escalation in efforts to restrict media pluralism and control the narrative.”
The ban formed part of a wider onslaught against Palestinian media in February 2026 when the Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (“Mada”) documented 65 violations of media freedom affecting Palestinian journalists and outlets. The large majority (86 %) of the violations were attributed to Israeli authorities and included arrests, detentions of reporters, orders to ban or expel journalists from key sites like Al-Aqsa Mosque, and repeated obstruction of field coverage for TV crews and reporters. Journalists were also held at checkpoints, fined, and barred from working, while in some cases their equipment was seized.
A small number of violations by Palestinian forces and social media platforms were recorded, such as arrests during protests and removal of media channels online.
Journalists continue to face serious threats to their lives in Gaza. Palestinian journalist Amal Shamaly, who worked as a correspondent for Qatar Radio, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting tents sheltering displaced civilians in central Gaza on 9th March 2026. The strike, near the village of Az‑Zawayda, also claimed the lives of two others and left at least ten people injured. This incident occurred amid a surge of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza following a renewed escalation in hostilities involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, and came just hours after additional deadly strikes in Gaza City.
Association
On 5th February 2026, civil society groups expressed serious concern over the Decree-Law on Local Elections and its subsequent amendments. While the removal of the obligation for candidates to commit to the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) international obligations was welcomed, the law still requires adherence to the PLO’s political and national programme, creating restrictions on political participation. Key issues include the failure to guarantee a 30 % quota for women, high financial deposits for candidacy, and the Minister of Local Government’s authority to appoint council heads.
In other developments, a March 2026 study by the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) titled "Palestinian NGOs' Interventions in the Gaza Strip and the Challenges Facing Their Work" highlights the severe constraints on freedom of association and the operational challenges faced by Palestinian humanitarian NGOs during the war on the Gaza Strip. According to the report, organisations have been subjected to direct targeting, destruction of facilities, and attacks on staff, severely limiting their ability to operate safely and independently. Strict movement restrictions, fragmented access, and disrupted supply chains hinder the delivery of services and comprehensive needs assessments, while interruptions in electricity, internet, and basic infrastructure further undermine coordination, communication, and planning. Financial instability, interrupted funding, and administrative barriers have compounded these challenges, particularly amid rising emergency operating costs. Humanitarian teams endure extreme physical and psychological pressure, with displacement, casualties, and staff shortages affecting performance and sustainability.
Israel's High Court has granted an interim injunction preventing the deportation from Israel of 37 international aid organisations operating in Gaza and the West Bank. The case was brought by MSF and 17 other aid organisations.
— Mike Tomlinson also at @miketqub.bsky.social (@MikeTQUB) February 27, 2026
Access to humanitarian aid in Gaza and the West Bank has also been increasingly constrained, placing vulnerable populations at heightened risk as CSOs and humanitarian organisations face serious restrictions on their work.
On 24 February 2026, Human Rights Watch reported that Israeli authorities are blocking numerous international aid organisations from operating in the region, threatening access to lifesaving services.
At least 37 organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Save the Children, faced cessation of their operations as of 1st March 2026, when the move was to take full effect, after failing to provide information on their staff and operations, citing concerns as previously documented. If barred, the halt to their operations would see up to one in three health facilities shut down, potentially leaving 20,000 patients without care and exacerbating shortages in water and sanitation services. On 27th February 2026 however, the Israeli High Court issued a temporary injunction freezing the cease operations order after more than 15 groups lodged an appeal.