Ref: 39/2021Date: 15 July 2021 The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) launched on 15 July 2021 a new report on the “Israeli Military Aggression on the Gaza Strip 2021: Impact on the Justice Sector.” This report follows the Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip 10 – 21 May 2021, which rendered 242 Palestinians killed and 1864 wounded; in addition to wide-scale destruction that affected houses, residential towers, schools, government buildings, infrastructure, factories, roads, etc.The report provides information on the impact of the Israeli aggression on the justice sector and the direct and indirect damage caused by the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip, including the civil police, civil prosecution, Regular and Sharia courts and law firms and offices that were completely destroyed and the significant implications on persons’ rights. Additionally, the justice sector was completely paralyzed throughout the period of the military aggression, resulting in legal complications, particularly for lawyers who lost their offices and those who lost their cases due to statutory limitations.PCHR has documented wide-scale destruction to lawyers’ offices, some are among the most prominent lawyers in the Gaza Strip as their offices contained hundreds of legal files. The data shows that 33 law offices were completely destroyed while 240 law-offices were partially damaged.[1] The report analyses the legal impact of the destruction of lawyers’ offices and their contents, which include files, official papers, and references, by presenting several case studies.The report also focuses on the damage inflicted to courts and the Palace of Justice, a complex that houses Gaza Strip’s courts established only 2 years ago. The report examines the damage inflicted to Public Prosecution offices, particularly in Khan Younis where the Public Prosecution suffered extensive damage and was rendered unfit for use. The report addresses the damage on police stations in the Gaza Strip, particularly the Beit Lahia police station.Similarly, the report sheds a light on the impact of the suspended work of the justice system on citizen’s rights, and how it aggravated their suffering as their cases were postponed for lengthy periods, especially as the judicial leave approaches. The report examines the impact of the delay on personal status law cases, women’s rights, alimony, and child custody. Lawyers work was not spared, as the offensive resulted in the delay of cases for several months, not to mention the burden caused by the destruction of lawyers’ offices.The report presents a selection of recommendations that include calls for joint human rights work to prosecute Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians, especially targeting institutions in justice sector; emphasis on the importance of considering the justice sector as one of the most urgent sectors that require reconstruction, including compensation of lawyers and development of justice sector to provide best services for citizens.PCHR also called upon the High Judicial Council to urgently compensate lawyers in order to continue their work, and to give special consideration to lawyers whose offices were destroyed with regard to the statutory limitations.PCHR also called upon the United Nations to support the justice sector in Palestine in order to be able to fulfill its duties and alleviate the suffering of citizens, especially in light of the accumulation of cases after the Israeli offensive.[1] Palestinian Bar Association survey on the impact of the Israeli military offensive on lawyers.