Palestine
At a high-level UN event to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on 26 September 2024, Palestine described nuclear weapons as ‘inhumane, immoral and illegal’. Noting its role in the drafting of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2017, it called upon all states that have not yet signed the Treaty to do so ‘immediately’ and to work to achieve its universality. It also noted that the TPNW is ‘complementary’ to the NPT.1
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | Yes (Ratified 2018) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Acceded 2015) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | No | |
| Party to an NWFZ | No | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2022) | |
| AP with the IAEA | No | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Acceded 2018) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Acceded 2018) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Test | Compliant | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compliant |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compliant |
| (d) | Use | Compliant |
| Threaten to use | Compliant | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compliant |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compliant |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compliant |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | N/A |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | #N/A |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | N/A |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear facilities | No |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | No |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | Yes (Modified) |
Latest developments
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2024, Palestine welcomed the recent accession of further states to the TPNW and said that it looked forward to participating in the Third Meeting of States Parties in March 2025. It also criticised Israel for refusing to attend a series of UN conferences aimed at establishing a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.2
Palestine was one of the co-sponsors for the 2024 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which called upon ‘all States that have not yet done so to sign, ratify, accept, approve or accede to the Treaty at the earliest possible date’.3 Due to recent changes in Palestine’s rights as a UN observer state, this was the first time that Palestine had been able to co-sponsor the resolution, which was first introduced in 2018. However, it still does not have the right to vote on resolutions.4
In November 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine, Riyad al-Maliki, filed a formal complaint with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) against Israel after the Israeli Heritage Minister, Amihay Eliyahu, described the use of nuclear weapons as an option in the country’s war in Gaza. His threat, al-Maliki said, entailed ‘an official recognition that Israel possesses nuclear weapons’.5
Recommendations
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Palestine should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Palestine should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.
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Palestine should conclude and bring into force an Additional Protocol (AP) with the IAEA.
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Palestine should also sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).