Action by UN System and Intergovernmental Organizations Relevant to the Question of Palestine (March 2025 Monthly Bulletin)

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The Bulletin can be found in the United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL) at https://www.un.org/unispal/data-collection/monthly-bulletin/

Disclaimer: The texts cited in this Monthly Bulletin have been reproduced in their original form. The Division for Palestinian Rights is consequently not responsible for the views, positions or discrepancies contained in these texts.

March 2025

Volume XLVIII, Bulletin No. III

Gaza ceasefire must hold, Secretary-General urges at launch of Berlin Initiative
Serious negotiations must resume for Gaza ceasefire, UN Secretary-General tells Extraordinary Arab League Summit
West Bank large scale house demolitions by Israeli forces are having unprecedented impact on Palestine refugees, UNRWA warns
UN Human rights experts condemn Israeli decision to re-open ‘gates of hell’ and unilaterally change conditions of truce deal
Commission of Inquiry documents Israel’s systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since October 2023
UNICEF warns Palestinian children remain deprived of the most essential supplies and services
UNRWA is facing significant operational challenges due to the Knesset laws, forced to evacuate Jerusalem HQ, says agency’s Chief
Israel ramps up settlement and annexation in West Bank with dire human rights consequences, warns OHCHR
UN Special Rapporteur Albanese warns of mass ethnic cleansing in the West Bank
UN Human Rights High Commissioner denounces Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
Secretary-General condemns attacks on UN personnel
A renewed ceasefire is the best way of protecting civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel, ASG Khiari tells Security Council
Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016)
UN scales down Gaza operations after Israeli strikes hit compound
Hunger looms again in Gaza as WFP food stocks begin to run out
UN Relief Coordinator urges international action to protect civilians in Gaza
UN Women on the collapse of a Gaza ceasefire and its devastating impact on women and girls
At least 322 children reportedly killed in the Gaza Strip following breakdown of ceasefire – UNICEF
UN Human Rights High Commissioner condemns the killing of Gaza medical and humanitarian workers by Israeli army

I. Gaza ceasefire must hold, Secretary-General urges at launch of Berlin Initiative

On 3 March, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued the following statement.

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I commend the launch of the Berlin Initiative and its commitment to a diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Since the horrific terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October, the ensuing Israeli military operations have unleashed an unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza. Meanwhile, the deteriorating situation in the West Bank is fuelling further instability and suffering.

The ceasefire in Gaza must hold and be implemented in full. All hostages must be released immediately, unconditionally, and in a dignified manner. And humanitarian aid must be maintained, funded, protected, and reach people in dire need without restrictions.

But beyond ending this terrible war, we must lay the foundations for lasting peace — one that ensures security for Israel, dignity and self-determination for the Palestinian people, and stability for the entire region.

That requires a clear political framework for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction. It requires immediate and irreversible steps towards a two-State solution — with Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, unified under a legitimate Palestinian authority, accepted and supported by the Palestinian people. And it requires putting an end to occupation, settlement expansion and threats of annexation.

Efforts like The Berlin Initiative help forge a diplomatic path. I urge everyone to seize this moment to build a future where Israel and Palestine live side by side, in peace and security, in line with international law and UN resolutions. It is the only way.

II. Serious negotiations must resume for Gaza ceasefire, UN Secretary-General tells Extraordinary Arab League Summit

On 4 March, UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered the following statement at the Extraordinary Arab League Summit on the Situation in the Middle East/Gaza.

President El-Sisi, thank you for convening leaders from across the Arab world to unite at this Extraordinary Arab Summit dedicated to Palestine.

Since the horrific attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7 October, the ensuing Israeli military operations have unleashed an unprecedented level of death and destruction in Gaza, generating an immense trauma. Palestinians in Gaza have suffered beyond measure. And the risk of even greater devastation looms.

This Summit is an important signal that the world has a collective responsibility to support efforts to end this war, relieve profound human suffering and secure lasting peace. In the last few weeks, we have witnessed a meaningful improvement with the ceasefire and the hostage deal.

Since the start of the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire, Palestinian civilians in Gaza have experienced reprieve. Hostages were released and humanitarian aid dramatically increased. I urge the parties to uphold their commitments and implement them in full, and Member States to use all the leverage they have to support this, especially as we start the holy month of Ramadan.

We must avoid at all costs the resumption of hostilities that would plunge the millions back into an abyss of suffering and further destabilize the region. And simultaneously, the territorial integrity of Lebanon and Syria must be respected.

Serious negotiations for the ceasefire in all its facets must be resumed without delay. All hostages must be released, immediately, unconditionally and in a dignified manner.

The release of Palestinian detainees must be carried out per the terms of the deal and also in a dignified way. The parties must ensure humane treatment for all those held under their power. And all obstacles to the effective delivery of life-saving aid must be removed.

Humanitarian aid is not negotiable. It must flow without impediment. The response needs to be adequately funded, and civilians, including humanitarians, must be protected.

The United Nations has proven, together with our partners, namely the Egyptian Red Crescent, with access, the UN-coordinated response can deliver aid that people need.

Ending the immediate crisis is not enough. We need a clear political framework that lays the foundation for Gaza’s recovery, reconstruction and lasting stability. That framework must be based on principles and respect for international law.

Israel’s legitimate security concerns must be addressed, but that should not be through long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza. And I want to once again salute the dedication of UN staff and all other humanitarian workers, particularly, Palestinian colleagues, who have suffered so much and are working under near-impossible conditions. I appeal for the urgent and full support of UNRWA’s [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] work, including financial support.

Finally, as we widen the lens beyond Gaza, we see an alarming situation unfolding in the West Bank. Israeli security forces have launched large-scale operations, including air strikes and also the deployment of tanks for the first time in over two decades.

Over 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the last month, the largest displacement in the West Bank in decades. Meanwhile, demolitions, evictions and settlement expansions continue, with settler violence on the rise. All of this is further weakening the Palestinian Authority at a time when its role is more crucial than ever.

I call for urgent de-escalation. Unilateral actions, including settlement expansion and threats of annexation, must stop. The attacks and mounting violence must end. Israel, as the occupying Power, must comply with all its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. And the Palestinian Authority must be supported to govern effectively, and to do so in compliance with its own obligations under international law.

The true foundation of recovery in Gaza will be more than concrete and steel. It will be dignity, self-determination and security. This means staying true to the bedrock of international law. It means rejecting any form of ethnic cleansing. And it means forging a political solution.

There is no sustainable future for Gaza that is not part of a viable Palestinian State. There can be no recovery without an end to the occupation. No justice without accountability for violations of international law. And no sustainable reconstruction without a clear and principled political horizon.

The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, to chart their own future, and to live on their land in freedom and security. There must be irreversible steps now toward the realization of the two-State solution, before it’s too late.

The only path to lasting peace is one where two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States. The United Nations stands with you in this essential effort.

III. West Bank large scale house demolitions by Israeli forces are having unprecedented impact on Palestine refugees, UNRWA warns

On 6 March, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) issued the following press release.

Today, the Israeli Security Forces began the demolition of more than 16 buildings in Nur Shams Camp in Tulkarm, northern West Bank.

This comes less than a week after 11 houses were demolished in the same camp, 14 other houses in the Tulkarm Camp, and controlled detonations in Jenin Camp around a month ago that left the camp uninhabitable.

These large-scale demolitions are an alarming new pattern. They have an unprecedented impact on the Palestine Refugees and seek to permanently change the characteristics of the camps in the northern West Bank.

The demolitions are occurring in the context of the so-called Israeli Security Forces operation “Iron Wall” ongoing since 21 January in the northern West Bank – the single-longest and most destructive operation since the second intifada.

The operation has resulted in the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since the 1967 war, with some 40,000 people forced from their homes.

Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps have been nearly emptied of their residents. With widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure including homes, people now face the prospect of having nowhere to return to.

UNRWA teams on the ground are working to meet the needs of those displaced, under the ever-shrinking humanitarian space in the West Bank. The Israeli anti-UNRWA laws which came into effect on 30 January 2025 have created a vacuum of international protective presence when it is most needed.

IV. UN Human rights experts condemn Israeli decision to re-open ‘gates of hell’ and unilaterally change conditions of truce deal

On 6 March, Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Michael Fakhri; Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Astrid Puentes Riaño, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Attiya Waris, Independent Expert on foreign debt, other international financial obligations and human rights; Heba Hagrass, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders ; Bina D’Costa (Chair), Barbara G. Reynolds, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Geneviève Savigny (Chair-Rapporteur), Carlos Duarte, Uche Ewelukwa, Shalmali Guttal, Davit Hakobyan, Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas; Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development.; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; and Elisa Morgera, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change: and Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, issued the following press release.

We are alarmed by Israel’s decision to suspend once again all goods and supplies, including life-saving humanitarian aid entering the Gaza strip. The announcement followed a decision by the Israeli War Cabinet to break from the Gaza ceasefire agreement and calls by ministers to re-open the ‘gates of hell’ in the besieged enclave.

Apart from the cruelty of these statements on the second day of the holy month of Ramadan, these moves are patently unlawful under international law. As the occupying Power, Israel is always obliged to ensure sufficient food, medical supplies and other relief services. By deliberately cutting vital supplies, including those relating to sexual and reproductive health, and assistive devices for persons with disabilities, Israel is once again weaponizing aid. These are serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws, and war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.

The so-called three phase ceasefire deal should have led to a permanent cessation of hostilities and the release of all Palestinians and Israelis unlawfully detained as a most basic requisite for sustainable peace. Instead, they resulted in further violence and even further destruction of Palestinian life. This is both unlawful and utterly inhumane.

During the ceasefire, conditions remained very harsh. Very few tents and no mobile units were allowed into Gaza, and Palestinians, including children and older persons, continued to die due to the cold and dire conditions. Reinstating a total-siege policy against a population that has barely survived 16 months of constant bombardment, repeated forced displacement and 80 percent of farmland and civilian infrastructure destroyed, will aggravate the dire situation.

Creating unliveable conditions for the Palestinians under Israeli occupation appears to be Israel’s determination across the entire occupied Palestinian territory, from the decimated Gaza strip to the West Bank. The annexation of territory by force is advancing at full speed in the West Bank, where refugee camps and cities are being bombed, depopulated and looted, and other areas are attacked by armed settlers with complicity of Israeli forces.

The reality is that while the ceasefire restored a glimpse of hope for Palestinians and Israelis, it ‘never ended’ fire against the Palestinians. Since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January 2025, Israeli forces have killed at least 100 Palestinians in Gaza, bringing the total killed to at least 48,400. In the current landscape, Israel appears determined to further destroy Palestinian life including through starvation.

In weighing the allegation of genocide brought against Israel, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to facilitate aid deliveries in Gaza. In 2024, when issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, the International Criminal Court found ‘reason to believe that Israel had used starvation as a method of warfare.’

We are particularly dismayed by the swift endorsement by some States and regional organisations of Israel’s justification to cut off aid to Gaza as a reaction to Hamas’ alleged violations of the ceasefire, while Israel’s numerous infringements of the ceasefire went largely unreported.

By resuming its siege and bombardment of Gaza, Israel has unilaterally changed the conditions of the ceasefire agreement and next steps. We urge the Gaza ceasefire mediators; Egypt, Qatar and the United States to intervene to preserve the agreement in line with international obligations.

The ceasefire took effect in the broader context of an illegal occupation that must be brought to an end. Israel has a legal obligation to withdraw its occupation and overall presence from Palestinian territory as declared by the International Court of Justice last year. This underlies the obligations of any party under the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

We urge nations across the world to recall their own obligations under international law and to act to end this brutal and endless assault on the Palestinian people and their rights, lest the whole world be swept up in this storm of lawlessness and injustice.

V. Commission of Inquiry documents Israel’s systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since October 2023

On 12 March, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel issued the following press release concerning their new report.

Israel has increasingly employed sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence against Palestinians as part of a broader effort to undermine their right to self-determination and carried out genocidal acts through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities, according to a new report issued today by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

The report documents a broad range of violations perpetrated against Palestinian women, men, girls and boys across the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 7 October 2023 that constitutes a major element in the ill-treatment of Palestinians and are part of the unlawful occupation and persecution of Palestinians as a group.

“The evidence collected by the Commission reveals a deplorable increase in sexual and gender-based violence,” said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission. “There is no escape from the conclusion that Israel has employed sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians to terrorise them and perpetuate a system of oppression that undermines their right to self-determination.”

The release of the report was accompanied by two days of public hearings held in Geneva on 11-12 March, during which the Commission heard from victims and witnesses of sexual and reproductive violence and medical personnel who assisted them, as well as representatives from civil society, academics, lawyers and medical experts.

The report found that sexual and gender-based violence – which has risen in frequency and severity – is being perpetrated across the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a strategy of war for Israel to dominate and destroy the Palestinian people.

Specific forms of sexual and gender-based violence – such as forced public stripping and nudity, sexual harassment including threats of rape, as well as sexual assault – comprise part of the Israeli Security Forces’ standard operating procedures toward Palestinians.

Other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, including rape and violence to the genitals, were committed either under explicit orders or with implicit encouragement by Israel’s top civilian and military leadership, the report said.

A climate of impunity also exists with regard to sexual and gender-based crimes committed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, with the aim of instilling fear into the Palestinian community and expelling them.

“The exculpatory statements and actions by Israeli leaders and the lack of effectiveness shown by the military justice system to prosecute cases and convict perpetrators send a clear message to members of the Israeli Security Forces that they can continue committing such acts without fear of accountability,” said Pillay. “In this context, accountability through the International Criminal Court and national courts, through their domestic law or exercising universal jurisdiction, is essential if the rule of law is to be upheld and victims awarded justice.”

The Commission found that Israeli forces have systematically destroyed sexual and reproductive healthcare facilities across Gaza. They have simultaneously imposed a siege and prevented humanitarian assistance, including the provision of necessary medication and equipment to ensure safe pregnancies, deliveries and post-partum and neonatal care. These acts violate women’s and girls’ reproductive rights and autonomy, as well as their right to life, health, founding a family, human dignity, physical and mental integrity, freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and self-determination and the principle of non-discrimination.

Women and girls have died from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth due to the conditions imposed by the Israeli authorities which have denied access to reproductive health care – acts which amount to the crime against humanity of extermination.

The Commission found that Israeli authorities have destroyed in part the reproductive capacity of Palestinians in Gaza as a group through the systematic destruction of sexual and reproductive healthcare, amounting to two categories of genocidal acts in the Rome Statute and the Genocide Convention, including deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians and imposing measures intended to prevent births.

“The targeting of reproductive healthcare facilities, including through direct attacks on maternity wards and Gaza’s main in-vitro fertility clinic, combined with the use of starvation as a method of war, has impacted all aspects of reproduction,” said Commissioner Pillay. “These violations have not only caused severe immediate physical and mental harm and suffering to women and girls, but irreversible long-term effects on the mental health and reproductive and fertility prospects of Palestinians as a group.”

The Commission found an increasing proportion of female fatalities in Gaza, which have occurred at an unprecedented scale as a result of an Israeli strategy of deliberately targeting residential buildings and using heavy explosives in densely populated areas. The Commission also documented cases in which women and girls of all ages, including maternity patients, were targeted – acts that constitute the crime against humanity of murder and the war crime of willful killing.

VI. UNICEF warns Palestinian children remain deprived of the most essential supplies and services

On 16 March, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder published the following press release.

I have just concluded a four-day mission to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The situation is extremely concerning.

Far too often, children in the State of Palestine are the victims of this relentless conflict. Nearly all of the 2.4 million children living across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, are affected in some way. Some children live with tremendous fear or anxiety; others face the real consequences of deprivation of humanitarian assistance and protection, displacement, destruction or death. All children must be protected.

Without aid entering the Gaza Strip, roughly 1 million children are living without the very basics they need to survive – yet again.

Stalled just a few dozen kilometres outside the Gaza Strip sit more than 180,000 doses of essential childhood routine vaccines, enough to fully vaccinate and protect 60,000 children under 2 years of age, as well as 20 lifesaving ventilators for neonatal intensive care units. While UNICEF managed to deliver 30 CPAP respiratory machines, which significantly aid newborns experiencing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and prematurity, the ventilators are essential for infants needing advanced respiratory support.

Tragically, approximately 4,000 newborns are currently unable to access essential lifesaving care due to the major impact on medical facilities in the Gaza Strip. Every day without these ventilators, lives are lost, especially among vulnerable, premature newborns in the northern Gaza Strip.

UNICEF is advocating for these lifesaving children’s health supplies to be allowed to enter. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be.

In accordance with international humanitarian law, civilians’ essential needs must be met, and this requires facilitating the entry of lifesaving assistance whether or not there is a ceasefire in place. Any further delays to the entry of aid risk further slowing or shuttering essential services and could fast-reverse the gains made for children during the ceasefire.

We need to deliver these supplies for children, including newborns, before it is too late. And we must keep essential services running. I visited the UNICEF-supported water desalination plant in Khan Younis in Gaza, the only facility that received electricity since November 2024 and which has now been disconnected. It is now running at only 13 per cent of its capacity, depriving hundreds of thousands of people from drinkable water and sanitation services.

In the West Bank including East Jerusalem, more than 200 Palestinian and 3 Israeli children were killed since October 2023, the highest figure recorded in such timeframe in the past two decades.

In Jenin and the north of the West Bank, more than 35,000 have been forced to leave their homes and their belongings and find shelter elsewhere. Education is heavily disrupted for nearly 12,000 children, because of the recent population displacements. The children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are often exposed to roadblocks and the absence of school supplies.

In Jenin, I met with many displaced mothers and children in shelters. They told me how much they were suffering from the violence, the fear and the disruption to education. They said they were not asking for charity, just for the respect of their rights and the possibility to return to their homes.

UNICEF continues to do everything we can to protect and support children in the State of Palestine. We are repairing water systems, running mental health sessions, setting up learning centres and advocating constantly with decision makers for access and for the violence to cease. But this alone is not enough.

Children must not be killed, injured or displaced and all parties must respect their obligations under international law. Civilians’ essential and protection needs must be met, and humanitarian assistance must be allowed to flow at speed and scale. All hostages must be swiftly released, and the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip must continue and support lasting solutions to the conflict.

Tens of thousands of children have been killed and injured. We must not go back to a situation that pushes these numbers higher.”

VII. UNRWA is facing significant operational challenges due to the Knesset laws, forced to evacuate Jerusalem HQ, says agency’s Chief

Following is the briefing by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini to the European Parliamentary Committees on Foreign Affairs and Development on 17 March.

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Thank you for the invitation to brief you.

Since we last met, UNRWA’s operations have been undermined further, with implications for regional, and international, peace and stability.

I echo the Secretary-General’s call at the Arab Summit in Cairo, for the immediate, unconditional and dignified release of all hostages; the dignified release of Palestinian detainees; and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

During the summit, Arab States rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians; reaffirmed their commitment to a two-State solution; and approved a plan for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

The Cairo Declaration also reaffirms the essential role of UNRWA. This is a recognition that the Agency is an asset for a viable political transition.

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UNRWA is facing significant operational challenges due to the Knesset laws, condemned by the European Union and Arab States.

One law prohibits UNRWA’s operations in what the Government of Israel considers its “sovereign territory”, this includes occupied East Jerusalem. The other law prohibits contact between UNRWA representatives and Israeli officials.

We were compelled to evacuate our headquarters compound in occupied East Jerusalem. The lack of visas has effectively expelled international staff from the occupied West Bank. It is only thanks to the dedication of our Palestinian staff that UNRWA schools and health clinics remain open, providing essential services to Palestine Refugees.

In Gaza, a core team of international staff remains, but Israel no longer facilitates their entry or exit via Kerem Shalom. We have asked Egypt if international staff can enter and exit via Rafah. UNRWA is committed to staying and delivering its mandate until we can no longer do so in a principled manner.

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The ceasefire brought much needed respite after 15 months of brutal warfare. It enabled the return of hostages and Palestinian detainees to their families, and a 10-fold increase in the flow of humanitarian aid. This shows what is possible when there is a political will.

It is, however, highly concerning that humanitarian aid is no longer allowed into Gaza, endangering civilian lives.

During the war, UNRWA provided a platform for all humanitarian assistance. Since the ceasefire, we have significantly scaled up our response, providing food to two million people, and clean water to nearly half a million.

We have opened nearly 40 new emergency shelters and provided tents for more than 60,000 people. We provide some 17,000 medical consultations every day. Nearly 2,000 UNRWA personnel vaccinated an estimated 200,000 children in the latest campaign against polio.

UNRWA is also resuming education for as many children as possible through temporary learning spaces and remote learning activities. The appetite for learning is huge – more than 260,000 children are registered on the Agency’s online learning platform.

Curtailing UNRWA’s operations now – when needs are so high, and trust in the international community is so low – is counterproductive. It may even sabotage Gaza’s recovery and plans for a political transition.

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The violence in the occupied West Bank is alarming. Since January, nearly 40,000 Palestine Refugees have been displaced by air strikes, armoured bulldozers and controlled detonations.

This is the longest security operation since the Second Intifada and the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967. The large-scale demolition of buildings, including homes, is new. People cannot return, and the demography of camps is being permanently altered.

Palestinian armed groups are increasingly active in the north, deploying improvised explosive devices, including near UNRWA facilities and civilian infrastructure, in violation of international law.

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This is a time of tremendous geopolitical uncertainty. For UNRWA, the status quo is no longer an option. There is a choice to make. The Agency can be left to implode due to the Knesset legislation and financial uncertainties. UNRWA’s collapse would create a dangerous vacuum in the occupied Palestinian territory, in the absence of alternatives. It would send shockwaves through Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, where the Agency is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of Palestine Refugees. An environment in which children are deprived of education, and people lack access to basic services, is fertile ground for exploitation and extremism.

Alternatively, UNRWA can be supported to progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political process like that championed by the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. This would allow the Agency to transition its public-like services to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions.

/…

I must stress that the rights of Palestine Refugees to protection and assistance are not derived from UNRWA’s mandate. They exist independently of the Agency. If UNRWA ceases to protect and assist Palestine Refugees, their rights will remain, and there will be much greater emphasis on the right to return or to be resettled, for which UNRWA has no mandate.

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I must underscore UNRWA’s longstanding commitment to neutrality.

Following grave allegations last year that 19 UNRWA personnel participated in the abhorrent attacks of October 7, I immediately terminated their contracts.

The Secretary-General swiftly tasked the United Nations’ highest investigative body – the Office of Internal Oversight Services – to conduct an independent investigation. He also commissioned an independent review of UNRWA’s adherence to the principle of neutrality. The Colonna Report found that UNRWA has the most robust neutrality framework of any comparable entity. It also stressed that UNRWA, like all UN agencies, depends on Member States, including Israel, for protection from military and security-related neutrality risks.

We will continue making every effort to investigate credible allegations against the Agency and its personnel. We recently learnt from the media about allegations that a released hostage was held at an UNRWA facility. We requested additional information from Israel but have not received a response. I must reiterate that UNRWA was forced to evacuate many of its 300 premises in Gaza on IDF military orders.

Our premises have been misused by both the Israeli Forces and Palestinian armed groups on multiple occasions. I have repeatedly called for an international investigation to establish the facts and hold all perpetrators accountable.

Last year, following close engagement with the European Commission, UNRWA agreed and fulfilled conditions for releasing EU funds and reinforcing the Agency’s neutrality framework. UNRWA has enhanced the vetting of staff, reinforced its internal investigation department, and undergone an audit commissioned by the European Commission. As a result, all EU contributions for 2024 were released, including additional funding requested by this Parliament.

I am deeply, deeply grateful for the continued support of this House.

/…

I must also address the disinformation campaign portraying UNRWA as a terrorist organisation, and our staff as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers. Billboards and ads accusing UNRWA of terrorism have appeared in major cities. Google ad campaigns promote websites replete with disinformation about the Agency.

Disinformation poses a real threat to our staff, especially those in the occupied West Bank and in Gaza – where 275 personnel have been killed. To tackle disinformation, we must insist that independent, international media can enter and report from Gaza.

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UNRWA’s financial situation is dire. We have placed more than 600 local staff on Leave Without Pay. We may have to suspend payments to more staff and scale back critical services. An erosion of UNRWA operations will degrade the capacity of the United Nations.

I would like to conclude with one request, which reflects the uncertainty of the present moment:

Sustain UNRWA until the political direction of travel is clear. That is, until the international community considers the Gaza Recovery and Reconstruction Plan and the proposal of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

If we do not embed the Agency in a political process, it will collapse, with consequences for security and stability in the region and beyond.

As a steadfast supporter of Palestine Refugees and UNRWA for decades, the leadership of the European Union is urgently needed.

/…

VIII. Israel ramps up settlement and annexation in West Bank with dire human rights consequences, warns OHCHR

Below is a press release issued by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 18 March.

The Government of Israel last year ratcheted up settlement of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, transferring its own population into the territory and unlawfully demolishing Palestinian homes, while settler violence increased in a climate of continuing impunity, a report by the UN Human Rights Office has found.

“Israel’s settlement policy, its acts of annexation, and related discriminatory legislation and measures are in breach of international law, as the International Court of Justice has confirmed, and violate Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said.

“Israel must immediately and completely cease all settlement activities and evacuate all settlers, stop the forcible transfer of the Palestinian population, and prevent and punish attacks by its security forces and settlers.”

The ongoing transfer of Government powers over the Occupied Palestinian Territory from the Israeli military to the Israeli Government is facilitating the advancement of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the steady integration of the occupied West Bank into the State of Israel, the report says.

Covering the period from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024, the report details significant expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Steps have been taken towards implementing plans to construct over 20,000 housing units in new or existing Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem alone, according to Israeli non-governmental organisations, while 214 Palestinian properties and structures have been demolished in East Jerusalem. Over 10,300 units within existing Israeli settlements in the rest of the West Bank are in the pipeline and an unprecedented 49 new Israeli outposts have been established.

“Dozens of unauthorised roads have been paved by settlers and the army around settlements and outposts, helping to connect them while blocking Palestinians’ movement and enabling further seizure of their land,” the report says.

Plans to ramp up the provision of Israeli Government services in settlements “further institutionalise[s] long-standing patterns of systematic discrimination, segregation, oppression, domination, violence and other inhumane acts against the Palestinian people”, the report adds.

It also points to “a climate of revenge” and violence across the West Bank. During the reporting period, a total of 612 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, by Israeli security forces and settlers. Twenty-four Israelis were also killed in alleged attacks or clashes with Palestinians. The current climate has further empowered Israeli settlers to attack Palestinians, force them from their homes and seize their land, the report says.

“The line between settler and State violence [has] blurred to a vanishing point, further enabling an increase in violence and impunity,” it says, pointing to steps taken by Israel to further militarise the settler movement. This includes the enlistment of thousands of settlers into Israeli security forces operating in the West Bank. The report documents a monthly average of 118 incidents of settler violence, up from 108 in 2023 – which was already a record-breaking year.

A total of 1,779 Palestinian structures were demolished in the West Bank for “lack of building permits”, which are almost impossible to obtain for Palestinians, resulting in the forcible displacement of 4,527 people. The number of Palestinians forcibly displaced by demolitions rose by nearly 200 per cent on the previous reporting period.

“The transfer by Israel of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies amounts to a war crime,” the High Commissioner said, urging the international community to take meaningful action on Israel’s advancing settlement of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

“Israel must abide by the International Court of Justice’s ruling and cease immediately all new settlement activities, evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory and make reparations for the damage caused by decades of illegal settlement,” Türk said.

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IX. UN Special Rapporteur Albanese warns of mass ethnic cleansing in the West Bank

On 18 March, Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, issued the following press release.

Palestinians face serious risk of mass ethnic cleansing as Israel advances its long-held plan to take Palestinian lands and evacuate them of Palestinians under the fog of war, a UN expert warned today.

While ethnic cleansing is not a standalone crime, it involves actions that constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and even genocide, said Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.

In October 2023, the Special Rapporteur warned that Israel would use the “war against Hamas” to acquire Palestinian land and further displace Palestinians. “What Israel is doing in occupied Palestine today has strong echoes of 1947-1949 Nakba and the 1967 Naksa,” Albanese said.

“The world meanwhile is pretending not to see history repeating itself,” she said.

In 16 months, Israeli forces have killed 48,570 Palestinians in Gaza and displaced 1.9 million. Israel’s relentless bombardment has devastated the strip, making return impossible. Even Western governments now propose forcibly relocating survivors. “This idea is unlawful and adds insult to injury,” Albanese said.

Beyond Gaza, Israeli forces and settler militias have escalated violence in the West Bank. Since January 2025, more than 40,000 refugees from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams were forcibly displaced from their homes, and nearly 70 killed.

Albanese said the West Bank faces its worst military assault since the second intifada, marked by air strikes, armoured bulldozers and controlled demolitions to conduct raids, demolish homes and destroy villages and critical infrastructure including farmland.

“We are witnessing new ‘Trails of Tears’ in the West Bank, mirroring Gaza’s fate. In 2025, such injustice is not only unacceptable but a stain on our collective conscience,” the Special Rapporteur said.

As of 23 February, the Israeli Minister of Defence authorised military reinforcements in the West Bank, preventing 40,000 displaced Palestinians from returning to northern areas. Settler-led attacks backed by the Israeli army between January 2023 and January 2025 have displaced over 2,275 Palestinians, including 1,117 children.

History demonstrates that Israel’s strategy for a “Greater Israel” free of Palestinian presence relies on forcibly displacing and repressing Palestinians, the Special Rapporteur recalled. Albanese noted that destroying Palestinian lives, homes, and infrastructure while denying their return advances this goal. .

“Israel’s conduct aiming to ethnically cleanse the land between the river to the sea, amounts to a genocidal campaign to erase Palestinians as a people.

“The international community must uphold its obligation to protect Palestinians from annihilation. The only way is to enforce the ICJ Advisory Opinion that has recognised the unlawfulness of, and ordered an unconditional end to, Israel’s ongoing presence in the occupied Palestinian territory and imposed binding provisional measures on Israel to prevent the commission of genocide in Gaza,” the Special Rapporteur said.

“Israel’s Prime Minister and former Minister of Defence are wanted by the International Criminal Court, and States must support the ICC arrest warrants,” Albanese said, calling also for targeted sanctions, halting all arms transfers, banning trade with Israel that may harm Palestinians, and prosecuting those responsible for crimes in the occupied territories.

“Palestine is a wound. What is happening to the Palestinians is a tragedy foretold, and a stain on Israel’s history for which we bear collective responsibility. It is never too late for the world to stand up and do the right thing.”

X. UN Human Rights High Commissioner denounces Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

Below is a statement delivered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on 18 March.

I am horrified by last night’s Israeli airstrikes and shelling in Gaza, which killed hundreds, according to the Ministry of Health in the strip. This will add tragedy onto tragedy.

The last 18 months of violence have made abundantly clear that there is no military path out of this crisis. The only way forward is a political settlement, in line with international law. Israel’s resort to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions.

This nightmare must end immediately. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. All those arbitrarily detained must be released immediately and unconditionally. The war must end permanently. We urge all parties with influence to do all in their power to achieve peace and avoid further suffering of civilians.

XI. Secretary-General condemns attacks on UN personnel

The following statement was issued on 19 March by the Spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

The Secretary-General was deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the death of a United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) staff member, when two UN guesthouses in Deir al Balah were hit in strikes. Five other UN personnel were seriously injured.

The locations of all UN premises are known to the parties to the conflict, who are bound by international law to protect them and maintain their absolute inviolability.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns all attacks on UN personnel and calls for a full investigation. He underscores that all conflicts must be conducted in a way that ensures civilians are respected and protected.

The Secretary-General sends his deepest condolences to the family of the staff member killed.

Today’s deadly strike brings the number of UN colleagues killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023 to at least 280.

The incident follows reports from yesterday, which saw the deaths of hundreds, including many children, marking one of the deadliest days in Gaza since late 2023.

The Secretary-General stresses the need for the ceasefire to be respected to bring an end to the suffering of the people. Humanitarian aid must reach all people in need. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally.

He also recalls that international law must be complied with at all times.

XII. A renewed ceasefire is the best way of protecting civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel, ASG Khiari tells Security Council

On 20 March, the Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Khaled Khiari delivered the following briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question.

/…

Thank you for the opportunity to brief the Council regarding the humanitarian situation faced by the remaining hostages in Gaza.

I would like at the outset to recognize [freed hostage] Mr. Eli Sharabi and his unimaginable experience of pain and his remarkable resilience in the face of such immense loss. I extend to him my condolences for the tragic loss of his dear family – wife, two daughters and brother. I pay him, all hostages, living and deceased, and their families and loved ones my deepest respect and support.

I again extend my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families who lost their family members and loved ones during and after the horrific attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel on 7 October 2023.

The UN continues to unequivocally condemn the appalling acts of terror and continued holding of hostages in Gaza. Nothing can justify the intentional killing, torture, sexual violence, and destruction — entire families murdered, burned in their homes, taken hostage. The events of that horrific day will not be forgotten.

The participation in Security Council meetings of surviving hostages, and their heart-wrenching testimonies, and many months of agony, serve as a stark reminder but also as a crucial symbol of endurance and hope for those still waiting to see their loved ones back home.

Since the attacks, the Secretary-General and other senior UN officials have regularly met with the families of hostages and have been deeply moved by their stories, and by the torment and anguish they have endured.

/…

The ceasefire and hostage release deal that took effect on 19 January offered a glimmer of hope and respite by reuniting 25 Israeli hostages with their loved ones and returning the remains of eight deceased hostages, who were killed on 7 October or while in captivity, to their families.

Their release and return were sadly also a moment of great anxiety, as most of the living hostages were paraded in front of crowds, and the coffins of the deceased, including those of two young children who were killed in captivity, were displayed publicly by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups during appalling ceremonies that violated international law.

The UN has repeatedly condemned the parading of coffins containing the bodies of dead Israeli hostages and public displays accompanying the release of living and deceased hostages, including statements made under duress.

As of today, at least 59 hostages, alive and deceased, including Eli’s brother’s body, Yossi Sharabi, are still being held captive by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. The testimonies of those released provide terrifying accounts of their captivity, including physical and psychological torture, sexual violence and deprivation, indicating that those left behind continue to suffer in horrific conditions, exposed to trauma and suffering since their abduction.

The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally.

Until their release, they must be allowed to receive visits and support from the International Committee of the Red Cross, and they must be treated with dignity and respect in line with humanitarian principles.

/…

The resumption of hostilities on 18 March adds further despair and uncertainty for those remaining hostages, their families and their loved ones.

This resumption of hostilities amidst significant Israeli airstrikes in Gaza has also been devastating for the civilian population in the Strip. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, including women and children.

Since the resumption of hostilities, one United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS) staff member has also been killed and several have been insured. Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Lazzarini also informed that in the past few days another five UNRWA staff have been confirmed killed.

I reiterate that civilians must be protected, including UN personnel.

The rights and dignity of all those affected by the conflict – whether in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, or elsewhere – must be respected and protected.

We call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The return to hostilities threatens all civilians in Gaza, I echo the Secretary-General’s call for the resumption of serious negotiations for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be re-established, and for the remaining hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally.

With every passing day we move further away from the objective of returning the remaining hostages safely to their homes.

This was also very clear from the rescued hostage Ms. Noa Argamani’s remarks to the Council last month, where she told us that every moment under captivity was lived in danger. The resumed hostilities in Gaza, compounded with the lack of access and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, are exposing the remaining hostages to constant danger and life-threatening conditions.

As USG Fletcher briefed you earlier this week, a renewed ceasefire is the best way of protecting civilians – in Gaza, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel – releasing hostages and detainees and allowing aid and commercial supplies in.

We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting human rights, defending humanitarian principles, and supporting all efforts that promote peace, stability, and a more hopeful future for all people in the Middle East.

We are also convinced that the only path to durable peace will be achieved when Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

The UN stands ready to do all it can to support the parties in reaching that objective and it will continue to do all it can to support an end to this suffering.

Once again, I reiterate the Secretary-General’s deep concern for this conflict’s unbearable impact on the victims and his urgent call for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages.

/…

XIII. Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016)

On 21 March, the following report was orally submitted to the United Nations Security Council by the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim Sigrid Kaag.

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Today’s briefing is devoted to the thirty-third report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016). It covers the period from 7 December to 13 March.

Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) calls on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem” and to “fully respect all of its legal obligations in this regard.” Settlement activity has, nevertheless, continued at a high rate.

During the reporting period, Israeli planning authorities advanced or approved approximately 10,600 housing units in settlements in the occupied West Bank, including 4,920 in East Jerusalem. Tenders were announced for approximately 700 units in the area of the Efrat settlement near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures accelerated across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain, Israeli authorities demolished, seized, sealed or forced people to demolish 460 structures, displacing 576 persons, including 287 children and 149 women.

Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) calls for “immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction.” Unfortunately, the high number of fatal incidents across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel precludes me from detailing all.

/…

In Gaza, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health (MOH), at least 1,897 Palestinians were killed, and at least 5,979 were injured during the reporting period.

According to Israeli sources, 59 hostages are still being held captive. 251 hostages were abducted on 7 October by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. Israeli sources also report 30 Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed and at least 3 injured during the reporting period.

From 7 December until the ceasefire and hostage release deal took effect on 19 January, hostilities in Gaza continued, resulting in high numbers of Palestinian casualties, continued massive displacement of civilians and widespread destruction, including to civilian infrastructure.

Palestinian armed groups continued to hold hostages in horrific conditions and fired rockets indiscriminately towards Israel.

Since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January, 25 Israeli and five Thai nationals have been released by Hamas and other armed groups, as well as the remains of eight hostages who were killed on 7 October or while in captivity, among them two children. Released hostages have described or exhibited signs of serious ill-treatment.

During the reporting period, 1,777 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were released by Israel. Some reported serious ill-treatment, sexual abuse, and humiliation during detention.

In the reporting period, at least 21 UN personnel were killed in Gaza. Meanwhile, violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continued at alarming levels.

123 Palestinians, including six women and 19 children, were killed during ISF airstrikes, operations, armed exchanges, demonstrations and other incidents. Most Palestinians were killed in the context of Israeli operations in Area A, including during exchanges of fire with armed Palestinians. 924 Palestinians, including 220 children, were injured by the ISF, including 361 by tear gas inhalation and 299 by live ammunition. 117 Palestinians, including 6 children, were injured by settlers.

/…

According to Israeli sources, 10 Israelis, including 2 children and 3 women, and 5 security forces personnel, were killed and another 96, including at least 3 children and ten women, and 32 ISF personnel were injured by Palestinians in shooting, stabbing and ramming attacks and other incidents.

The ISF arrested 1,711 Palestinians during operations in the occupied West Bank. Israel currently holds at least 9,406 Palestinians, including 3,405 in administrative detention according to the Israeli Prison Service.

On 19 February, Israel’s Military Advocate General indicted five IDF reservists for serious abuse, including sexual abuse, of a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman facility.

On 17 January, a Palestinian Security Forces (PSF) operation that began on 5 December against armed groups in the Jenin refugee camp ended, with 16 Palestinians killed, including six PSF personnel.

On 21 January, Israel’s largest operation in the occupied West Bank since 2002 began and has since expanded across the northern West Bank in what Israeli authorities described as a counterterrorism operation. This has included the continued use of airstrikes and the deployment of tanks, for the first time since 2002, and the demolition of residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, and displacing 40,000 people.

On 9 February, Israeli operations expanded into Nur Shams Camp in Tulkarem where, IDF soldiers shot and killed two Palestinian women, one of whom was pregnant. Two Palestinian children were killed by Israeli soldiers in separate incidents in Jenin and Hebron on 21 February, bringing the total number of children killed to eight across the occupied West Bank since the operation began.

The IDF demolished 23 residential buildings in Jenin Refugee Camp on 2 February and another 14 in Tulkarm Refugee Camp on 18 February, stating it was targeting “terrorist infrastructure.” The Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams refugee camps have been nearly emptied of their residents.

The IDF has also expanded widespread movement restrictions across the occupied West Bank since 21 January, including access to essential services and economic activity. On 23 February, the Israeli Government stated that the IDF will remain in some refugee camps for the coming year and that residents will not be able to return.

Settler-related violence continued throughout the reporting period. Between 15 and 20 January alone, for example, large groups of Israeli settlers attacked 11 Palestinian towns and villages across the occupied West Bank, injuring 17 Palestinians, including two children, and damaging property.

Palestinian attacks against Israelis also continued. In Palestinian shooting attacks on vehicles in the occupied West Bank, a 10-year-old Israeli child was killed and three Israelis injured on 11 December, and two elderly Israeli women and one policeman were killed and eight people injured on 6 January.

/…

The Security Council, in its resolution 2334 (2016), called upon both parties to refrain from provocative actions, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric. Unfortunately, such acts continued.

Hamas officials continued to call for violence and attacks against Israelis and encouraged escalation throughout the occupied West Bank. Palestinian officials, social media, and media channels continued to glorify the perpetrators of attacks against Israelis.

Senior Israeli officials continued to call for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, a return to full-scale war and reestablishment of settlements in Gaza. Two ministers called on the Prime Minister to “open the gates of hell” on Gaza if all hostages are not released, taking over the entire Strip, removing its population, and cutting off electricity, water, and humanitarian assistance. Some Israeli officials continued to call for the annexation of all or parts of the occupied West Bank.

/…

Resolution 2334 (2016) reiterated calls by the Middle East Quartet for “affirmative steps to be taken immediately to reverse negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution.”

When the ceasefire came into force on 19 January, the surge in the entry of supplies into Gaza and improved access enabled expanded delivery of lifesaving assistance and services across Gaza by UN agencies and other humanitarian actors. Over 57,000 metric tons of food was brought into the Gaza Strip in the first month and more than 1.9 million people have received food parcels since the ceasefire began.

However, since 2 March, the entry of all humanitarian and commercial supplies into Gaza has been halted by the Israeli authorities, severely impacting humanitarian operations. Israel has also cut power to southern Gaza’s desalination plant, limiting clean water access for 600,000 people.

On 1 February, medical evacuations started through Rafah crossing into Egypt. According to WHO, between 12,000 and 14,000 people, including over 4,500 children, remain in urgent need of medical evacuation.

On 18 February, the World Bank, the UN, and the EU, in consultation with the Palestinian Authority (PA), released the Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment report for Gaza and the occupied West Bank, which estimated $53.2 billion is needed over the next decade, primarily for Gaza.

On 30 January, Israeli legislation that seeks to prevent UNRWA from operating in the territory that Israel regards as being part of the State of Israel, which includes East Jerusalem, came into effect. On 18 February, Israeli Forces and municipality personnel forcefully entered the UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre in East Jerusalem, fired tear gas and sound bombs in its vicinity, and ordered its immediate evacuation, impacting at least 350 students and 30 staff members. Israeli police officers also went to several UNRWA schools in occupied East Jerusalem and ordered their closure.

The PA’s financial situation remains precarious. On 12 January, the Israeli Minister of Finance announced the full repayment of debt it claims was owed by the PA to the Israeli Electric Company by transferring $540 million of the $1.2 billion of Palestinian clearance revenue that Israel has withheld from the PA since October 2023.

President Abbas issued a decree on 10 February cancelling payments by the PA to families of Palestinians killed during or imprisoned following attacks on Israelis. The decree specified that social welfare support based on need will be provided to families through a separate entity.

/…

In resolution 2334 (2016), the Security Council also called upon all States “to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.” No new steps are known to have been taken in the reporting period.

Resolution 2334 (2016) also called upon “all parties to continue, inter alia, to exert collective efforts to launch credible negotiations on all final status issues in the Middle East peace process.”

On 19 January and 17 February, the third and fourth meetings of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution were held in Oslo and Cairo, respectively. The meetings continued to advance efforts towards the implementation of the two State solution, while supporting the ceasefire and hostage release deal.

On 4 March, Egypt hosted an emergency Summit of the League of Arab States, which endorsed the Arab Islamic Gaza reconstruction plan prepared by Egypt and the PA.

/…

In closing, allow me to share the Secretary-General’s observations on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016).

I once again strongly condemn the horrific acts of terror by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on 7 October 2023 and the continued holding of hostages in Gaza. Hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. I strongly condemn the reported ill-treatment of hostages, as well as the fact that there are reasonable grounds to believe that hostages may be subjected to sexual violence and abuse. I also reiterate my condemnation of Hamas’s abhorrent public displays accompanying the release of living and deceased hostages. While in captivity, hostages must be treated humanely and allowed to receive assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
I again unequivocally condemn the widespread killing and injury of civilians, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. I mourn the UN staff killed in Gaza and strongly condemn the killing of all humanitarian personnel. I reiterate my call for the full investigation of all such incidents and accountability for any violations of international law that may have been committed. I also strongly condemn the reported ill-treatment, including sexual abuse, of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli detention facilities and recall that their release must also be carried out in a dignified way. I stress the importance of ensuring the humane treatment of all individuals deprived of their liberty, including freedom from any form of torture or abuse.
I also condemn indiscriminate attacks and the use of human shields, which are prohibited by international humanitarian law. I urge all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
I reiterate my call for a sustained ceasefire and urge the parties to redouble efforts to end human suffering. I commend the efforts of the mediators – Egypt, Qatar and the United States – to facilitate the implementation of the deal in full, as well as concerted international efforts, including in the region, to support an end to the war and plan for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza. I reject the forced displacement of the Palestinian population from any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which would constitute a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. I strongly reject any form of ethnic cleansing.
I am appalled at the horrific humanitarian situation. Humanitarian aid is not negotiable. While the surge in humanitarian aid has been crucial to saving lives in Gaza, the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic. The UN has proven that, with access, the coordinated response can deliver the aid that people need. I strongly condemn the halting of humanitarian assistance into Gaza by Israeli authorities and urge the immediate resumption of humanitarian and commercial deliveries.
The escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank is deeply troubling. Alongside the rising death toll, Palestine refugee camps in the northern West Bank are being emptied and are sustaining massive infrastructure damage during Israeli operations. The number of displaced Palestinians continues to rise, and residents continue to be denied the right to return home. I am deeply concerned by any long-term presence of Israeli security forces in the camps, which would further undermine the Palestinian Authority and be contrary to Israel’s obligation to end its unlawful continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice.
I urge security forces to exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life. I strongly condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror. I am alarmed by the lethal attacks carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, including sometimes in the proximity and with the support of Israeli security forces, as well as by Palestinians against Israelis. All perpetrators must be held accountable. The continued use of heavy weaponry in the occupied West Bank, including in residential areas, is extremely concerning. I also recall that Israel, as the Occupying Power, has a responsibility to ensure that the civilian population is protected against all acts of violence.
The relentless expansion of Israeli settlements is dramatically altering the landscape and demographics of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Palestinians are increasingly confined into shrinking and disconnected areas, presenting an existential threat to the prospect of a contiguous, viable, independent Palestinian state. I reiterate that settlements have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law. The demolition and seizure of Palestinian-owned structures entail numerous human rights violations and raise concerns about the risk of forcible transfer. I once again urge the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and recall the findings by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, which declared, inter alia, that the State of Israel is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, and to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
I reiterate my call to the parties for the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem to be respected and upheld, taking into account the special and historic role of Jordan.
The implementation of two Knesset laws concerning UNRWA could dramatically hinder efforts to ease human suffering. I reiterate that there is no alternative to UNRWA. I condemn the breach of the inviolability of United Nations premises in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the attempt to forcibly enter UNRWA schools and to seek their closure. National legislation cannot alter Israel’s obligations under international law.
I welcome ongoing efforts by regional countries, international partners, and the Palestinian Authority to plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, including the Gaza reconstruction plan endorsed by at the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The UN will continue to work closely with the Palestinian Authority, and all stakeholders, to ensure a future for Gaza that provides for protection, recovery and reconstruction for Palestinians to remain in Gaza, and security for Israel. This will require establishing appropriate security and governance frameworks. Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, must be treated as one: politically, economically, and administratively.
We must work collectively to establish a political framework that outlines tangible, irreversible, and time-bound steps. The occupation must end as rapidly as possible. A viable two-State solution – Israel and Palestine, of which Gaza is an integral part, living side-by-side in peace and security, on the basis of United Nations resolutions, previous agreements, and international law, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States is long overdue. The United Nations will continue to support all efforts towards that goal.

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XIV. UN scales down Gaza operations after Israeli strikes hit compound

On 24 March, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General issued the following note to correspondents on Gaza.

In the past week, Israel carried out devastating strikes on Gaza, claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians, including United Nations personnel, with no humanitarian aid being allowed to enter the Strip since early March.

As a result, the Secretary-General has taken the difficult decision to reduce the Organization’s footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar and our concern over the protection of civilians intensifies.

The UN is not leaving Gaza. The Organization remains committed to continuing to provide aid that civilians depend on for their survival and protection.

More than three weeks ago, the Israeli Government cut off the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza – the longest such suspension since 7 October 2023.

Israeli officials have indicated that they intend to continue their military activities in Gaza.

Based on the information currently available, the strikes hitting a UN compound in Deir Al Balah on 19 March were caused by an Israeli tank. The strikes claimed the life of a UN colleague from Bulgaria and left six others – from France, Moldova, North Macedonia, Palestine and the United Kingdom – with severe injuries, some of them life-altering.

The location of this UN compound was well known to the parties to the conflict. I reiterate that all parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect the absolute inviolability of UN premises. Without this, our colleagues face intolerable risks as they work to save the lives of civilians.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns these strikes and demands a full, thorough and independent investigation on this incident.

All parties must comply fully with international law at all times. Civilians must be respected and protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally.

All States must use all their leverage to stop the conflict and ensure respect for international law – by applying diplomatic and economic pressure and combating impunity.

The Secretary-General renews his urgent call for the restoration of the ceasefire to bring an end to the anguish.

XV. Hunger looms again in Gaza as WFP food stocks begin to run out

On 27 March, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued the following press release.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are again at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition as humanitarian food stocks in the Strip dwindle and borders remain closed to aid. Meanwhile, the expansion of military activity in Gaza is severely disrupting food assistance operations and putting the lives of aid workers at risk every day.

Here are the latest updates on food security and WFP operations in Gaza.

WFP and partners from the food security sector have been unable to bring new food supplies into Gaza for more than three weeks. The closure of border crossings is blocking the entry of any commodities — humanitarian or commercial.
WFP has approximately 5,700 tons of food stocks left in Gaza – enough to support WFP operations for a maximum of two weeks.
With the deteriorating security situation, rapid displacement of people, and growing needs, WFP has decided to distribute as much food as possible, as quickly as possible in Gaza.
WFP operations currently support bakeries to produce bread, kitchens cooking hot meals, and the distribution of food parcels directly to families – each facing record low stocks inside Gaza:
- Food parcels:WFP is reducing food parcel rations to reach as many people as possible. WFP plans to distribute food parcels to half a million people; the reduced size parcel will feed a family for roughly one week.
- Bakeries:Wheat flour supplies are sufficient to support bread production for 800,000 people for five days only. Currently 19 of 25 WFP-supported bakeries remain operational, and many struggle with severe crowd control issues as fear of bread shortages spreads throughout the Strip. Functioning bakeries are ramping up production, working 20 percent over capacity to respond to increased needs caused by renewed displacement of people.
- Hot meals:WFP has supplies to support 37 kitchens across Gaza cooking 500,000 hot meals per day for the next two weeks. Two WFP-supported hot meal kitchens are currently inactive due to evacuation orders and general insecurity.
- Fortified biscuits:WFP has emergency stocks of fortified biscuits – enough for 415,000 people – which can be used as a last resort if all other food stocks are exhausted.
WFP and partners from the food security sector have positioned more than 85,000 tons of food commodities outside Gaza, ready to be brought in if border crossings are opened.
WFP needs 30,000 tons of food per month to meet the basic needs of around 1.1 million people.
Food prices have soared inside Gaza. The price of a 2 5kg bag of wheat flour sells for up to US $50, a 400 percent increase compared to pre-March 18 prices; cooking gas prices have increased by 300 percent compared to February.
Security incidents affecting UN staff are escalating, and movement is severely restricted, resulting in significant disruptions to food assistance operations.
WFP urges all parties to prioritize the needs of civilians, the protection of humanitarian workers and UN personnel, and access for aid to enter Gaza immediately.
WFP requires US $265 million in funding over the next six months to support life-saving operations that will assist 1.5 million people in Gaza and the West Bank.

XVI. UN Relief Coordinator urges international action to protect civilians in Gaza

On 28 March, the following statement on Gaza was issued by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

The Security Council met today on Gaza. We reported that for 10 terrible days, Israeli airstrikes in densely populated areas have killed hundreds of children and other civilians. Patients killed in their hospital beds. Ambulances shot at. First responders killed.

Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the past 537 days. Over 1,000 people in Israel were killed since the Hamas attacks on 7 October.

More than 142,000 people have been ordered to move, once again, with no safe place to go and no means to survive. For many there is no electricity, no water, no food, no safety.

Over 280 UN staff have been killed, including by Israeli tank fire on a clearly designated UN building last week.

All entry points into Gaza are closed for cargo since early March. At the border, food is rotting, medicine expiring, and vital medical equipment stuck. Inside Gaza, Israeli authorities deny humanitarian access to people in need.

International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks, obstruction of life-saving aid, destruction of infrastructure indispensable for civilians’ survival, and hostage-taking. The International Court of Justice’s provisional measures in the case on the application of the Genocide Convention remain in place. And yet, this continues without accountability.

So if the basic principles of humanitarian law still count, the international community must act while it can to uphold them.

Protect civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire.

XVII. UN Women on the collapse of a Gaza ceasefire and its devastating impact on women and girls

On 28 March, Maryse Guimond, United Nations Women Special Representative in Palestine, delivered the following press remarks.

The end of the tenuous ceasefire in Gaza is having disastrous consequences for women and girls. From 18 to 25 March, in just those 8 days, 830 people have been killed, 174 women, 322 children, with 1,787 more injured.

Let me break that down because these are not just numbers, they are people: every single day from the 18 to 25 March, an average of 21 women and over 40 children are killed. This is not collateral damage; this is a war where women and children bear the highest burden. They comprise nearly 60 per cent of the recent casualties, a harrowing testament to the indiscriminate nature of this violence.

What we are hearing from our partners and the women and girls we serve is a call to end this war, to let them live. It is a situation of pure survival and survival of their families. Because as they say, there is simply nowhere to go. They are telling us they will not move again, since no safe places anyway.

As a woman recently said to us from Deir Al Balah, “My mother says, ‘Death is the same, whether in Gaza City or Deir al-Balah…We just want to return to Gaza.” This is a feeling that is shared by many other women I had an opportunity to meet with during my last visit in January and February.

Another woman from Al-Mirak tells us “We’re glued to the news. Life has stopped. We didn’t sleep all night, paralyzed. We can’t leave. My area is cut off. I’m terrified of being hit – every possible nightmare races through my mind.” This is simply no way of living.

Since March 2nd, humanitarian aid has been halted by the Israelis. And people’s lives are again at risk since the Israeli bombardments resumed on March 18.

The ceasefire, while brief, had provided some breathing. During that time, I had the opportunity to visit some of our partner organizations who were repairing their offices in Gaza City with what material was available. I saw neighbours coming together to clean some of the rubble on their streets, heard children playing. Met with women who expressed their fragile hope for peace and for rebuilding their lives. I saw thousands of people on the roads back to Gaza City.

And now that hope is gone. For now, 539 days, the relentless war has ravaged Gaza, obliterating lives, homes, and futures. This is not merely a conflict; it is a war on women—on their dignity, their bodies, their very survival. Women have been stripped of their fundamental rights, forced to exist in a reality where loss is their only constant. Cumulatively, over 50,000 people have been killed and more than 110,000 injured.

It is crucial to protect the rights and dignity of the people of Gaza, especially women and girls, who have borne the brunt of this war. Women are desperate for this nightmare to cease. But the horror persists, the atrocities escalate, and the world seems to be standing by, normalizing what should never be normalized.

As we have seen in these 18 months of war, women play a crucial role during times of crisis. However, after all this time, they speak of being trapped in a never-ending nightmare.

This war must end. I, and others, have echoed this plea countless times, amplifying the voices of the women inside Gaza. Yet the devastation deepens.

What will we tell future generations when they ask? That we did not know? That we did not see?

International humanitarian law must be upheld. The systems we established to protect humanity must be respected. All humans must be treated equally. This war is shattering core values and principles.

As UN Women we join the UN Secretary-General in his strong appeal for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian access to be restored, and for the remaining hostages and all those arbitrarily detained to be released immediately and unconditionally.

/…

XVIII. At least 322 children reportedly killed in the Gaza Strip following breakdown of ceasefire – UNICEF

On 31 March, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued the following press release.

The breakdown of the ceasefire and resumption of intense bombardments and ground operations in the Gaza Strip has reportedly left at least 322 children dead and 609 injured – constituting a daily average of around 100 children killed or maimed over the past 10 days. Most of these children were displaced, sheltering in makeshift tents or damaged homes. These figures include children who were reportedly killed or injured when the surgical department of Al Nasser Hospital, in southern Gaza, was struck in an attack on 23 March.

The resurgence of relentless and indiscriminate bombardments, combined with the complete block on supplies entering the Gaza Strip for more than three weeks, has put the humanitarian response under severe strain and Gaza’s civilians – especially its one million children – at grave risk.

“The ceasefire in Gaza provided a desperately needed lifeline for Gaza’s children and hope for a path to recovery,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “But children have again been plunged into a cycle of deadly violence and deprivation. All parties must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect children.”

After nearly 18 months of war, more than 15,000 children have reportedly been killed, over 34,000 reportedly injured, and nearly one million children repeatedly displaced and deprived of their right to basic services.

With no aid allowed into the Gaza Strip since 2 March – representing the longest period of aid blockage since the start of the war – food, safe water, shelter, and medical care have become increasingly scarce. Without these essential supplies, malnutrition, diseases and other preventable conditions will likely surge, leading to an increase in preventable child deaths.

Humanitarian organisations are working tirelessly to protect and support children under these horrific conditions but continue to face attacks that have killed and injured hundreds of aid workers. These attacks are in violation of international humanitarian law and jeopardize the continuity of critical, life-saving operations for those in desperate need. Despite the ongoing risks, UNICEF is committed to continuing to provide the humanitarian support children and their families depend on for survival and protection.

UNICEF continues to call on parties to cease hostilities and reinstate the ceasefire. Humanitarian aid and commercial goods must be allowed to enter and be transported across the Gaza Strip. Sick and injured children must be evacuated for medical care. Civilians, including children and humanitarian workers, and the remaining essential infrastructure must be protected, and the hostages must be released.

UNICEF also urges states with influence to use their leverage to stop the conflict and ensure respect for international law, including that children are protected. The world must not stand by and allow the killing and suffering of children to continue.

XIX. UN Human Rights High Commissioner condemns the killing of Gaza medical and humanitarian workers by Israeli army

On 1 April, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued the following statement.

I condemn the attack by the Israeli army on a medical and emergency convoy on 23 March resulting in the killing of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian workers in Gaza. The subsequent discovery of their bodies eight days later in Rafah, buried near their clearly marked destroyed vehicles, is deeply disturbing. This raises significant questions with regard to the conduct of the Israeli army during and in the aftermath of the incident.

Medical personnel and humanitarian and emergency workers must be protected by all parties to the conflict, as required by international humanitarian law. Such disappearances and killings raise serious concerns as tens of thousands of Palestinians need help while they are reportedly trapped in Tall Al-Sultan, Rafah, with the entire governorate under a displacement order.

Israel, as the occupying power, has the responsibility of protecting civilians and facilitating their access to basic lifesaving services, including healthcare. My Office has on several occasions raised concerns about the detention and killing of medical and emergency personnel in Gaza, who are working under extremely difficult conditions. Hundreds of them have been killed over the past 18 months.

The fate and whereabouts of the last member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society who remains missing must be clarified. There must be an independent, prompt and thorough investigation into the incident and those responsible for any violation of international law must be held to account.

_________________

Action by UN System and Intergovernmental Organizations Relevant to the Question of Palestine (March 2025 Monthly Bulletin)

Contents

I. Gaza ceasefire must hold, Secretary-General urges at launch of Berlin Initiative

II. Serious negotiations must resume for Gaza ceasefire, UN Secretary-General tells Extraordinary Arab League Summit

III. West Bank large scale house demolitions by Israeli forces are having unprecedented impact on Palestine refugees, UNRWA warns

IV. UN Human rights experts condemn Israeli decision to re-open ‘gates of hell’ and unilaterally change conditions of truce deal

V. Commission of Inquiry documents Israel’s systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since October 2023

VI. UNICEF warns Palestinian children remain deprived of the most essential supplies and services

VII. UNRWA is facing significant operational challenges due to the Knesset laws, forced to evacuate Jerusalem HQ, says agency’s Chief

VIII. Israel ramps up settlement and annexation in West Bank with dire human rights consequences, warns OHCHR

IX. UN Special Rapporteur Albanese warns of mass ethnic cleansing in the West Bank

X. UN Human Rights High Commissioner denounces Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

XI. Secretary-General condemns attacks on UN personnel

XII. A renewed ceasefire is the best way of protecting civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel, ASG Khiari tells Security Council

XIII. Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016)

XIV. UN scales down Gaza operations after Israeli strikes hit compound

XV. Hunger looms again in Gaza as WFP food stocks begin to run out

XVI. UN Relief Coordinator urges international action to protect civilians in Gaza

XVII. UN Women on the collapse of a Gaza ceasefire and its devastating impact on women and girls

XVIII. At least 322 children reportedly killed in the Gaza Strip following breakdown of ceasefire – UNICEF

XIX. UN Human Rights High Commissioner condemns the killing of Gaza medical and humanitarian workers by Israeli army

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Action by UN System and Intergovernmental Organizations Relevant to the Question of Palestine (March 2025 Monthly Bulletin)

Contents

I. Gaza ceasefire must hold, Secretary-General urges at launch of Berlin Initiative

II. Serious negotiations must resume for Gaza ceasefire, UN Secretary-General tells Extraordinary Arab League Summit

III. West Bank large scale house demolitions by Israeli forces are having unprecedented impact on Palestine refugees, UNRWA warns

IV. UN Human rights experts condemn Israeli decision to re-open ‘gates of hell’ and unilaterally change conditions of truce deal

V. Commission of Inquiry documents Israel’s systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since October 2023

VI. UNICEF warns Palestinian children remain deprived of the most essential supplies and services

VII. UNRWA is facing significant operational challenges due to the Knesset laws, forced to evacuate Jerusalem HQ, says agency’s Chief

VIII. Israel ramps up settlement and annexation in West Bank with dire human rights consequences, warns OHCHR

IX. UN Special Rapporteur Albanese warns of mass ethnic cleansing in the West Bank

X. UN Human Rights High Commissioner denounces Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

XI. Secretary-General condemns attacks on UN personnel

XII. A renewed ceasefire is the best way of protecting civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel, ASG Khiari tells Security Council

XIII. Report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016)

XIV. UN scales down Gaza operations after Israeli strikes hit compound

XV. Hunger looms again in Gaza as WFP food stocks begin to run out

XVI. UN Relief Coordinator urges international action to protect civilians in Gaza

XVII. UN Women on the collapse of a Gaza ceasefire and its devastating impact on women and girls

XVIII. At least 322 children reportedly killed in the Gaza Strip following breakdown of ceasefire – UNICEF

XIX. UN Human Rights High Commissioner condemns the killing of Gaza medical and humanitarian workers by Israeli army

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