Comprehensive Analysis of Terror-Linked Lawfare Networks

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The September 4, 2025 U.S. sanctions against three Palestinian NGOs represent a watershed moment in combating organizations that have systematically exploited international legal institutions while maintaining extensive connections to designated terrorist groups. These sanctions, targeting Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, expose decades of terror-linked activities disguised as human rights work and reveal sophisticated international funding networks that have sustained these operations.

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The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 14203, “Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court,” signed by President Trump on February 6, 2025. This executive order declared a national emergency, determining that ICC efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute U.S. citizens and nationals of allied countries like Israel constitute “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States”. Secretary of State Marco Rubio specifically stated that these three NGOs had “directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent”. The order targets any foreign person who has “directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute a protected person without consent of that person’s country of nationality”.

Al-Haq: Four Decades of Terror-Linked Lawfare Operations

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE AND TERROR CONNECTIONS

Al-Haq, founded in 1979 and based in Ramallah, positions itself as the oldest Palestinian human rights organization. However, NGO Monitor’s extensive documentation reveals it functions as a leader in anti-Israel “lawfare” campaigns while maintaining deep connections to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terrorist organization (NGO Monitor).

On October 22, 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared Al-Haq a “terror organization” because it is part of “a network of organizations” that operates “on behalf of the Popular Front”. This designation followed years of documented evidence of terror connections that financial institutions had already recognized – 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.

Shawan Jabarin, Al-Haq’s General Director since 2006, maintains multiple documented ties to the PFLP terrorist organization that have been recognized by Israeli courts. The Israeli Supreme Court noted in 2008 that Jabarin is “among the senior activists of the Popular Front terrorist organization”. In a particularly revealing 2007 ruling, the Israeli Supreme Court concluded that Jabarin acts “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”.

NGO Monitor documentation shows Jabarin’s continued terror connections:

• In May 2019, he attended a memorial event organized by the PFLP centered on PFLP political bureau member Rabah Muhanna
• In 2017, he participated in a panel with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and representatives from other Palestinian terrorist organizations
• Despite these documented terror ties, Jabarin served as Vice-President and Secretary General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) from 2013 to 2022, meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022

AL-HAQ’S SYSTEMATIC LAWFARE STRATEGY

Al-Haq has been instrumental in what NGO Monitor terms “lawfare” campaigns – systematically exploiting courts and international legal bodies to harass Israeli officials. The organization’s activities include:

• Pursuing arrest warrants against Israeli officials including former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
• Submitting extensive documentation to the ICC requesting investigations and prosecutions of Israeli officials
• Leading BDS campaigns and apartheid rhetoric specifically designed to delegitimize Israel
• Promoting artificial definitions of apartheid crafted to target Israel while ignoring actual apartheid regimes

In March 2022, Al-Haq invited Said Hamayel to present at the UN Human Rights Council. Hamayel was described as the “father of Mohammad Hamayel, 16, who was killed by the Israeli occupying forces.” However, the PFLP embraced both Mohammad and Said in a statement following Mohammad’s death, labelling them both “comrade[s]” in the internationally designated terrorist organization and producing an official mourning poster to honor Mohammad.

Al-Haq Europe: The European Subsidiary Network

In 2022, Al-Haq established Al-Haq Europe as a subsidiary organization based in Brussels, Belgium. The Belgian company registry shows it was founded on September 22, 2022, as “Al-Haq Human Rights Organisation Europe” with enterprise number BE0791.449.823.

NGO Monitor’s analysis suggests this European subsidiary appears designed to circumvent potential sanctions and funding restrictions on the main organization while maintaining operations across Europe. The timing is significant – the subsidiary was established just months after European funding suspensions due to terror connection allegations.

Al-Haq Europe operates from Brussels and claims to “promote Palestinian human rights through legal research, litigation and advocacy”. However, publicly available evidence strongly suggests this entity serves as a potential circumvention mechanism for the terror-finance sanctioned Palestinian organization. The establishment of this European branch coincided with increased international scrutiny of Al-Haq’s terror connections and represents a sophisticated attempt to maintain funding flows and operational capacity.

THE LEADERSHIP BEHIND AL-HAQ EUROPE

Al-Haq Europe is headed by a combination of European anti-Israel activists and individuals with direct connections to the sanctioned Palestinian organization. The confirmed leadership of Al-Haq Europe includes:

• Nadia El-Farkh – President: Serves as administrator for European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) and was secretary general (until 2021) for Association Belgo-Palestinienne (ABP). She has been a coordinator for ABP and a prominent anti-Israel activist in Belgium.
• Willem Staes – Vice President: Policy and Partnership Adviser for Middle East at Belgian NGO 11.11.11 since 2016. Previously served as Policy Officer for Security and Disarmament at Pax Christi Vlaanderen (2015-2019) and as Middle East Policy Officer at Broederlijk Delen.
• Nathalie Janne d’Othée – Treasurer: Works as Research and Advocacy Officer for Middle East and North Africa at CNCD-11.11.11 since 2012. Previously served as Communications Officer for ABP (2010-2015).
• Alexis Deswaef – Administrator: Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and prominent human rights lawyer. NGO Monitor notes that Deswaef refers to PFLP-linked Al-Haq Director Shawan Jabarin as a “brother” and the “lion of Ramallah”.

With Direct Al-Haq Connections:

• Maha Abdallah – Board Member: Worked as Al-Haq Senior Legal Researcher and Advocacy Officer (2014-2020). Currently a PhD researcher at University of Antwerp focusing on “Zionism, settler colonialism, and the genocide of the Palestinian people”.
• Ghassan Abdullah – Board Member: Described as Al-Haq “board member” and served as “Deputy Chairman of Al-Haq.” Multiple sources show Abdullah was Al-Haq’s treasurer until at least 2014.
• Asem Khalil – Board Member: According to his CV, Khalil has served as a member of Al-Haq’s general assembly since 2015. He is a Professor of Public Law at Birzeit University and member of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights.

STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EUROPEAN NETWORK

This leadership structure reveals Al-Haq Europe as a sophisticated sanctions evasion mechanism that combines:

1. Direct operational continuity through former Al-Haq employees (Abdallah) and current board members (Abdullah, Khalil)
2. European institutional access through established Belgian activists with extensive NGO networks (El-Farkh, Staes, Janne d’Othée)
3. International legal legitimacy through prominent human rights figures (Deswaef) who maintain personal relationships with the PFLP-linked leadership

The timing of Al-Haq Europe’s establishment in September 2022 – just months after the EU’s controversial decision to restore funding to Al-Haq despite documented terror connections – suggests this was a deliberate strategy to maintain European operations and funding access while circumventing potential future sanctions.

Willem Staes and Nathalie Janne d’Othée’s roles are particularly significant as they represent major Belgian development organizations (11.11.11 and CNCD-11.11.11 respectively) that have extensive funding relationships with Palestinian territories. Their involvement provides Al-Haq Europe with direct access to Belgian and European funding networks. Alexis Deswaef’s position as FIDH Vice-President while simultaneously serving as Al-Haq Europe administrator demonstrates how the organization has penetrated mainstream European human rights institutions. His documented personal relationship with PFLP-linked Shawan Jabarin as a “brother” and “lion of Ramallah” reveals the depth of these connections.

Al-Haq Europe represents far more than a simple subsidiary – it constitutes a carefully constructed network designed to maintain the sanctioned organization’s European operations through established Belgian activists while preserving direct operational control through former Al-Haq personnel. The Brussels-based entity appears to function as part of a broader strategy to maintain European operations and funding access despite mounting evidence of terror connections. This represents a concerning pattern of sanctions evasion through subsidiary creation that undermines international counterterrorism efforts.

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR): PFLP Command Structure in Gaza

PCHR, established in 1995 in Gaza City, claims to monitor human rights violations but maintains extensive documented connections to the PFLP terror organization. NGO Monitor’s research reveals that PCHR is a leader in anti-Israel lawfare campaigns while ignoring the existence of terrorism against Israeli civilians and presenting “a distorted version of the conflict based only on the Palestinian narrative”.

Raji Sourani, PCHR’s Director, is a former PFLP member who has publicly boasted about his terrorist affiliation. In a remarkable 2014 statement that demonstrates PCHR’s true nature, Sourani declared: “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”. This statement is particularly significant because it shows not just past membership, but continued pride and identification with the PFLP terrorist organization. Sourani’s leadership of what is supposedly a “human rights” organization while maintaining this proud identification with terrorism exposes PCHR’s true nature.

Jaber Wishah, a PCHR board member, is identified as “a former commander of the PFLP’s Gaza operations”. The significance of having a former terror operations commander on the board of a supposedly neutral human rights organization cannot be overstated. PCHR even honored Wishah after his “17-year career of giving at PCHR,” demonstrating the organization’s comfort with celebrating terror operatives.

This is not merely historical association – it represents active integration of terror operatives into the organization’s governance structure, making PCHR functionally indistinguishable from a PFLP front organization.

PCHR’S VIOLENCE ADVOCACY AND PROPAGANDA OPERATIONS

PCHR officials have repeatedly justified and encouraged violence against Israeli civilians, demonstrating that their “human rights” work is actually terror advocacy:

• During the May 2023 Gaza conflict, PCHR published a statement affirming “the Palestinian people to resist the occupation by all available means, including armed struggle”
• PCHR board member Nadia Abu Nahla referred to Israel as the “Nazi criminal occupation,” adding “May the resistance have victory”
• Following an IDF operation in Jenin, Abu Nahla wrote, “Oh, he who guides the blood vengeances, may you guide our blood vengeance”

During the 2014 Gaza War, PCHR was designated by UN-OCHA to provide casualty statistics. These statistics originated with the Hamas Ministry of Health, and many individuals identified by PCHR and others as “civilians” killed during the conflict were actually found to be combatants and members of terror groups. This manipulation of casualty figures has been central to Hamas’s strategy of using civilian casualties for propaganda purposes. PCHR’s role in this deception demonstrates how the organization functions as part of Hamas’s broader information warfare apparatus while claiming to be an independent human rights monitor.

PCHR’S APARTHEID CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISRAEL

PCHR is part of a network of NGOs that promote artificial and manufactured definitions of apartheid specifically designed to delegitimize Israel. The organization has called upon the ICC to “open an investigation into Israel’s commission of the crime of apartheid”, signed calls to the UN General Assembly to “Take Immediate and Effective Action to End Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians”, endorsed campaigns titled “Investigate and Dismantle Apartheid” targeting Israel, defended Amnesty International’s apartheid report against Israel

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights: Hamas and PFLP Network Hub

Al Mezan, founded in Gaza, claims to be an “independent, non-partisan” organization but maintains extensive connections to both the PFLP and Hamas terrorist organizations. NGO Monitor research identifies multiple officials and employees as members of these designated terror groups. The organization’s Director Issam Younis has participated in panels alongside senior Hamas and PFLP officials, including Hamas Political Bureau head Yahya Al-Sinwar, PFLP Political Bureau member Kayed Al-Ghoul, Palestinian Islamic Jihad Political Bureau member Khaled Al-Batsh.

Al Mezan has been highly active in anti-Israel lawfare campaigns, attempting to secure arrest warrants for Israeli officials and submitting numerous documents to the ICC. Following the ICC’s announcement of arrest warrant requests, Al Mezan’s director declared that even Hamas leaders should have the opportunity to “stand before the court, defend their narrative, put things into context, and present evidence”. This statement reveals Al Mezan’s true allegiance – rather than condemning Hamas terrorism, the organization’s leadership actively seeks to provide Hamas leaders with international platforms to “defend their narrative” of terrorism and civilian targeting.

Al Mezan has been central to promoting “genocide” accusations against Israel:

• In October 2024, Al Mezan tweeted, “Today, Palestinians in Gaza mark a full year under Israel’s genocide—the latest chapter of 76 years of ongoing Nakba”
• In February 2024, Al Mezan signed a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on “Israel’s Ongoing Genocide in Gaza”
• The organization systematically promotes the “genocide” narrative as part of broader efforts to delegitimize Israel’s right to self-defense

During the 2014 Gaza War, Al Mezan was designated by UN-OCHA to provide casualty statistics. These statistics originated with the Hamas Ministry of Health, and many individuals identified by Al Mezan as “civilians” were actually combatants and members of terror groups. Al Mezan’s highly unreliable statistics on civilian casualties and building demolitions were cited in the discredited Goldstone report, as well as the UNHRC Commission of Inquiry into the 2014 Gaza war. This demonstrates how terror-linked organizations have successfully penetrated and manipulated UN reporting mechanisms.

French Government Financial Relationships and Legal Violations

France maintains extensive financial relationships with Palestinian NGOs, including those with documented terror connections, through multiple funding channels. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) serves as France’s primary development agency and has been active in Palestinian territories since 1999, providing over €405 million for projects and partnerships. Remarkably, a 2017 AFD document acknowledged the risks, stating that “support to NGOs must be implemented with extreme caution” due to the “extremely inflammable political and ideological environment”. Yet despite this acknowledgment, French funding to problematic organizations has continued and even expanded.

In February 2024, AFD authorized a massive €8.3 million grant to FIDH for a four-year program to fund 22 NGO partners, including Al-Haq. This funding provides Al-Haq with substantial resources despite its documented terror connections and Israel’s designation of the organization as a terrorist entity. The Platform of French NGOs for Palestine (PFP) received €320,000 from the French government (2020-2023) despite its promotion of BDS campaigns, which are illegal under French law. The French government’s AFD acknowledged that PFP “provides the analytical elements, political and legal, necessary for a good understanding of the situation”.

French funding to BDS-supporting organizations directly violates French law. The Court of Cassation ruled in 2015 that BDS campaigns constitute criminal offenses. Despite this clear legal prohibition, French authorities continue funding organizations that explicitly promote boycotts of Israel. NGO Monitor documented that France funds numerous organizations involved in boycott campaigns, including:

• Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC): $329,888 (2010-2013)
• Ma’an Development Center: $343,578 (2010-2013)
• Culture and Free Thought Association: €770,032 (2014)
• Palestinian Hydrology Group: $394,200 (2010-2013)

France has dramatically increased its financial support for Palestinian territories with over €260 million in recent commitments:

• July 2024: €10 million grant to support 163 Palestinian municipalities in the West Bank and Gaza
• November 2023: €100 million humanitarian contribution for Gaza
• December 2024: Additional €50 million for Gaza’s civilian population
• 2024: Additional €100 million contribution announced

This massive funding increase raises serious concerns about French resources potentially reaching terror-linked organizations through various channels, particularly given the documented connections between these organizations and the sanctioned NGOs. Despite continuing this funding, the French government has shown awareness of the problems. In January 2022, France implemented a law “Strengthening the respect of the republican values” requiring organizations receiving French governmental funding to “reject all forms of racism and anti-Semitism” and “not to provoke hatred or violence towards anyone”. However, this law appears to be selectively enforced, as documented BDS-promoting and terror-linked organizations continue receiving French funding despite clear violations of these principles.

European Union Funding and Sanctions Evasion

The European Union has provided substantial funding to these organizations despite documented terror connections:

• Al Mezan received €375,000 from the EU (2022-2023) for healthcare projects
• PCHR was granted €475,000 from the EU (2023-2024) for human rights projects in Gaza

This funding continues despite having officials who are members of PFLP and Hamas and despite documented evidence of terror connections.

The EU suspended funding to Al-Haq in May 2021 following Israeli intelligence reports about terror connections. However, after an investigation by the European Commission’s anti-fraud unit (OLAF), the EU restored funding in June 2022, concluding there were “no suspicions of irregularities”. This restoration occurred despite overwhelming evidence of Al-Haq’s terror connections documented by NGO Monitor and acknowledged by Israeli and international intelligence agencies. The EU’s decision to restore funding demonstrates institutional resistance to acknowledging terror links within the NGO sector and highlights the challenge of preventing terror financing through seemingly legitimate humanitarian channels.

The Coordinated ICC Lawfare Campaign

In November 2023, all three sanctioned organizations jointly requested that the ICC investigate Israel’s military operations in Gaza. This coordinated approach demonstrates a systematic lawfare strategy designed to weaponize international legal institutions against Israel. The organizations’ submission to the ICC included allegations of War crimes and crimes against humanity, Intentional targeting of civilians, Use of starvation as a method of warfare, Genocide accusations. The ICC subsequently issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024. This represents the first time the ICC has issued arrest warrants against leaders of a democratic ally of the United States, setting a dangerous precedent that threatens U.S. and allied military personnel worldwide.

The sanctions have prompted significant international criticism from organizations that have historically ignored or downplayed terror connections within the NGO sector. Amnesty International called the sanctions “a blatant attack on human rights,” while UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk termed them “completely unacceptable”. This international response demonstrates the effectiveness of terror-linked organizations in cultivating support within mainstream human rights institutions, making comprehensive enforcement efforts essential to disrupting these networks.

Strategic Implications and the Broader Threat

As FDD Senior Fellow Orde Kittrie noted, “If these groups are not thwarted now, the tactics they are using, and the precedents they are attempting to set, will undoubtedly be used to persecute U.S. and other NATO troops in the future”. The sanctioned organizations have created a playbook for weaponizing international legal institutions that poses a direct threat to democratic nations and their military personnel. The sanctions represent recognition that the threat extends beyond individual ICC officials to include the broader network of organizations providing support and legitimacy to illegitimate prosecutions. These organizations have successfully:

• Penetrated international institutions including the UN and ICC
• Secured massive funding from democratic governments despite documented terror ties
• Created sophisticated evasion mechanisms including European subsidiaries
• Manipulated casualty statistics and legal narratives to support terror objectives

Conclusion

The U.S. sanctions against Al-Haq, PCHR, and Al Mezan represent a critical step in confronting organizations that have systematically exploited international institutions while maintaining extensive connections to designated terrorist groups. The documented evidence reveals:

• Deep integration with PFLP and Hamas command structures
• Systematic manipulation of international legal processes
• Massive international funding networks totaling hundreds of millions of euros
• Sophisticated evasion mechanisms including European subsidiaries
• Coordinated campaigns to delegitimize Israel through false genocide and apartheid accusations

France’s continued financial relationships with these networks, despite clear legal violations under French law prohibiting BDS support, highlights the broader challenge of ensuring that international development funding does not inadvertently support organizations with terror connections. The sanctioned organizations represent far more than mere advocacy groups – they constitute sophisticated state-sponsored networks designed to weaponize international legal institutions against democratic nations. Their success in securing massive international funding while maintaining documented terror connections demonstrates the urgent need for comprehensive reform of international funding mechanisms and stronger enforcement of counterterrorism laws.

Without decisive action to disrupt these networks, the precedents they have established will indeed be used to target U.S., NATO, and allied military personnel in future conflicts, fundamentally undermining the international legal framework that protects democratic nations and their armed forces.

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