The Centre determined after a thorough legal assessment of the peace accords signed by the PLO and the Israeli government that the occupation would continue both physically and legally.  According to these agreements Israel has redeployed its forces inside the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, while Israeli settlements and military installations maintain their presence in Palestinian territory.  The major legal aspects of the Israeli occupation remain in place.  Israeli military orders that safeguard Israeli control over the Palestinian people and their land remain valid in accordance with the peace agreement.  The Israeli military court is still functioning and to this day thousands of Palestinians languish in Israeli prisons.  The essential elements of the Palestinian issue remain unresolved – the right to self-determination, the right to an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, and the right to remove illegal Israeli settlements from the Occupied Territory.  All of these constitute basic unfulfilled rights of the Palestinian people.  In light of this wide-ranging disregard for Palestinian rights, the Centre concludes it must continue its work to protect Palestinian human rights from ongoing violations by the Israeli government and courts.

The peace accords and the major political changes resulting from the agreement, including the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in part of the Occupied Territories, has led to a vital and active role for the Centre in protecting civil and political rights and in promoting the development of democratic institutions, an active civil society, and a democratic legal system in Palestine.