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Action by UN System and Intergovernmental Organizations Relevant to the Question of Palestine (August 2024 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.

August 2024

Volume XLVII, Bulletin No. VIII

Contents

  1. UN Special Coordinator engages in regional de-escalation efforts
  2. OIOS completes investigation of UNRWA staff
  3. OHCHR in Palestine horrified by pattern of Israeli strikes on schools in Gaza and use of lethal force in the West Bank.
  4. UN Human rights experts deplore Israel’s escalating use of torture against Palestinians in custody
  5. UN human rights experts condemn rocket fire from Lebanon, the killing of Hezbollah, Hamas leaders
  6. UN human rights expert denounces killing of two journalists in Gaza and demands full accountability
  7. Türkiye files a declaration of intervention in the ICJ genocide case
  8. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemns Israeli minister for justifying war crime of starvation of civilians in Gaza
  9. Unrelenting war in Gaza continues to inflict horrors on children – UNICEF
  10. UN Special Coordinator deplores devastating strike on a school sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians
  11. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights pleads for end to fighting as Gaza death toll passes 40,000
  12. UN Secretary-General calls for ceasefire to combat polio in Gaza as “Gaza is in a humanitarian freefall”
  13. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture appalled by allegation of sexual torture by Israeli soldiers, calls for accountability
  14. OHCHR warns of escalating settler violence in the West Bank
  15. OHCHR warns of Israel’s settlement expansion
  16. “Almost all UNRWA and humanitarian staff are displaced,” states UNRWA on World Humanitarian Day
  17. On World Humanitarian Day, women humanitarians call for a safe operational space for women aid workers in Gaza
  18. Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory warns mass evacuation orders in Gaza choke survival and severely constrain aid operations
  19. UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) calls for stronger global engagement to address racial discrimination in the Palestine-Israel dispute
  20. UNFPA highlights the devastating impact of mass evacuation orders in Gaza on women and girls
  21. WFP warns only half of required food aid reaches Gaza amid catastrophic hunger
  22. Secretary-General calls for ‘immediate cessation’ of military operations in occupied West Bank
  23. UN Palestinian Rights Committee adopts 2024 Annual Report
  24. OHCHR in Occupied Palestinian Territory calls for the end of militarized operations in Jenin

I. UN Special Coordinator engages in regional de-escalation efforts

On 2 August, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland issued the following statement.

In recent days, I have engaged in critical discussions with the relevant parties and member states in the region, including Lebanon, Egypt and Qatar, in support of regional de-escalation.

I underscored the urgency of addressing the growing risk of a serious escalation, which poses a substantial threat to regional stability. We examined the ongoing efforts to mediate and de-escalate the situation and explored ways to prevent a spillover of the conflict.

I reaffirmed the necessity of urgent, coordinated action to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

It is crucial that we act decisively and collectively to address the immediate threats and lay the groundwork for a lasting peace.

I will continue my active engagement with all the relevant parties to support peace and stability in the region

II. OIOS completes investigation of UNRWA staff

On 5 August, the UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini acknowledged the completion of the investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into the allegations that 19 UNRWA staff members in Gaza had been involved in the 7 October attacks.

I acknowledge the completion of the investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into the serious allegations that 19 area UNRWA staff members in Gaza were involved in the abhorrent attacks of 7 October on southern Israel.

The allegations were brought to the Agency’s attention in January.  In close consultation with the United Nations Secretary-General (SG), I immediately terminated the contracts of the staff in question, in the interest of the Agency, while the SG tasked OIOS to launch an investigation.  Additional allegations were brought to our attention in March and April and the concerned staff were added to the OIOS investigation.

The OIOS investigation’s outcomes are the following:

In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member’s involvement. That staff member has rejoined the Agency.

In nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members’ involvement and the OIOS investigation of them is now closed.

For the remaining nine cases, the evidence – if authenticated and corroborated – could indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the attacks of 7 October.

I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA.  All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency.

The Agency’s priority is to continue lifesaving and critical services for Palestine Refugees in Gaza and across the region, especially in the face of the ongoing war, the instability and risk of regional escalation.

UNRWA is committed to continue upholding the fundamental principles and values of the United Nations, including the humanitarian principle of neutrality, and to ensure that all its staff abide by the Agency’s policy on outside and political activities.

In April, an independent Agency-wide review by three reputable research centres under the leadership of former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna concluded that UNRWA ‘possesses a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or NGO entities’. The Agency has started implementing the recommendations of the review” and is fully committed to them.

Finally, I reiterate UNRWA’s condemnation of the 7 October attack in the strongest possible terms. I call – once again – for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and their safe return to their families.

III. OHCHR in Palestine horrified by pattern of Israeli strikes on schools in Gaza and use of lethal force in the West Bank

On 5 August, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the following statement.

The UN Human Rights Office is horrified by the unfolding pattern of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) strikes on schools in Gaza killing internally displaced Palestinians seeking shelter there. Strikes on at least 17 schools just in the last month reportedly killed at least 163 Palestinians, including children and women – suggesting a failure to comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in carrying out these attacks.

Such attacks are escalating. In the span of the last eight days, at least seven schools were targeted. On 27 July, Khadija School and the adjacent Ahmad Al Kurd School in Deir al Balah were struck, killing at least 30 Palestinians, reportedly including 15 children and 8 women. On 1 August, Dalal Moghrabi public school in Ash Shujaiyeh neighborhood in eastern Gaza City was struck killing 15 Palestinians, including children, followed on 3 August, by an attack on Hamama School and the adjacent Huda School in Shake Radwan in Gaza City, with initial reports indicating at least 16 Palestinians were killed, including children and women. On 4 August, Hassan Salame and Nasser Schools in An Nassr area in western Gaza City were attacked almost simultaneously, with initial reports suggesting at least 25 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed. All seven schools were reportedly serving as shelters for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) while Khadija school was also serving as a field hospital. The Israeli military claims that Khadjia, Dala Moghrabi, Hamama, Hassan Salame and Nasser schools were being used by “Hamas operatives”. Meanwhile, in the last four weeks, the UN Human Rights Office has recorded another 10 strikes on schools across Gaza.

While the collocation by armed groups of military objectives with civilians or the use of the presence of civilians with the objective of shielding a military objective from attack constitute violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) it does not negate Israel’s obligation to comply strictly with International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of proportionality, distinction and precaution when carrying out military operations. Israel, as the occupying power, is also obliged to provide the evacuated populations with basic humanitarian needs, including safe shelter.

The UN Human Rights Office calls once more for an immediate cease-fire.

The Office is also extremely concerned by Israeli security forces’ (ISF) use of lethal force in the West Bank as it reportedly killed nine Palestinians on 3 August, five of which appeared to have been planned extra-judicial executions. According to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office, including statements by Israeli authorities, ISF raided western areas of Tulkarem in the early morning of 3 August 2024, withdrawing after about two hours. At around 06:20 am, ISF targeted a Palestinian vehicle on a road in Tulkarem with two consecutive airstrikes and killed five Palestinian men inside the vehicle, claiming that they were on the way to carry out a “terrorist attack”. At around 12:30 pm, after a raid by the ISF in south-western Tulkarem, ISF and four Palestinian armed men on a side road in Tulkarem engaged in an exchange of fire. The ISF then launched an airstrike against the four men, killed them.

The planned killing of individuals who do not represent an imminent threat to life as well as the regular recourse to military tactics and weapons of war in law enforcement operations in the occupied West Bank raises concerns of unnecessary or disproportionate, and unlawful, use of force.

On 4 August, in another disturbing incident, a Palestinian man from Salfit, occupied West Bank, reportedly stabbed and killed two Israelis and injured two others in Holon, Tel Aviv, after irregularly crossing into Israel. ISF reportedly shot and killed the assailant on the spot.

IV. UN Human rights experts deplore Israel’s escalating use of torture against Palestinians in custody

On 5 August, Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on 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; 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; Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu; Working group on discrimination against women and girls, issued the following statement

Reports of alleged torture and sexual violence in Israel’s Sde Teiman prison are grossly illegal and revolting, but they only represent the tip of the iceberg, independent human rights experts* warned today.

“Israel’s widespread and systemic abuse of Palestinians in detention and arbitrary arrest practices over decades, coupled with the absence of any restraints by the Israeli State since 7 October 2023, paint a shocking picture enabled by absolute impunity,” the experts said.

Around 9,500 Palestinians, including hundreds of children and women, are currently imprisoned—around one-third without charge or trial. Another unknown number are arbitrarily being held in detention facilities and ad hoc camps following a wave of arrest and abduction campaigns across Palestinian territory that targeted men, women and children particularly following 7 October.

The experts received substantiated reports of widespread abuse, torture, sexual assault and rape, amid atrocious inhumane conditions, with at least 53 Palestinians apparently dying as a result in 10 months.

Countless testimonies by men and women speak of detainees in cage-like enclosures, tied to beds blindfolded and in diapers, stripped naked, deprived of adequate healthcare, food, water and sleep, electrocutions including on their genitals, blackmail and cigarette burns. In addition, victims spoke of loud music played until their ears bled, attacks by dogs, waterboarding, suspension from ceilings and severe sexual and gender-based violence.

“Allegations of gang-rape of a Palestinian detainee, now shockingly supported by voices in the Israeli political establishment and society, provide irrefutable evidence that the moral compass is lost,” the experts said. In February 2024, a number of experts also expressed grave concern regarding the reports of sexual and other forms of gender-based violence committed against Palestinian women and girls in Israeli detention.

The Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory investigated Israel’s detention practices in 2023 and called on UN Member States to intervene and the International Criminal Court to promptly investigate what appeared to be a consolidated crime against humanity. The experts regret this call was not heeded.

“Torture practices are irredeemably unlawful and constitute international crimes, yet form part of the modus operandi of Israel’s notorious detention and torture system,” they warned. “These practices are intended to punish Palestinians for resisting occupation and seek to destroy them individually and collectively.”

“Israel’s genocidal destruction in Gaza, which is spreading across the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, serves as the backdrop to its abusive detention programme today,” the experts said.

“Most Palestinian detainees are de facto hostages of an unlawful occupation,” they said, referring to the July 2024 Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. They called for oversight and accountability over all Israeli practices and policies in the territory.

“Decrying the silence by Member States following the emergence of testimonies and reports of alleged maltreatment and torture, the experts called for pressure on Israel with a view to implementing a cogent system of access, monitoring and protection of Palestinian detainees. The Human Rights Council, in particular, must urgently demand the deployment of special procedures mandate holders and the Commission of Inquiry to facilities holding Palestinians, they said.

“What is required now is nothing short of an independent, international presence of human rights observers. They must become the world’s eyes in light of Israel’s brazen failure to prevent and address the heinous rights violations against prisoners and detainees,” the experts said.

V. UN human rights experts condemn rocket fire from Lebanon, the killing of Hezbollah, Hamas leaders

On 6 August, Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Mai Sato, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Ashwini K.P., Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; and Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu; Working group on discrimination against women and girls issued the following statement. 

Independent experts today deplored escalating violence in the Middle East, including a rocket apparently fired from Lebanon that killed 12 children in Syria’s Golan Heights, occupied by Israel, and Israel’s alleged killing in response of Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Lebanon.

They also condemned the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political chief and a former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, in Iran.

“We are extremely concerned by these killings, which violate the human right to life and risk perilous further escalation of violence and displacement in the region,” they said.

The experts strongly condemned a rocket attack on 28 July reportedly launched from Lebanon against Majdal Shams, a village in the occupied Syrian Golan, which killed 12 Druze children and injured 42 other people. Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and purported to annex it in 1981, in violation of international law. Israel claims that Hezbollah was responsible, but Hezbollah has denied the attack.

“This attack appears to be in violation of both international humanitarian law and international human rights law”, the experts said. “In addition, all countries have a duty to prevent the use of their territories by non-state actors to launch cross-border violence endangering civilians, and to investigate and prosecute or extradite those who commit such acts,” the experts said.

Israel responded by killing a Hezbollah commander, Fouad Shukur, in a residential area of Beirut on 30 July, in a strike that also reportedly killed a boy and a girl and three women and wounded 74 people. “We are alarmed at such reckless disregard for the human right to life, in violation of international humanitarian law, and the dangerous escalation of the border conflict with Hezbollah to the peaceful capital city of Lebanon,” the experts said.

The experts also condemned the alleged killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on 31 July, which bears the hallmark of an Israeli operation. “If confirmed, this would amount to an extrajudicial killing and the crime of murder. All states are prohibited from arbitrarily depriving individuals of their right to life, including in military operations abroad,” they said. “Killings abroad are further illegal when they violate the prohibition on the use of armed force against another country under Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter”, they said.

“The killing of Haniyeh, a key political leader, amidst urgent and delicate ceasefire negotiations also thwarts the best immediate chance for peace and the safe release of those taken hostage on 7 October 2023”, the experts said. It has also destroyed efforts to bring Haniyeh to justice before the International Criminal Court. “This assassination not only exacerbates a dire conflict but destabilises the whole region, undermines multilateralism, and impedes the United Nations’ search for a diplomatic solution according to international law.”

All three incidents highlight the vital need for full, independent and impartial investigations, including access to all pertinent evidence and full cooperation from relevant countries, to establish the facts of the killings and ensure accountability.

To protect innocent civilian lives, the experts urged all parties to immediately cease fire on all fronts. They also called on the Security Council to fulfill its responsibility to effectively respond to all actors in the region whose actions threaten international peace and security.

VI. UN human rights expert denounces killing of two journalists in Gaza and demands full accountability

On 6 August, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan issued the following statement.

An independent human rights expert today condemned the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami Al-Rifi in Gaza on 1 August 2024.

“I strongly denounce the deliberate targeting by Israel of two journalists in Gaza, which adds to an already appalling toll of reporters and media workers killed in this war,” said Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression.

“Like many journalists killed in Gaza, Al-Ghoul was wearing a clearly marked press jacket when an Israeli drone missile hit the vehicle. Israel’s military confirmed Al-Ghoul’s death and accused him of being a Hamas operative.

“The Israeli military seems to be making accusations without any substantive evidence as a licence to kill journalists, which is in total contravention of international humanitarian law,” Khan said.

The expert noted that journalists enjoy protection as civilians under international humanitarian law and that their deliberate targeting is a war crime. According to international humanitarian law, journalists only lose their civilian status if they take direct part in hostilities. Israel has not provided concrete evidence in this, or other cases.

The Special Rapporteur was dismayed by attacks against Al Jazeera, including the deliberate killing of its journalists in Gaza, the total ban on the outlet in Israel, and the vicious smear campaign against the broadcaster.

“Israel’s targeting of Al Jazeera is an assault on media freedom in blatant disregard of international human rights and humanitarian law,” she said.

The expert was also gravely concerned that none of the cases of journalists killed in the occupied Palestinian Territory has ever been transparently investigated, nor suspected perpetrators brought to justice by Israeli authorities.

“I call again on Israeli authorities to initiate prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into this and other killings, and adopt all necessary measures to protect journalists in the occupied Palestinian Territory in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law,” Khan said.

“Given Israel’s failure to heed earlier calls for accountability, I urge the International Criminal Court to move swiftly to prosecute the killings of journalists in Gaza as a war crime and call on the international community to urgently consider the use of international mechanisms to investigate crimes against journalists in Gaza,” the Special Rapporteur said.

The expert is in contact with the Government of Israel on this matter.

VII. Türkiye files a declaration of intervention in the ICJ genocide case

On 7 August, Türkiye filed a declaration of intervention in the proceedings under Article 63 of the International Court of Justice Statute – Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), as reflected in the following ICJ press release.

Today, Türkiye, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court a declaration of intervention in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).

Pursuant to Article 63 of the Statute, whenever the construction of a convention to which States other than those concerned in the case are parties is in question, each of those States has the right to intervene in the proceedings. If they do so, the construction given by the judgment of the Court will be equally binding upon them.

In availing itself of the right of intervention conferred by Article 63, paragraph 2, Türkiye relies on its status as a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the “Genocide Convention”).

Türkiye considers that the proper construction of Articles I, II, III, IV, V and VI of the Genocide Convention is in question and is “directly relevant to the resolution of the dispute placed before the Court by South Africa’s Application”. It also reserves the right to submit a request for permission to intervene under Article 62 of the Statute.

In accordance with Article 83 of the Rules of Court, South Africa and Israel have been invited to furnish written observations on Türkiye’s declaration of intervention. The full text of Türkiye’s declaration of intervention is available on the website.

VIII. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemns Israeli minister for justifying war crime of starvation of civilians in Gaza

On 9 August, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued the following statement.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is “shocked and appalled”, a spokesman said, at Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich’s statement earlier this week in which he deplored aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip and suggested that the deliberate starvation of Palestinian civilians in Gaza could be “justified and moral” as long as Israeli hostages are held by Hamas.

“The High Commissioner condemns these words in the strongest terms,” said Jeremy Laurence, UN human rights spokesperson, at the press briefing in Geneva. “They also incite hatred against innocent civilians. The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime,” insisted Mr. Laurence, echoing previous warnings from the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, against preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in emergency conditions, which is an obligation under international humanitarian law.

According to the UN’s human rights office, Mr. Türk fears that this direct and public statement, especially by a public official, risks inciting other atrocity crimes, and called for such statements to cease immediately. “They must be investigated and, if found to amount to a crime, must be prosecuted and punished,” Mr. Laurence said.

Amid the escalation of regional tensions following the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran, Mr. Laurence also repeated the importance of achieving a cease-fire. “All hostages must be released, and humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow into Gaza,” he said.

IX. Unrelenting war in Gaza continues to inflict horrors on children – UNICEF

On 9 August, the UNICEF Communication Officer Salim Oweis briefed the press at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, as summarized below.

/…

The unrelenting war in Gaza continues to inflict horrors on thousands of children, keeping far too many separated from their loved ones. On Saturday, I met 8-month-old Yahya. Four days and several attempts later, after a long and dangerous drive together, through military checkpoints to the North of the Gaza Strip, Yahya met his father, Zakaria, for the first time.

Little Yahya was born at Kamal Adwan Hospital on 27 November 2023. The boy was born prematurely and was transferred to Shifaa Hospital for neo-natal medical care. Shortly after, a military operation took place around Shifaa Hospital, and he was evacuated to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah – the middle of the Gaza Strip. But his parents were forced to stay in the north.

Once well, Yahya was eventually placed into temporary care and kept safe with the support of UNICEF and partners, who managed to stay in touch with his family. Finally, the time came to reunite him with his mother and father, who had to endure months of uncertainty and fear before being able to hold him in their hands.

The successful mission included seven children from four families and was a rare moment of joy in an otherwise bleak environment. But it wasn’t without its complexities. Our mission has been denied access three times before, despite pre-coordination and initial approvals. Just two weeks earlier, another UNICEF car on a reunification mission was hit by three bullets, while waiting at a holding point on its way to the north. But our small win – seeing Zakaria cry with joy and relief – is why we persist despite the many challenges.

I was shocked by the depth of suffering, destruction and widespread displacement in Gaza. The footage the world sees on television gives an important peek into the living hell people are enduring for over 10 months. What it does not fully show is how behind the crumbled buildings – whole neighbourhoods, livelihoods and dreams have been levelled to the ground.

When you see an image of a displaced mother carrying her child and all their possessions on her back, you do not see hundreds of uprooted people following her up the road.

One lost child, like Yahya, is really the story of thousands.

The life of a child in Gaza, in month ten of this conflict, is not a life. We cannot say it enough – there is no safe place, and everything is running out – food, water, fuel, medicines. Everything.

When you walk through the mazes of makeshift shelters, you struggle to climb the sand they lay on and you smell the strong odour of sewage filling the paths around. You are struck by the many children hovering around asking one question “Mr. when will the war end?”

Water and waste are a huge problem.

In Deir al-Balah, where the bulk of displaced people have fled in recent months, the partially functioning sanitation system is estimated to be overloaded by seven times its capacity due to these massive waves of displacement to the area. Consequently, the decades-old sewage network is mostly clogged, and leaking.

Families urgently asked me for soap and hygiene supplies. They are using water and salt to clean their children or boiling water with lemons to try and treat skin rashes. They tell me doctors don’t have the capacity or medicines to treat them, with more serious medical cases arriving every hour and no supplies on the shelves. And so, the rashes spread.

There is also a serious lack of medicine for children with pre-existing conditions like cancer and congenital ailments.

At Al-Aqsa Hospital I met 10-year-old Abdel Rahman, who suffered a leg injury during an airstrike. His leg never healed, and after following up with doctors he was diagnosed with bone cancer. His mother Samar said to me with a broken voice: “I wish my child would die and not to be suffering as he is now – can you believe that I wish that now?”

A child with a disease in the Gaza Strip has been handed a sentence to a slow death because he cannot receive the treatment he needs, and he is unlikely to survive long enough to make it out.

Their only hope of survival is a ceasefire. The children of Gaza are still clinging to the belief that this day will come, and UNICEF shares this hope. Achieving a ceasefire is still possible, more necessary now than ever and way overdue, and everyone must do everything in their power to advocate for it.”

X. UN Special Coordinator deplores devastating strike on a school sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians

On 10 August, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland issued the following statement.

Every day civilians continue to bear the brunt of this conflict amidst horror, displacement and endless suffering.

The cost in lives of this war is evident with every passing day as we have witnessed yet another devastating strike on a school sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians, with dozens of fatalities.

I am encouraged by the perseverance of the leaders of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar as mediators and their call on both sides to conclude the ceasefire and hostages release deal.

I urge all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians, conclude a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza and implement its provisions without delay or condition in line with UN Security Council resolution 2735.

The United Nations is committed to supporting all efforts towards this goal. An end to this nightmare is long overdue.

XI. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights pleads for end to fighting as Gaza death toll passes 40,000

On 15 August, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk issued the following statement.

Today marks a grim milestone for the world. The people of Gaza are now grieving 40,000 Palestinian lives lost, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Most of the dead are women and children. This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli Defense Forces to comply with the rules of war.

On average, about 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past 10 months. The scale of the Israeli military’s destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship is deeply shocking.

International humanitarian law (IHL) is very clear on the paramount importance on the protection of civilians, and civilian property and infrastructure. Our Office has documented serious violations of IHL by both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups, including the armed wing of Hamas.

As the world reflects on and considers its inability to prevent this carnage, I urge all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire, lay down their arms and stop the killing once and for all. The hostages must be released. Palestinians arbitrarily detained must be freed. Israel’s illegal occupation must end and the internationally agreed two-State solution must become a reality.

XII. UN Secretary-General calls for ceasefire to combat polio in Gaza as “Gaza is in a humanitarian freefall”

On 16 August, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued the following statement.

Gaza is in a humanitarian freefall.  Just when it seems the situation could not get worse for Palestinians in Gaza, the suffering grows – and the world watches.

In recent weeks, the poliovirus has been detected in wastewater samples in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.  That means the virus is now circulating, with hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza at risk.

Polio does not care about dividing lines – and polio does not wait. Preventing and containing the spread of polio will take a massive, coordinated and urgent effort.

The United Nations is poised to launch a vital polio vaccine campaign in Gaza for more than [640,000] children under the age of 10. The World Health Organization has approved the release of 1.6 million doses of the polio vaccine. UNICEF is coordinating delivery of the vaccines and the cold chain equipment to store them. And UNRWA, the largest primary healthcare provider in Gaza, has medical teams ready to administer the vaccines and assist with logistics.

But the challenges are grave. Health, water, and sanitation systems in Gaza have been decimated. The majority of hospitals and primary care facilities are not functional. People are constantly on the run for safety. And routine immunizations have been severely disrupted by the conflict, increasing the spread of other preventable diseases like measles and hepatitis A.

We know how an effective polio vaccination campaign must be administered. Given the wholesale devastation in Gaza, at least 95 per cent vaccination coverage will be needed during each round of the two-round campaign to prevent polio’s spread and reduce its emergence.

The vaccination effort will include 708 teams at hospitals and primary health care centres – many of which are barely functioning — and by 316 community outreach teams throughout Gaza.

And we also know what a successful campaign will require:

  • The facilitation of transport for vaccines and cold chain equipment at every step.
  • The entry of polio experts into Gaza.
  • Fuel for health teams to conduct their work.
  • Reliable internet and phone services to inform communities about the campaign.
  • An increase in the amount of cash allowed into Gaza to pay health workers.
  • And, above all, a successful polio vaccination campaign needs safety.
  • Safety for health workers to do their jobs.
  • Safety for children and families to get to the health facilities.
  • And safety for those health facilities to be protected from bombardment.

I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign.

Let’s be clear:  The ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

But in any case, a Polio Pause is a must. It is impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign with war raging all over. Polio goes beyond politics.  It transcends all divisions.  And so it is our shared obligation to come together.

To mobilize – not to fight people, but to fight polio.

And to defeat a vicious virus that, left unchecked, would have a disastrous effect not only for Palestinian children in Gaza, but also in neighbouring countries and the region.

XIII. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture appalled by allegation of sexual torture by Israeli soldiers, calls for accountability

On 16 August, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Dr. Alice Jill Edwards issued the following statement.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has condemned the latest allegation of sexual assault by Israeli soldiers against a Palestinian man in their custody. This follows her formal communication with Israel in May about multiple allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment against Palestinians detained since 7 October 2023.

“There are no circumstances in which sexual torture or sexualised inhuman and degrading treatment can be justified,” Edwards said.

“All alleged crimes committed within the context of this terrible war must be investigated transparently and impartially, and those responsible held accountable by civilian courts of law.”

Thousands of Palestinians have been detained by Israel since 7 October 2023.

“This alleged sexual torture involving multiple offenders is particularly gruesome. In an official meeting with Israeli authorities, I have been informed that several soldiers suspected of involvement have been identified and are currently under investigation.”

Edwards called for this process to take place without interference.

“I am troubled by recent attempts by Israeli citizens – including reportedly one member of parliament – to intervene violently after the arrests of soldiers on these abuse charges,” the expert said.

“Criminal proceedings into all allegations must proceed unhindered. No one is above the law. No one is immune from prosecution for torture.”

The Special Rapporteur said she continues to push for accountability for all allegations of torture and/or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment during this war, including in meetings with both representatives of the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

She reiterated her call for the immediate release of all remaining Israeli hostages who are being held unlawfully by Hamas and other armed groups, as well as the swift release of all Palestinians arbitrarily detained. She welcomed the oversight by the High Court of Justice of Sde Teiman military camp, which has been a site of many serious allegations.

XIV. OHCHR warns of escalating settler violence in the West Bank

On 16 August, Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the following statement.

Echoing widespread condemnation internationally and within Israel of the attack reportedly by Israeli settlers on the village of Jit on Thursday which left a Palestinian man dead and about a dozen injured, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani described the incident as “horrific”.

She noted that the killing “was not an isolated attack”, in reference to years of violence directed at Palestinian communities by Israeli settlers, maintaining that it was “the direct consequence” of Israel’s policy of occupation.

Settler impunity

“We have been reporting for the past years about settlers attacking Palestinian communities in their land in the West Bank with impunity and this really is the crux of the matter, the impunity that the perpetrators of such actions have been enjoying,” Ms. Shamdasani said.

According to latest OHCHR monitoring, 609 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank including East Jerusalem since Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel on 7 October.

This number includes 146 children, eight women and at least four people with disabilities.

“Clearly this needs to stop and key to this will be accountability for the perpetrators,” the OHCHR spokesperson insisted.

“There have been attacks by settlers, by Israeli security forces as well against Palestinians in the West Bank and by and large we are seeing impunity”, she continued.

“There have been very few investigations but even in those cases, most of the times these do not conclude with justice for the victims and for the perpetrators. There are reports of Israeli security forces standing by as attacks take place. There are even reports of weapons being distributed to the settlers. So, there is clearly a state responsibility in this regard.”

XV. OHCHR warns of Israel’s settlement expansion

On 19 August, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the following press release.

The UN Human Rights Office is alarmed by Israel’s recent and ongoing settlement expansion and legal changes in the occupied West Bank; measures which fly in the face of international law, including a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice in July.

On 14 August, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a military order to allocate 148 acres of land for the new settlement of “Nahal Heletz”, due to be constructed west of Bethlehem, encroaching on the Palestinian Battir UNESCO World Heritage Site. This follows a cabinet decision on 27 June to establish five new settlements, including “Nahal Heletz”, by using Israeli law to “legalize” outposts which were already present on these sites – all of which remain unlawful under international law. Settlements, settler violence and the presence of settlers are the root causes of the majority of human rights violations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Settlement expansion in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is being accompanied and greatly facilitated by the recent transfer of powers from the military to civilian officials. On 29 May, the Israeli authorities transferred administrative powers relating to land and settlements from military to Israeli civilian control, further integrating the administration of the West Bank into that of Israel, while not extending equal protection of the law to Palestinians.

The UN Human Right Office has raised concerns in the past that the transfer of wide administrative powers, relating to settlements and land administration, from the military authorities to a civilian administration within the Ministry of Defense could facilitate the annexation of the West Bank in violation of international law, including the United Nations Charter.

In its Advisory Opinion of 19 July, the ICJ held that Israel’s policies and practices amount to annexation of large parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It called for the evacuation of all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

These legal and other structural changes give effect to the Government’s policy of “application of sovereignty” and erase the separate administration of the occupied territory, thus cementing the annexation of large parts of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The continued settlement activity and changes to the legal regime applicable in the occupied West Bank, along with the separation of Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the West Bank, also further institutionalize long-standing systematic discrimination, oppression and violence against the Palestinian people.

In the case of “Nahal Heletz”, the building of a new settlement in this strategic area severely compromises the livelihoods, safety and movement of Palestinians living in five surrounding villages, while posing a significant threat to the contiguity and viability of a Palestinian state. Minister Smotrich has made clear that this was precisely the intention, praising the new settlement as a part of his mission to “fight the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state, and establish facts on the ground”. The building of new settlements contributes to the obstruction of the exercise of the right to self-determination by the Palestinian people.

In addition, three other outposts have been retroactively “legalized” as “neighbourhoods” of existing settlements. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the permissive environment, settlers have established 25 new outposts since 7 October.

XVI. “Almost all UNRWA and humanitarian staff are displaced,” states UNRWA on World Humanitarian Day

On 19 August, UNRWA Chief of Staff, Ben Majekodunmi made the following statement.

/…

As we know, since the early morning of 7th October – over 40,000 people, possibly far more, have been [reportedly] killed in Gaza and over 1,200 [reportedly] killed in Israel.

Within this, the humanitarian community has suffered unspeakable tragedy. At least 289 humanitarian personnel have been killed, from Palestinian and international NGOs and from the UN. At least 211 are UN staff, including 207 from UNRWA alone, and staff from WHO, UNDP and UNDSS. At least 190 UNRWA premises have been damaged or destroyed, killing over 560 people sheltering inside. Over 135 children of UNRWA staff have been killed.

Before the war, half of Gaza’s 625,000 children went to UNRWA schools. Any chance of recovery in Gaza and of lasting peace must see them return with their teachers to school.

On 10 July, Wafa, an UNRWA teacher was killed with her husband and two children in Nuseirat.

On 18 July, Seham, an UNRWA teacher, was injured and her husband and children killed, in Bureij. Seham later died from her injuries.

On 21 July, Suha, an UNRWA teacher was injured in Nuseirat, and her husband and young daughter and son were killed. Suha died from her injuries on 30 July.

On 24 July, Ibtehal, an UNRWA teacher was killed with her 4 month-old daughter in Khan Younis.

On 19 January, but only recently reported, Ghada, an UNRWA teacher, was killed along with her husband and six children.

All had been displaced from their homes. These are five entries from UNRWA’s record of staff deaths. We have two hundred more. They were teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, cleaners, support staff, technicians.

This is by far the greatest loss of UN personnel killed in a single conflict or natural disaster since the creation of the United Nations.

The harm inflicted on humanitarian workers and operations has been described by competent entities in the UN and beyond as violations of international law and likely war crimes. The consequences go far beyond Gaza. In the humanitarian community we know that the reason we can work in the most dangerous places is not through force of arms, but through force of law and principles. Each day, many of us depend upon the respect for the UN flag not only by governments but also by individual fighters – in a plane above us, at a roadblock. When that respect ceases, we lose the protection required to help those who need it most. There must be accountability.

Within 30 seconds of entering Gaza through Rafah or Kerem Shalom, humanitarian staff walk into an active conflict. Within the 18% of Gaza not under evacuation orders, it is intensely crowded – a normally five-minute drive takes an hour. There are children everywhere. UNRWA premises, almost all converted into shelters, are filled with people trying to stay clean, trying to care for their children, trying to live. There is the constant sound of drones high in the sky, the sound of incoming fire from ships, the sound of exploding bombs near and far, or silent plumes of smoke rising from the strike of a distant missile. People risk their lives to find clean water and food. Polio spreads in open sewage. Children die from inadequate medical care, while world class hospitals are near.

Almost all UNRWA and humanitarian staff are displaced. Like the general population, they live on the floor of schools, in half destroyed buildings, in tents constructed from rugs and branches.

It is in this environment that humanitarian workers are keeping Gaza alive.

I asked my colleagues in Gaza what they would want me to say here.

They told me that while at work they worry all day about the safety of their families. That upon hearing each explosion they try to calculate in their minds its size, location and proximity to where their families are displaced.

They said that Gazans are angry at the international community, represented on the ground by humanitarian workers, for not stopping the destruction.

Randa and Farid talked about two dear friends among the deceased UNRWA staff – Seline, an Obstetrician, and Shahar who devoted his life to education for children with special needs. “Gaza has lost so much”, they said.

Rida, an UNRWA school principal now a shelter manager, described how a missile strike on her shelter in Khan Younis killed 17 people immediately. With ambulances unable to come, Rida said she and other UNRWA staff, without medical training, provided care overnight for many others with severe trauma injuries. The worst was seeing human beings reduced to “bundles”.

Eima works in movement coordination for humanitarian missions. She described how she wakes at 4 a.m to receive and transmit updated instructions on safe routes, and then spends all day worrying if the routes she shared will really keep her colleagues safe.

My colleagues told me that everyone dreams constantly of a ceasefire.

Amidst the pain, as humanitarians, we look for hope and light where we can find it.

Is there light in the fact that even when an UNRWA school is hit by bombs killing IDPs, and hit again days later killing more, that IDPs still remain there because, in spite of everything, they feel safer under the UN blue flag; safer with UN staff around them?

Is there light in the fact that on a single day in February, UNRWA was able to conduct over 20,000 separate patient visits at our few remaining health clinics? And that one of those clinics, in Nuseirat, on one terrible day, shifted from primary health care to serving as an ICU with staff doing improvised surgery on over 150 trauma cases that arrived within a few hours, under intense bombardment?

Is there hope in the fact that amid the horror of a polio outbreak, the humanitarian community has somehow managed to design a public health campaign to address it; now the parties to the conflict must enable the plan’s implementation.

My colleagues said they have enormous pride in their work and in UNRWA and the other humanitarian operations. They said: “We are the door that is always open for the community”. UNRWA is part of almost every aspect of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, through our thousands of staff. The day after each terrible moment, no matter how deeply staff are affected, including the death of their own children, they keep reporting to work.

I ask that we recognize the humanitarian personnel working in and on Gaza. From Palestinian public health and safety organizations to international NGOs, to UN agencies and departments including WHO, UNDP, UNDSS, OCHA, WFP, IOM, UNICEF, OHCHR, UNMAS, the Resident Coordinator and the Special Coordinator and their teams, and others. And I ask that we recognize UNRWA staff who, after going through so much, still “keep the door always open”.

I also recall the outstanding work, courage and commitment of humanitarian staff around the world from across the NGO and UN community, and our colleagues lost in Iraq in 2003.

Despite those who might abuse it, whether through attacks or through neutrality violations, the blue UN flag continues to represent the principles of human rights, of international law, and of humanity for all peoples affected by this terrible conflict, on all sides of borders and walls, and regardless of national, religious, or ethnic origins. At the risk of their lives, our colleagues in Gaza and around the world set this standard every day.

The last message I would share is of an impromptu speech made by our colleague Miranda, a Palestinian senior manager of a large UNRWA-Gaza team. During my last visit into Gaza, I listened as she gathered about 40 staff to stand around her. Ignoring the background sound of explosions, she smiled and spoke as she walked around the room looking at her team, saying “Thank you, for your dedication, for your hard work. We are strong. We are defending our organization that is our family. We will absorb the anger of our community. We are here. We will not leave our IDPs. We will leave no one behind, even though we are standing alone.”

Today, on World Humanitarian Day 2024, all of UNRWA and the humanitarian community in Gaza knows that we are not alone.

XVII. On World Humanitarian Day, women humanitarians call for a safe operational space for women aid workers in Gaza

On 19 August, the United Nations Population Fund issued the following statement.

Over ten months into the devastating war on Gaza, women humanitarians continue to work relentlessly in conditions that defy the risk and destruction. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, 70 percent of whom are women and children, and over 29,000 severely injured, with countless others still missing. Tragically, many of our courageous humanitarian colleagues have been lost, paying the ultimate price for their dedication to saving lives.

Each of us has been forcibly displaced, often multiple times, and has lost loved ones. We are all internally displaced persons or refugees, living in fear for our children and seeking strength to support others. Every day, we continue our work, deeply feeling the pain of those we help, especially women and children in Gaza.

We wake to the sound of bombs and nearly constant evacuation orders, sometimes multiple in a single day. We seek refuge for our children in the so-called ‘safe zones’ even though there is no safe place in Gaza. We strive to help vulnerable women and girls while being left only with our good intentions. Those of us with disabilities, pregnant women, and new mothers endure unimaginable pain and fear. Privacy is nonexistent, and our dignity is gone. Overcrowding threatens everyone’s safety and wellbeing, and conditions are suffocating, exhausting our ability to support those who, like us, have lost everything.

On this World Humanitarian Day:

1) We call for the recognition of the critical lack of safe operational space for women humanitarians, including those in health, protection, education, WASH, and other sectors, who are working tirelessly to protect women, girls, boys, and men from violence and to ensure dignified access to basic needs. Without a safe humanitarian space for women aid workers in Gaza, the risks of violence including gender-based violence, would become immeasurable, causing intergenerational harm.

2) We urge support for local NGOs and women-led and women rights’ organizations, which are crucial in protecting women and girls from violence and responding to community needs in a gender responsive way.

3) We call for concrete action, to open all available humanitarian corridors, allowing us to meet the basic needs of Gaza’s population.

4) We demand adherence to international humanitarian law and protection of civilians and local humanitarians in Gaza. We demand protection for our children, ensuring a healthy childhood free from diseases re-emerging due to unsafe conditions in Gaza.

5) We urgently advocate for an end to the war and a commitment to dialogue and peacebuilding.

Read the full statement and join us in advocating for the protection and support of those women humanitarians.

XVIII. Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory warns mass evacuation orders in Gaza choke survival and severely constrain aid operations

On 22 August, Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Muhannad Hadi issued the following statement.

Successive mass evacuation orders issued by Israeli forces amid hostilities have displaced 90 per cent of Gaza’s residents since October 2023, often multiple times, exposing them to harm and depriving them of the essentials to survive. During August alone, the Israeli forces have issued 12 evacuation orders – on average, once every two days – forcing as many as 250,000 people to move yet again.

Just yesterday, tens of thousands of civilians in four neighbourhoods in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis were instructed to leave. Humanitarian staff of several UN agencies and NGOs were also affected, along with their families. Humanitarian workers play a critical role in supporting other displaced Palestinians.

If evacuation orders are meant to protect civilians, the fact is that they are leading to the exact opposite. They are forcing families to flee again, often under fire and with the few belongings they can carry with them, into an ever-shrinking area that is overcrowded, polluted, with limited services and – like the rest of Gaza – unsafe. People are being deprived of access to services essential for their survival, including medical facilities, shelters, water wells and humanitarian supplies.

The water supply in Deir al Balah has decreased by at least 70 per cent due to the shutdown of pumps and desalination plants located within evacuation zones. A severe chlorine shortage for water disinfection, with reserves expected to last only one more month, is fueling disease, skin infections, hepatitis A and now polio.

Civilians are exhausted and terrified, running from one destroyed place to another, with no end in sight.

This cannot continue.

International humanitarian law demands that the parties protect civilians and meet their essential needs. The way forward is as clear as it is urgent: protect civilians, release the hostages, facilitate humanitarian access, agree on a ceasefire.

XIX. UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) calls for stronger global engagement to address racial discrimination in the Palestine-Israel dispute

 On 22 August, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued the following press release following the release of the Report of the Ad Hoc Conciliation Commission (case of the State of Palestine v. Israel).

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) today published the report of the ad hoc Conciliation Commission in the State of Palestine v. Israel case. The report details the conclusions and recommendations made by the ad hoc Commission for settling the dispute between the two state parties over the issues of racial discrimination.

“The State of Palestine and Israel, as parties to the Convention, have the utmost responsibility to implement the recommendations made by the Commission,” said Michal Balcerzak, Chair of the Committee. “And all States parties share the significant responsibility of assisting them in that endeavour,” he added.

The ad hoc Conciliation Commission was set up in 2022 under Article 12(1) b of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and was composed of five human rights experts from the Committee.

The Commission emphasised that concrete steps toward a mutually agreed and lasting delimitation of borders between the States parties and ending the de facto policy of colonisation and segregation in the occupied territories are necessary for the protection of the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis under the Convention.

The Commission stressed the shared responsibility of all States parties to the Convention in eliminating racial discrimination. It underlined that respecting the rule of law and combatting impunity in cases of racial discrimination are key elements in the process toward a solution to the dispute between the State of Palestine and Israel.

The release of the Commission’s report marks the final stage of the inter-state procedure initiated by the State of Palestine in 2018 under Article 11 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

XX. UNFPA highlights the devastating impact of mass evacuation orders in Gaza on women and girls

On 24 August, the United Nations Population Fund issued the following press release, excerpted below.

As the war on Gaza continues, mass evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military have become an ongoing daily routine, uprooting nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s residents since October 2023. This relentless displacement, often multiple times, has left Palestinians with nowhere safe to turn, stripping them of the basic necessities required to survive. Women and girls, including pregnant and lactating women and adolescent girls, are among the most vulnerable, facing unprecedented challenges to their health and safety.

/…

The continuous displacement has had a devastating impact on maternal health services in Gaza. At least 17 health facilities, including five primary healthcare centers and nine medical points, have been disrupted by recent evacuation orders. This is particularly alarming given that more than half a million are women of reproductive age, of whom an estimated 50,000 are pregnant.

/…

The overcrowding in displacement sites, combined with severe shortages of water and sanitation services, has created a breeding ground for disease. Women and girls are at heightened risk of reproductive and urinary tract infections due to the lack of menstrual hygiene products and proper sanitation. Additionally, the threat of gender-based violence looms large.

/…

UNFPA’s humanitarian response has been severely hindered by the ongoing mass evacuation orders and intensified fighting. Multiple evacuation orders have led to the closure of one safe space for women and girls that provided critical protection and support to those at risk of gender-based violence. UNFPA supports hospitals providing emergency obstetric and neonatal care by delivering regular supplies and technical assistance. However, security issues have disrupted these deliveries and fuel supplies, which are essential for maintaining these services. As a result, functioning hospitals are overwhelmed with more patients and have to manage with limited resources. Four UNFPA-supported maternal health service delivery points in the middle area and Khan Younis governorates, which served thousands of women, have also been forced to shut down as a result of the evacuation orders.

/…

The logistical challenges are immense. Since early July, UNFPA has managed to bring in only one truckload of desperately needed reproductive health supplies into Gaza due to delays at crossings and man-made logistical hurdles. This shipment, which arrived two days ago, is currently stored in a warehouse that was designated a red zone following an evacuation order and is now inaccessible for distribution to health facilities. Consequently, delays in providing quality healthcare have further endangered the lives of women and girls.

In the north, transporting fuel to key hospitals supported by UNFPA has been impossible for two weeks, critically hindering maternity health services. The fuel, which is distributed by WHO, remains undelivered as requests to travel to the North have been denied by Israeli Authorities.

UNFPA-supported youth volunteers have been crucial in supporting humanitarian efforts, taking on key roles in needs assessments, aid distribution, and implementing youth-led initiatives that have helped thousands of displaced people. Despite their vital contributions, their work has been disrupted by repeated evacuations, forcing them to disperse across various locations and endure increasingly dire conditions.

Evacuation orders have also severely impacted aid workers, including UNFPA staff, who are serving thousands of displaced people. They continue to work under immense challenges, with many living in the streets in makeshift tents and having limited access to water and other essential services.

A call for urgent action

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire. Nearly two million people are internally displaced, with almost the entire population suffering a mental health crisis due to ongoing trauma and pervasive insecurity. Among the displaced are 500,000 women of reproductive age, including 155,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women who lack access to essential maternal health services.

If these conditions persist, the humanitarian response will continue to fall short, leaving the most vulnerable – women, girls, elderly people, and people with disabilities – at even greater risk.

A ceasefire is urgently needed in Gaza to alleviate the suffering of its people. The international community must act swiftly to ensure that the people of Gaza receive the protection and assistance they desperately require.

XXI. WFP warns only half of required food aid reaches Gaza amid catastrophic hunger

On 26 August, the World Food Programme issued the following press release.

Ten months into the war, Palestinians in Gaza are crowded into an ever-shrinking space without adequate sanitation or healthcare and are repeatedly uprooted by evacuation orders that also disrupt the aid centres intended to support them, including the food distributions and community kitchens supported by the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

WFP’s operations are severely hampered by intensifying conflict, the limited number of border crossings and damaged roads. In the last two months, amid continuing catastrophic hunger, WFP has had to reduce the contents of food parcels in Gaza as inflows of aid dipped and supplies dwindled. With two, or occasionally three, border crossings open, roughly half of the required food assistance entered Gaza in July. August is set to end with a similar result.

WFP is also warning about the state of the war-scarred roads it uses to transport food assistance around Gaza. The shell craters and debris make driving slow and challenging for truck drivers even in dry weather. In two months, when rain and flooding is expected, most roads will become unusable.

“Alongside the desperate needs of today, we must think about what’s coming. We won’t be able to bring food to the people of Gaza unless urgent repairs are done on these roads. We must be able to bring in the heavy machinery that is needed and work with communities so we have the labour to fix the roads before the rain comes,” said WFP Palestine Country Director Antoine Renard.

Most Palestinians in Gaza are now displaced and living in tents or make-shift huts, often in areas prone to flooding. Because of evacuation orders, they are also trying to find safety in increasingly small spaces, where basic services have collapsed, and conditions make outbreaks of disease likely.

“Transporting food, water, medicine and hygiene equipment is critical for the survival of communities in Gaza today and will be needed for months to come. Roads are part of this lifeline. We must have the necessary security guarantees so that our staff and service providers are safe when carrying out these road repairs,” Renard said.

Apart from the damaged roads, aid workers grapple daily with slow authorizations and frequent refusals when they ask for permission to move. Looting and problems of public order are also frequent, especially when convoys have to wait for hours at holding points.

In the last two months, WFP has managed to bring in only half of the 24,000 MT of food aid required for operations serving 1.1 million people.

WFP operations in Gaza include food parcels and flour to families in shelters, hot meals, support to bakeries, special nutritional products for mothers and small children, and nutritional snacks for children in special safe areas set up by UNICEF.

For the first time last week, WFP-supported community kitchens in northern Gaza are providing hot meals with fresh vegetables (potatoes and onions). This first delivery is part of WFP’s efforts to bring in nutritious fresh produce to supplement the emergency food rations that families have survived on for months and stave off malnutrition.

Apart from food parcels and hot meals for immediate relief, WFP is also working on more sustainable solutions to help families cope.

Given the high prices of food as a result of the war, WFP is testing out a cash assistance programme in the Deir Al Balah area in the central Gaza that will enable people to buy the food that meets their families’ basic needs while injecting liquidity into Gaza’s battered economy at the same time.

XXII. Secretary-General calls for ‘immediate cessation’ of military operations in occupied West Bank

On 28 August, the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued the following statement.

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the latest developments in the occupied West Bank, including Israel’s launch today of large-scale military operations in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates, involving the use of air strikes, which resulted in casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.  He strongly condemns the loss of lives, including of children.

The Secretary-General calls for an immediate cessation of these operations.

He calls on Israel to comply with its relevant obligations under international humanitarian law and to take measures to protect civilians and ensure their safety.  He urges security forces to exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life.

All those injured must have access to medical care, and humanitarian workers must be able to reach everyone in need.

These dangerous developments are fuelling an already explosive situation in the occupied West Bank and further undermining the Palestinian Authority.

The Secretary-General is also deeply concerned by the recent dangerous and provocative acts and statements by an Israeli Minister at the holy sites in Jerusalem.  He stresses the importance of maintaining the status quo at the sites.

Ultimately, only an end to the occupation and a return to a meaningful political process that will establish a two-State solution will bring an end to the violence.  The United Nations will continue to work with all parties towards this end, to seek a de-escalation of the current situation and promote stability in the region.

XXIII. UN Palestinian Rights Committee adopts 2024 Annual Report

On 31 August, the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People adopted its annual report to the General Assembly. The report’s (A/79/35) conclusions and recommendations are reproduced below.

  1. In developing its recommendations set out below, the Committee has taken into account the deliberations at Committee and Bureau meetings, briefings received, outreach, international conferences and events involving Member States, civil society organizations and regional organizations, and the recent United Nations decisions.
  2. Action by the Committee in response to the conflict and humanitarian crisis
  3. The Committee strongly condemns Israel’s military campaign in Gaza that has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian dead and injured more than 92,000 men, women, children and elderly as of August 2024. It condemns the 7 October 2023 attacks by armed Palestinian groups that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, injury to about 5,400 and the abduction of 255 others as hostages into Gaza.
  4. The Committee strongly condemns Israel’s disproportionate and indiscriminate military campaign that disregards human life and has led to mounting death, severe suffering of Palestinians, including mass displacement, starvation and spread of disease, widespread destruction of the Gaza Strip, and extensive trauma among the population. The Committee calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, strict adherence to international humanitarian law to protect civilians, release of hostages and prisoners, and an independent investigation into all human rights violations and war crimes perpetrated.
  5. The Committee stresses that Israel’s aggression on Gaza has consistently failed to distinguish between civilians and combatants, as well as civilian and military objects, and breached its obligations as an occupying Power under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Committee also stresses that the indiscriminate launching of rockets towards Israeli population centres by Palestinian armed groups is prohibited by international humanitarian law. The Committee reminds all parties that attacks on densely populated areas, hospitals, places of worship, and schools and UN premises constitute war crimes and must cease forthwith and that there must be accountability for all such grave breaches. The Committee urges full adherence by all parties to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, as well as General Assembly Resolutions ES-10/21 and ES-10/22, and Security Council Resolutions 2712 (2023), 2720 (2023), 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024) and the relevant Human Rights Council resolutions (A/HRC/55/L.30, A/HRC/55/L.13, A/HRC/55/L.14, and A/HRC/55/L.28) .
  6. The Committee is alarmed by the humanitarian catastrophe caused by Israel’s military campaign which has resulted in multiple displacement of the entire population of Gaza and over half a million Palestinians facing famine. It calls for international solidarity and support for immediate humanitarian efforts in Gaza and urges Member States to pressure Israeli authorities to allow safe unimpeded access for aid organizations bringing food, water, medicine, fuel and other essential supplies to Palestinians and to stop any actions obstructing aid to the Palestinian people.
  7. The Committee urges the international community to protect the Palestinian civilian population, including by establishing safe humanitarian zones and providing adequate shelter for displaced populations and fundamental humanitarian and hygiene needs. The Committee strongly condemns Israeli invasion and attacks on the last remaining refuge centres for displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including the repeated attacks on UNRWA facilities sheltering the displaced and refugee camps across Gaza. It deplores Israeli evacuation orders that continue to inflict displacement and suffering on Palestinians and cause fear and trauma to spread among the population that is being repeatedly forced to flee for safe in a place where nowhere is safe. The Committee reminds that refugee centres are crucial lifelines for humanitarian aid, providing essential food, medical care, and shelter and must be treated as safe zones and respected in accordance with international law.
  8. The Committee demands action to address war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza, including by investigating the weaponization of starvation as a method of warfare and other war crimes prohibited under international law. The Committee also denounces the Israeli military offensives aimed at obstructing humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, who, after enduring months of bombings, disease, and hunger continue to endure collective punishment, potentially involving acts of genocide.
  9. The Committee demands enhanced safety for aid workers by requiring Israel to establish and respect safe corridors and ensure the protection of humanitarian personnel, including UNRWA staff, and continuous aid delivery.
  10. The Committee expresses its deep concern about escalating settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which risk further destabilizing the area and increasing violence. It calls for an immediate end to the excessive use of lethal force by Israeli forces and armed settlers against Palestinian civilians, including children, which has made 2024 the deadliest year on record for children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  11. The Committee condemns the expansion of illegal settlements and outposts and the continued suffering and dispossession of Palestinian communities, who face an ongoing Nakba, driven by Israeli state policy and acts of terror by extremists. The Committee calls on Israeli government officials to halt their provocations, rhetoric and incitement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
  12. Action by the Committee in response to human rights
  13. The Committee condemns the recurring human rights violations committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian civilian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as amply documented by international organizations, including the United Nations and its human rights mechanisms, and human rights organizations, including from Israel.
  14. The Committee condemns the punitive measures imposed by the Government of Israel to perpetuate the occupation, weaken the Palestinian Authority and repress the Palestinian people. The Committee calls on Israel to immediately reverse its punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority, disarm Israeli settlers and immediately stop settler violence and all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and provide protection to Palestinian civilians as called for in Security Council resolution 904 (1994) and General Assembly resolution ES-10/20 and in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
  15. The Committee demands that the United Nations and the international community take additional measures to ensure accountability in response to Israel not abiding by its responsibility to investigate and prosecute acts committed by its agents or third parties that involve grave breaches of international humanitarian law and gross violations of the human rights of Palestinians. The Committee commends the Member States who have imposed sanctions against Israeli settlers involved in violence against Palestinians and urges other Member States to act accordingly to ensure accountability.
  16. The Committee urges Israel to adhere to its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and to fully respect the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, acknowledging Jordan’s special custodian role. It condemns Israel’s attempts to change the historic and legal status of the holy sites and East Jerusalem as well as to alter its demographic composition and character, in violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions.
  17. The Committee commends the Secretary-General and relevant humanitarian mechanisms for their response to Israel’s continued and escalating aggression and violence, including the disproportionate use of military force in densely populated civilian areas in Gaza and the West Bank. It underscores the seriousness of the Secretary-General’s 2024 report on Children and Armed Conflict (A/78/842-S/204/384) regarding grave violations against Palestinian children and the inclusion of the Israel Defence Forces and armed Palestinian groups for these violations.
  18. The OHCHR report of 31 July 2024 (see para. 17) that thousands of Palestinians have been detained in Gaza, West Bank and Israel, including since October 2023, in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law deeply worries the Committee. The Committee strongly condemns the deaths, disappearances, torture, sexual violence, and inhumane treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, including men, women, and children. It also denounces the actions of Israeli extremists who advocate for the right to rape Palestinian prisoners.
  19. The Committee deplores the killing and silencing by Israeli forces of Palestinian journalists and media professionals in Gaza and the West Bank, who are central to exposing the atrocities, violations and genocide acts being perpetrated in the Occupied Territory.
  20. The Committee welcomes the ICJ’s Provisional Order in response to South Africa’s application, which mandates Israel to act within its scope of Article II to “take all actions within its power to prevent acts of genocide” under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Committee also highlights the extreme vulnerability of civilians in Gaza due to repeated Israeli military assaults and demands that Israel ensures its forces do not commit further genocidal acts.
  21. The Committee welcomes the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor’s actions aimed at holding Israeli leaders and Palestinian armed group leaders accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity for their actions in the Gaza conflict. It calls on the ICC to act on the Prosecutor’s request.
  22. Action by the Committee in response to annexation and settlement activities
  23. The Committee welcomes the landmark Court’s Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 and calls on the General Assembly and Security Council to urgently implement it, including through the adoption of modalities required to bring an end the unlawful Israeli occupation and a halt to all new settlement activities and evacuate existing settlers, to make reparations for damages in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to support the realization by the Palestinian people of their inalienable right to self-determination. The Assembly supported by Council should formulate a roadmap for ending the unlawful occupation, including through the specification of the obligations of all States as affirmed in the Advisory Opinion, with clear benchmarks and monitoring of its implementation. The Committee supports the call for all Member States to uphold international law and reject Israel’s unlawful presence in the OPT and refrain from actions that assist or sustain it.
  24. The Committee reiterates that the annexation of any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is illegal. It calls on the Israeli authorities to cease all actions aimed at changing the demographic composition, status and character of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to abide scrupulously by its international legal obligations. Such illegal colonization measures violate the inalienable right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and undermine the prospect of achieving a two-State solution by systematically eroding a contiguous, independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem serving as its capital, in accordance with international law, the pertinent United Nations resolutions, including, inter alia, Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) and General Assembly resolution 77/26, as well as the Madrid principles and the Arab Peace Initiative.
  25. The Committee is gravely concerned at the stated objective of the Government of Israel to dramatically increase the number of settlers in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, openly referring to the occupied territory as the “land of Israel”, contrary to international law, countless United Nations resolutions and the international consensus on the two-State solution based on the pre-1967 borders. The Committee supports the demands made by the Security Council, General Assembly and Human Rights Council for the cessation of all such illegal activities, including expropriation of and encroachment on Palestinian land and demolition of Palestinian homes and properties.
  26. The Committee urges the Government of Israel to refrain from seizing Palestinian land, stop conducting demolitions, including of donor-funded structures, and end all forced evictions and forcible displacement of Palestinians.
  27. The Committee concurs with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel that discrimination against Palestinians, the ongoing occupation, and associated abuses – such as unlawful killings, forced displacement, and denial of rights-resemble apartheid and are primary causes of the conflict. The Committee calls for urgent action to safeguard Palestinian human rights and condemns political attacks on the Special Rapporteurs and the Commission, which undermine their efforts to document abuses, advocate for Palestinian rights, and promote accountability.
  28. Action with the Secretary-General, the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court
  29. The Committee concurs with the stance of the Secretary-General on the question of Palestine, which is based on international law and numerous United Nations resolutions, and it urges him to continue leveraging his good offices to pursue a just resolution to the question of Palestine. It calls on the international community to uphold the political, legal, humanitarian and moral obligations highlighted by the dangerous crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory which led Secretary-General to invoke Article 99 of the United Nations Charter.
  30. The Committee urges the Security Council and the General Assembly to ensure the speedy implementation of the long-standing parameters for peace affirmed in relevant United Nations resolutions, including Council resolution 2334 (2016) and Assembly resolution 77/25. This includes by ensuring that Member States and intergovernmental organizations take tangible measures to implement their obligations under these resolutions, particularly distinguishing between Israel and the territory that have remained under its occupation since 1967. Additionally, Member States must refrain from aiding, assisting or recognizing Israel’s unlawful presence of the occupying Power in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as reaffirmed most recently in the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024.
  31. The Committee requests the Secretary-General to continue to submit his reports to the Council on the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016), 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024) in written format and, pursuant to the applicable paragraphs of these resolutions, to include references to the implementation of the provision by Member States. Pursuant to these resolutions, the Committee also calls upon the Council to examine practical ways and means to secure the full implementation of relevant Council resolutions, including the use of sanctions on States and private entities violating Council resolutions.
  32. The Committee calls on the Security Council to demand the immediate implementation of resolution S/RES/2735 (2024) for the three-phase ceasefire deal and an immediate halt to Israeli military actions. It calls on the Security Council to act urgently to facilitate the delivery humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, which has been delayed for too long. The Committee expresses concern over the Security Council’s failure to halt atrocities in Gaza, including the killing of non-combatants, including men, women, children, youth and the elderly and strongly condemns the silence that normalizes these acts. It acknowledges efforts by States, including Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to broker a cease-fire and the release of hostages and urges the completion of these efforts to stop the suffering in Gaza.
  33. The Committee urges further efforts to implement the Security Council resolution 2720 (2023) mandate concerning the Office of the UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator to expedite the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza and calls for Member States to support its efforts.
  34. The Committee notes that any initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict in Gaza and the ending the prolonged occupation to achieve a just solution to the question of Palestine must, first and foremost, consider the legitimate rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people, engage the Palestinian leadership and be based on the two-State solution, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions.
  35. The Committee commends the ongoing efforts of the ICJ and the ICC in upholding international law and humanitarian principles in matters related to the question of Palestine and which are crucial for ensuring accountability, justice, and the protection of Palestinian rights.
  36. Advocacy and outreach with the international community and civil society
  37. The Committee calls upon regional organizations, in particular the Arab League, European Union, Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and OIC to take a politically active role in stopping the annexation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, by Israel, and pursuing concrete efforts, including accountability measures, to bring an end to the occupation and achieve a just solution to the question of Palestine. It further notes that any comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian question will require a regional approach, such as set out in the Arab Peace Initiative.
  38. The Committee fully supports the ongoing efforts by Member States, as well as the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, to promote calm and a just and lasting peace to the question of Palestine. The Committee commends the recent efforts of Algeria, China and Egypt to promote Palestinian unity, recognizing this as essential for ending the conflict and advancing the resolution of the question of Palestine.
  39. The Committee recognizes the crucial role of global civil society in advocating for Palestinian rights and an end to the immense suffering in Gaza, urging Member States to heed public demands and take decisive action in line with international legal obligations. It condemns threats against CSOs and NGOs delivering aid in Gaza, and calls on Israel to reverse policies restricting civil society access and hampering their vital work, and to ensure safe access for humanitarian workers.
  40. Action by Member States and regional organizations
  41. The Committee calls on Member States and regional organizations to act, collectively and individually, in line with international law to pressure Israel, the occupying Power, to fulfil its responsibilities to safeguard Palestinian civilians under international law, stop the assault on Gaza and the violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and to end its unlawful occupation as rapidly as possible.
  42. The Committee considers unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and embassy relocations there as invalid, as they violate Security Council resolutions 476 (1980), 478 (1980), and 2334 (2016), and commends those who have reversed such recognition, recalling the affirmations in the ICJ Advisory Opinion on this matter.
  43. The Committee welcomes UN General Assembly resolution A/ES-10/23 (2024), reaffirming the Palestinian right to self-determination and an independent State, and urges the Security Council to recommend Palestine’s admission as a full UN member, aligning with this broad international consensus. It further welcomes recent recognitions by States of the State of Palestine and urges those yet to do so to take decisive action now as a duty to uphold the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and independence.
  44. The Committee encourages the OHCHR to continue updating the database of business enterprises engaged in certain activities in relation to illegal Israeli settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and stresses the importance of the database for accountability measures.
  45. The Committee reaffirms its strong support for UNRWA and its indispensable role in providing services to millions of Palestine refugees, many now sheltered in its facilities in Gaza. The Committee urges continued political support for UNRWA’s General Assembly mandate and urges donors to increase funding for UNRWA, emphasizing the Secretary-General’s affirmations of the Agency’s critical role and accountability. The Committee demands that Israel reverse its classification of UNRWA as a terrorist organization, and stop its campaign to delegitimize the Agency, as it undermines the Agency’s crucial humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in the other fields of operation in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
  46. The Committee calls on Member States to support the fiscal stability of the Palestinian Government and strengthen Palestinian institutions, to improve economic and social conditions in Palestine, especially during this time of suffering and deprivation due to Israel’s actions.
  47. Recognizing the vital role of legislative bodies in garnering support for the peaceful resolution of the Palestine question, the Committee calls for parliamentary diplomacy to help bring an end to the Gaza conflict, bring an end to the Israeli occupation and find a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine.
  48. Action by the Secretariat and other United Nations entities
  49. The Committee requests the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs to continue providing secretariat support across all aspects of its General Assembly mandate and facilitating synergy, collaboration and cooperation with UN entities working on the Palestinian question. The Committee appreciates the Division’s support and adaptation of its communications and outreach tools, including multilingual website and social media, audiovisual content from its activities, to aid the Committee’s advocacy and awareness raising in the dynamic context in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  50. The Committee encourages enhanced collaboration with the UN Department of Global Communication’s Special Information Programme for broader outreach. It encourages the Department to re-institute its dedicated web portal on the Israel-Gaza crisis.
  51. The Committee also welcomes continuous improvements for targeted capacity-development projects for Palestinian officials, promoting inclusivity, gender balance, and South-South cooperation.

XXIV. OHCHR in Occupied Palestinian Territory calls for the end of militarized operations in Jenin

On 31 August, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the following press release.

The UN Human Rights Office condemns the Israeli security forces (ISF) use of unlawful force during militarized operations in the occupied West Bank and calls for an immediate end to the current attack on Jenin refugee camp. The ongoing ISF operation in Jenin refugee camp and adjacent parts of the city has led apparently to unlawful killings, insecurity for Palestinian residents and enormous destruction of the camp, home to about 11,000 Palestinians.

At the time of issuing this statement, the ISF had killed 12 Palestinians in Jenin and its surrounding areas, including five who were killed in airstrikes and seven due to being shot with live ammunition. This includes an 83-year-old man, Tawfiq Ahmad Younis Qandil, was reportedly killed on the night of 30 August. According to his family, he had gone out of his house in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin to get groceries, and was riddled with bullets, allegedly by Israeli snipers, the moment he stepped outside. His family reported that they were prevented from reaching him for two hours as Israeli forces fired on anything moving in the area.

The army has also bulldozed roads and destroyed public infrastructure on a massive scale, as well as private homes and a mosque in the eastern neighbourhood of the city and Jenin camp. Since the start of the operation on 28 August, the ISF has deployed a large number of armoured personnel carriers, bulldozers and snipers, supported by drones and aircrafts, and imposed a curfew in the refugee camp and adjacent parts of the city, which have also been cut off from electricity and water supplies. Residents of the camp, paramedics and UN workers report that many families are stuck in their homes without water and food, including for babies and infants.

The Palestinian Red Cresent Society (PRCS) reported that since the start of the operation they have managed to evacuate 20 people injured by live ammunition, including an18-month-old baby, in addition to dozens of injured. PRCS also reported that ISF shot at their ambulances at least four times, and that in one of the incidents on 30 August, a doctor and a driver were injured.

The UN Human Rights Office has also received information that Israeli soldiers are rounding up dozens of young Palestinians from their homes and interrogating them, as well as subjecting them to various forms of mistreatment, including beatings and forcing them to remain in the open air for long hours without food or water. Many of those taken into custody have been reportedly taken to undisclosed locations.

Separately, in the morning of 31 August, two Palestinian men were reportedly shot and killed by Israeli forces in two separate alleged attempted car bombing in the southern West Bank. According to Israeli media, three Israeli officers were injured, two of them by Israeli friendly fire.

ISF’s use of military weapons and tactics are contributing to an escalation of violence in the Occupied West Bank.

The International Court of Justice recently held that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and called for it to end this unlawful presence as rapidly as possible. In the meantime, Israel is bound by the laws of occupation, which require it to take steps to ensure the security of the Palestinian population in the OPT while complying with the international human rights standards applicable to law enforcement. The use of military weapons and tactics during law enforcement give rise to grave concerns of a systematic disregard for the rights of the Palestinian population and contribute to an escalation in violence and insecurity. The only way to ensure security for Palestinians and Israelis is to end the occupation.

***


Download Document Files: https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MBAugust24_17092024.pdf
Document Type: Bulletin, Monthly Bulletin
Document Sources: Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), Division for Palestinian Rights (DPR), Independent Expert on international order, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Secretary-General, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO), Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, World Food Programme (WFP)
Subject: Access and movement, Armed conflict, Assistance, Casualties, Ceasefire, Children, Food, Gaza Strip, Genocide, Health, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Humanitarian relief, Hunger, Jerusalem, Negotiations and agreements, Palestine question, Refugees and displaced persons, Settlements, Settler violence, Terrorism, Torture, West Bank, Women
Publication Date: 31/08/2024
2024-09-17T13:48:21-04:00

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