RAMALLAH, February 2, 2025 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Supreme Judicial Council has revealed that 2,637 legal cases were postponed in the courts of Jenin and Tulkarm due to the ongoing Israeli military incursions into the cities. The Judicial Media Center documented the case delays through the “Mezan” program, tracking the impact of the court closures until January 30, 2025.

According to the council, the Jenin and Tulkarm court complexes were forcibly shut down during Israeli military attacks. The Jenin Court of First Instance and Magistrate Court was closed on January 23, 2025, following an Israeli invasion of the city.

On January 27, 2025, the Israeli forces attacked the Tulkarm Court of First Instance, damaging and demolishing its entrance and blocking it with earth barriers in an attack on justice and the rule of law, directly challenging the values upheld within Palestinian society.

The disruption extended beyond Jenin and Tulkarm. The closure of checkpoints and military barriers between Palestinian cities and villages hampered the ability of judges and staff to travel, further affecting the work of courts in northern West Bank districts.

The postponed cases at the Jenin court amounted to 1,989, broken down as follows: 89 cases in the Execution Division, 8 cases in the Juvenile Court of Jenin, 25 cases in the Magistrate Juvenile Court, 531 cases in the Court of First Instance, 187 cases in the Reconciliation Court, and 1,148 cases in the Magistrate Court.

In Tulkarm, 648 cases were delayed, with the following breakdown: 37 cases in the Execution Division, 7 in the Juvenile Court of Tulkarm, 134 in the Court of First Instance, 111 in the Reconciliation Court, and 359 in the Magistrate Court.

As a result, the disruptions have impacted 13,987 individuals, the parties involved in the delayed cases. Of this, 3,664 citizens in Tulkarm and 10,323 in Jenin have been affected by the forced closure of the courts.

The Supreme Judicial Council emphasized that it is continuously monitoring the situation and is taking steps to redistribute judges and staff, adapting available resources to maintain judicial services where possible.

The closure of both the Jenin and Tulkarm courts remains in effect as the Israeli military offensive continues in these areas.

M.N