Nearly a year after Israel launched its attacks on Gaza in October 2023, the Gaza Tribunal was established in London in November 2024 by a coalition of academics, intellectuals, human rights advocates and civil society representatives to examine violations of international law and document the experiences of affected Palestinians.
Led by Richard Falk, a former U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, the tribunal held several sessions in different cities. The Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), an international youth organization affiliated with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is among the key supporters of the initiative.
The tribunal’s findings and developments following its final session in Istanbul will be revisited in Konya on Wednesday as part of a Palestine Day program organized by ICYF, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Konya Metropolitan Municipality, under the theme “Our Home Is Your Home.”
Following its London launch, the tribunal held a major session in Sarajevo in May 2025, where participants examined issues including the destruction of Gaza, starvation, the international system, people's tribunals and the criminalization of student protests.
The Sarajevo Declaration subsequently condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and called for accountability and international action.
The process continued in a four-day final session at Istanbul University from Oct. 23 to 26, 2025.
The tribunal heard more than 150 witnesses during its proceedings, while the Istanbul session included 70 expert and victim-witness presentations and eyewitness video testimonies, with around 3,000 people participating in the final session.
On Oct. 26, the tribunal’s Jury of Conscience, headed by international law professor Christine Chinkin, announced its final conclusions based on evidence, testimonies, research and legal analysis gathered during the process.
The jury said the evidence documented alleged serious international crimes in Gaza, including starvation, the destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, attacks on health care facilities, journalists and educational institutions and environmental destruction. It also called for accountability and reaffirmed Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
The Gaza Tribunal is a civil society people’s tribunal rather than a state court or international judicial body, and its conclusions do not have the binding authority of a judgment by institutions such as the International Court of Justice or the International Criminal Court.
In January 2026, ICYF President Taha Ayhan presented the tribunal’s final judgment document to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
ICYF announced that the findings and body of evidence would continue to be presented to governments, parliaments, international organizations, universities and civil society platforms, and could support proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Palestine Day program will examine developments since the tribunal’s final session in Istanbul and brief participants on its main findings concerning the humanitarian and legal challenges faced by Palestinians.
The afternoon program will feature the Palestine Youth Forum, held under the theme “Global Advocacy, Youth Solidarity and Champions for Palestine.”
The forum aims to provide Palestinian youth with an international platform to make their voices heard while strengthening solidarity with Palestine, particularly in youth and sports communities.
The forum will also feature a panel titled “When Legends Speak: Together for Palestine,” bringing prominent figures from the sports world together to discuss solidarity with Palestine, resilience and the future of Palestine.
The Palestine Day program will conclude with a friendly football match between the Palestine national team and TÜMOSAN Konyaspor.
The Palestine national team has been forced to play its international matches away from home due to the situation in Palestine. Under the “Our Home Is Your Home” theme, Konya will open its stadium to the Palestinian team for the friendly match.
