“Gaza Tribunal”: NGO Involvement and Terror Ties

Background

The Gaza Tribunal, which claims “to awaken civil society to its responsibility and opportunity to stop Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” is organized by anti-Israel NGOs and activists. A mock judicial body without any legal authority, the Tribunal and its “Jury of Conscience” – also comprising anti-Israel activists – claim to collect evidence, hear testimonies, and issue findings and legal opinions.

The Tribunal’s stated political aims include efforts to “[exert] civil society pressure on governments” and the Security Council. Since November 2024, the Tribunal has convened four times – in London (twice), Sarajevo, and Istanbul. On October 27, 2025, the Tribunal published a “Final Statement” “condemn[ing]” Israel for committing “starvation and famine… domicile… ecocide… deliberate destruction and targeting of the healthcare infrastructure… reprocide… scholasticide… attacks on journalists… torture, sexual violence… [and] politicide,” as well as “an ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, within—and enabled by—a broader settler-colonial apartheid regime rooted in the supremacist ideology of Zionism.”

Sponsors

The Gaza Tribunal does not publish financial information, reflecting a lack of transparency and accountability. Its website states that “[to] ensure financial independence, the Tribunal’s work is financed by individual anonymous and voluntary donations and by the support of respected international organizations with diplomatic status” (emphasis added). The identities of these entities are conspicuously not provided on the Tribunal website. 

According to Turkish media, among the initiative’s “key supporters” is the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), “an international youth organization affiliated with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).”

• A 2014 ICYF document thanks the government of Turkey for its “financial contribution . . . towards the Forum’s annual budget” and the government of Azerbaijan for its “contribution . . . towards the activities of [ICYF’s] Eurasian Regional Center.”

Notable Participants

The Gaza Tribunal’s “Presidential Committee” includes notoriously anti-Israel figures such as former UN special rapporteur Michael Lynk and former PLO spokesperson Diana Buttu. Notable participants have included Ilan Pappe, Jeff Halper (ICAHD), Satvinder Juss, Ussama Makdisi, Ayhan Citil, Cornel West, Avi Shlaim, Naomi Klein, Aslı Bali (HRW Middle East Council co-chair), Mahmood Mamdani (professor at Columbia and NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s father), Craig Mokhiber (former senior UNOCHA official), Hatem Bazian (founder and chair of American Muslims for Palestine), Mehmet Karlı, Frank Barat, Hassan Jabareen (Adalah), Willy Mutunga, Victor Kattan, and Victoria Brittain (former Guardian editor and co-author of Moazzem Begg’s memoir).

According to the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, “participating organizations” in London included Al-Haq, Al-Mezan,  the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Addameer, the Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network (PENGON), Law for Palestine, BADIL, and Adalah. Additionally, the Hind Rajab Foundation’s (HRF) US representative, Jake Romm, presented at the Gaza Tribunal session in Istanbul. 

For more information on these NGOs, see the ‘NGO Participants’ section below.

Terror Links

One of the members of the Tribunal’s “Jury of Conscience,” self-described as a group of “Respected figures with moral authority from diverse disciplines,” is Sami Al-Arian (emphases added). In 2006, Al-Arian pleaded guilty in the United States “to a charge of conspiring to provide services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ),” a terrorist organization designated as such by the US, EU, Canada, and Israel (emphasis added).

The Gaza Tribunal’s website also lists Raji Sourani on its Steering Committee and acknowledges him as “a former member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine” (PFLP) – a terrorist organization designated as such by the US, EU, Canada, and Israel – as well as the Director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), a US-sanctioned NGO as of September 4, 2025 (emphasis added).

• According to a 1995 article in the Washington Report, Raji Sourani served “a three-year sentence [1979-1982] imposed by an Israeli court which convicted him of membership in the illegal Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine . . .” He was also denied a US entry visa in 2012.
• In February 2014, the PFLP organized a ceremony in Gaza honoring Sourani. Rabah Muhana, a member of the PFLP Political Bureau, delivered a speech at the prize ceremony. During the ceremony Sourani stated that “I was in the ranks of the Popular Front, and there were comrades who taught us with their own hands. This organization has given us much more. We hope that the direction and the sense of belonging that were planted inside us will remain in our minds. We don’t apologize and don’t regret our past, we are proud that once we were members of this organization and we fought in its ranks” (emphasis added).
• For more information on Sourani and PCHR, see NGO Monitor’s “Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ Links to the PFLP Terror Group.”)

The Tribunal’s Advisory Policy Council includes Ramy Abdu, Founder and Chair of Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

• In November 2020, Israel Minister of Defense Benjamin Gantz issued an administrative seizure order against Abdu under Israel’s anti-terrorism law. The order was issued “in relation to his work with the [Israeli]-designated terrorist organization ‘IPalestine- International Platform of NGOs Working for Palestine . . . that belongs to and acts on behalf of . . . Hamas.” Abdu served as a Board member. The order was in effect until August 1, 2022.
• Abdu appeared on a 2013 list, published by Israel, of Hamas’ “main operatives and institutions” in Europe (emphasis added). ¹

NGO Participants

Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF)

Registered  in Belgium in 2024, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) initiates legal proceedings seeking the arrest of Israelis who have served in the IDF. It has also provided material to the International Criminal Court (ICC), demanding arrest warrants for former US President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

The Hind Rajab Foundation does not include any financial data, donor information, or sources of funding on its website, reflecting a complete lack of transparency and accountability.

Staff Links to Terror

Dyab Abou Jahjah – HRF Chair

• In a 2003 New York Times article, Abou Jahjah claimed he had “joined the Hezbollah resistance against Israel” and “had some military training, I’m still very proud of that.” In a 2024 eulogy for Hassan Nasrallah, Jahjah claimed he met the Hezbollah leader in 2001.
• According to information provided by Israeli security officials to the Jerusalem Post in February 2025, Abou-Jahjah is linked, by family and business ties, to several actors designated as part of Hezbollah’s vast terror funding network. According to this report, Abou-Jahjah is also included in the US government’s “No Fly” list.
• In November 2001, Jahjah described the 9/11 attacks as “sweet revenge.”
• In 2005, Jahjah defended former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for calling for Israel to be wiped off the map, writing that “his position on this matter is the only possible moral one.”
• In 2017, Jahjah who then served as a columnist for Belgian outlet De Standaard, was fired after he praised a terror attack  that killed four Israelis, saying that “liberation of Palestine by any means necessary needs to take place.”

Al-Haq

Al-Haq leads anti-Israel efforts at the ICC, and related lawfare and BDS efforts, by inventing violations of international law.

On September 4, 2025, Al-Haq was sanctioned by the US. On October 22, 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense designated Al-Haq a terrorist entity, identifying it as operating “on behalf of the Popular Front [for the Liberation of Palestine].” Moreover, in May 2018, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express shut down online credit card donations to Al-Haq due to the group’s ties to the PFLP.

Al-Haq’s funding information is not transparent. Al-Haq has not released financial details or donation amounts since 2009. Independent research shows that donors include the European Union, Norway, Ireland, Italy, France, and Spain.

Staff Links to the PFLP and Hamas

Shawan Jabarin – Al-Haq General Director

The Israeli Supreme Court has identified Jabarin as a leading PFLP member on multiple occasions:

• In 2007, the Court identified Jabarin as “apparently acting as a manner of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, acting some of the time as the CEO of a human rights organization, and at other times as an activist in a terror organization which has not shied away from murder and attempted murder, which have nothing to do with rights…” 
• In 2008, the Israeli Supreme Court noted that Jabarin is “among the senior activists of the Popular Front [for the Liberation of Palestine] terrorist organization.” 

Additionally, other sources have noted Jabarin’s participation in PFLP-related events, as well as liaising with members of Hamas and other terror groups. For more information on Jabarin and additional Al-Haq staff members’ links to the PFLP, see NGO Monitor’s report.

Al-Mezan

Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights is highly active in anti-Israel lawfare campaigns and has advocated for arrest warrants against Israeli officials for alleged “war crimes.” Al-Mezan has submitted numerous documents to the International Criminal Court (ICC) demanding prosecution of Israeli officials. Al-Mezan has worked with Palestinian terrorist organizations in these efforts. For instance, on April 9, 2015, Al-Mezan hosted a conference in Gaza about prosecuting Israelis at the ICC, featuring representatives from Hamas, PIJ, and the PFLP.

On September 4, 2025, Al-Mezan was sanctioned by the US Department of State. 

Al Mezan does not publish on its website its annual income or funding amounts, reflecting a lack of transparency. Al Mezan donors include the European Union, Netherlands, Diakonia, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), and Medico International (Germany).

Staff Links to the PFLP and Hamas

Issam Younis – Al Mezan Director

In 2017, Al-Mezan director Issam Younis participated in a panel discussion on “The requirement for supporting and the success of the national [Palestinian internal] reconciliation,” alongside Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Representatives from other US-designated terrorist organizations – including Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Political Bureau member Khaled Al-Batsh and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Political Bureau member Kayed Al- Ghoul – also participated in the conference.

Al-Mezan director Issam Younis (on the right) addressing a 2017 panel with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (on the left).

Nafiz Al-Madhoun – Al Mezan Board Member 

Al-Madhoun has held a seat on Al-Mezan’s board (from at least January 2015 and at least until February 2025).

• Al-Madhoun is the former Director-General of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Legislative Council. He served in this role from at least 2010 through at least June 2022.

Nafez al-Madhoun (2nd from left) participating in an October 2010 Hamas workshop alongside Hamas spokesperson Taher al-Nunu (far right), Hamas co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar (2nd from right), and senior Hamas official Mohammad al-Ghoul (center).

For more information on Al Mezan staff links to the PFLP and Hamas, see NGO Monitor’s report, “Al Mezan Center For Human Rights’ Ties to the PFLP Terror Group.”

Addameer

Addameer, a PFLP “affiliate,” is a leader of campaigns in support of Palestinians prisoners convicted of security offenses, referring to them as “political prisoners” and altogether omitting the context of violence and terror.

Addameer has not published its annual income or funding amounts since 2014, reflecting a lack of transparency and accountability. Addameer’s donors have included Ireland, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the Heinrich Boll Foundation (Germany).

Terror Designations

• In June 2025, the US Department of Treasury sanctioned Addameer for “being owned, controlled, or directed by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the PFLP.”
  • In May 2022, Sahar Francis was prevented from boarding a flight to the United States.
• On October 22, 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared Addameer a “terror organization” because it is part of “a network of organizations” that operates “on behalf of the ‘Popular Front’.”

Palestinian Environmental NGOs Network (PENGON)

PENGON, also known as Friends of the Earth Palestine, is a coordinating network of Palestinian NGOs that purportedly focus on environmental issues. The network enlists environmental rhetoric to demonize Israel.

PENGON does not publish financial information, reflecting a lack of transparency and accountability. Independent research shows that the European Union (via EIDHR) has funded PENGON.

Key Members of PENGON

• Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC)
  • UAWC is identified by Fatah as an official “affiliate” and by USAID-engaged audit as the “agricultural arm” of the PFLP.
  • Numerous UAWC staff members, founders, board members, general assembly members, and senior staff members have ties to the PFLP.
  • On October 22, 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared UAWC a “terror organization” because it is part of “a network of organizations” that operates “on behalf of the ‘Popular Front’.”
• Ma’an Development Center
  • In May 2018, Ma’an employee Ahmad Abdallah Aladini was killed in the violence on the Gaza border. On May 15, 2018, Ma’an Development Center posted on Facebook a memorial notice for Aladini, referring to him as a “colleague and martyr.” (Ma’an has since removed the post.) Aladini was a “comrade” of the PFLP. According to the PFLP, Aladini was active against the “Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip.” On his Facebook page, Aladini posted PFLP propaganda, including images that glorify violence and terrorists.

Law for Palestine

Law for Palestine is a network of legal professionals based in Sweden and the UK that aim to build what they call an “effective global network” of lawfare activities waged against Israel.

The NGO does not publish financial information, reflecting a lack of transparency and accountability.

Activities

• In January 2024, Law for Palestine launched a database alleging “500+ Instances of Israeli Incitement to Genocide…as a crucial resource for use by the international community, resolute in our commitment to combat the impunity that Israel enjoys and work to bring an end to the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.” A review of the database shows that quotes by Israeli officials are distorted and taken out of context in order to serve Law for Palestine’s political agenda of demonizing Israel. 
  • Law for Palestine added a disclaimer: “Law for Palestine bears no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information provided.”
• In the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attack of October 7, Law for Palestine published an article titled, “The Palestinian People have the right to resistance by all means available at their disposal.” According to the article, “Resistance by the Palestinian people by all means available at their disposal against an illegal occupying power is a legitimate act…As a consequence, third states are under the obligation to recognize the legitimacy of the Palestinian people’s resistance, and the State of Israel is under the obligation to refrain from persecuting Palestinians for legitimate resistance.”

BADIL

BADIL – Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights claims to “advance the individual and collective rights of the Palestinian people” on the basis of “the principles of international law, in particular international human rights law.”

BADIL does not include any financial data, donor information, or sources of funding on its website, reflecting a complete lack of transparency and accountability. Indepedent research shows that donors have included Ireland, Spain, DanChurchAid, Diakonia, and Trocaire.

Opposition to Counterterror Financing Regulations

• On December 30, 2019, BADIL and other Palestinian NGOs launched a “Palestinian National Campaign to Reject Conditional Funding” which rejects new requirements in European Union grant contracts that prohibit grantees from working with and funding organizations and individuals designated on the EU’s terror lists. In the campaign, BADIL labeled this policy as “conditioned funding” and “so-called anti-terrorism clauses and policies…on preventing terrorism that affect the history and struggle of our people” (emphasis added), justified the use of violence, and claimed that the “Palestinian resistance factions are not terrorist organizations.” (see video clip).
  • On May 7, 2020, BADIL published a position paper calling EU measures that bar funding to organizations on the EU’s terror lists “not only morally and politically unacceptable, but also illegal in consideration of international law.”
  • BADIL is a member of Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), which also vehemently opposed the requirements. PNGO claimed that Palestinian terrorist organizations are “political parties.”
• On May 6, 2011, BADIL held a competition in which the PFLP’s Abd Al-Rahim Muluh participated as a judge. According to Al-Jazeera, Muluh was a founder of the PFLP and was sentenced to seven-years in prison.

Adalah

Adalah describes itself as an “independent human rights organization and legal center” that  “promote[s] and defend[s] the rights of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel.”

Adalah’s donors include Switzerland (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs), European Union, Broederlijk Delen (Belgium), Bread for the World-EED (Germany), Oxfam Novib (Netherlands), Christian Aid (UK), UNDP, and Open Society Foundation.