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

Contents

I.        Jenin camp in ruins: controlled detonations displace thousands amid ceasefire risks, warns UNRWA.. 3

II.       UN ‘fully committed to peace, stability, inalienable rights of Palestinian people’, Secretary-General tells Palestinian Rights Committee as it elects Bureau, adopts 2025 programme. 3

III.     UNRWA HQ in Jerusalem shut down, international staff effectively expelled. 5

IV.     New CEIRPP Bureau demands end to Israeli ban on UNRWA and lifting of Jenin siege amid ceasefire efforts  8

V.      WFP calls for urgent action to rebuild Gaza after visit 9

VI.     UN Human Rights office, experts raise alarm about distressing conditions of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees. 10

VII.    The suffering in the Gaza Strip is beyond comprehension, warns WHO.. 12

VIII.   US proposal to ‘take over’ Gaza would shatter fundamental rules of international order, warn UN human rights experts  13

IX.     In the first two months of 2025, 13 Palestinian children killed in the West Bank – UNICEF. 14

X.      UN Human Rights Office warns of mass displacement of nearly 40 thousand Palestinians from northern West Bank  15

XI.     The window of opportunity to preserve UNRWA’s operations is closing, UNRWA Chief tells Global Alliance  17

XII.    UN High Commissioner in report to Human Rights Council calls for accountability, humanitarian access, and a lasting resolution to the crisis. 19

XIII.   ‘Last chance’ to achieve two-State solution, interim UN mediator warns Security Council 22

I.      Jenin camp in ruins: controlled detonations displace thousands amid ceasefire risks, warns UNRWA

On 3 February, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) issued the following statement.

In a split second yesterday, large swathes of Jenin camp were completely destroyed in a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli Security Forces.

Residents of the camp have endured the impossible, facing nearly two months of unceasing and escalating violence. In the last months, Jenin camp has been rendered a ghost town.

The operations conducted both by Israeli and Palestinian security forces have led to the forced displacement of thousands of camp residents, many of whom will now have nowhere to return to. The basics of life are gone.

On a day that was supposed to mark the beginning of the new school semester for thousands of children, 13 schools in the northern West Bank remained closed due to ISF operations in the area.

UNRWA’s services inside Jenin camp have been interrupted for months and stopped completely in early December.

Today’s shocking scenes in the West Bank undermine the fragile ceasefire reached in Gaza and risk a new escalation.

UNRWA received no prior warning of these detonations, as contact between staff and Israeli authorities is no longer permitted – putting civilian lives at risk.

II.    UN ‘fully committed to peace, stability, inalienable rights of Palestinian people’, Secretary-General tells Palestinian Rights Committee as it elects Bureau, adopts 2025 programme

Following are Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the opening 2025 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People on 5 February.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the opening of the 2025 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in New York today:

Ambassador Coly Seck, Bureau members, let me begin by congratulating you on your election.

I want to salute this Committee for its work.  At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land.

We have seen the realization of those rights steadily slip farther out of reach.  We have seen a chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people.  Of course, nothing justifies the horrific Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. And nothing justifies what we have seen unfold in Gaza over the last many months.

We all know too well the catalogue of destruction and unspeakable horrors.  The nearly 50,000 people — 70 per cent of them women and children — who have been reported killed.

The majority of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure — hospitals, schools and water facilities — that has been destroyed.  The overwhelming majority of the entire population who have faced displacement after displacement, hunger and disease.  Children, out of school for over a year.  A generation left homeless and traumatized.

I welcome the ceasefire and hostage release deal.  I thank the mediators — Egypt, Qatar and the United States — for the continued efforts to ensure implementation.  Now, it is time to be crystal clear about objectives going forward.

First, we must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay.  We cannot go back to more death and destruction.  For our part, the UN is working around the clock to reach Palestinians in need and scale up support.  That requires humanitarian access that is rapid, safe, unimpeded, expanded and sustained.

I call on Member States, donors, and the international community to fully fund humanitarian operations and meet urgent needs.  And I once again urge Member States to support the essential work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Second, in the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse.  It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law.  It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.

Third, we must reaffirm the two-State solution.  Any durable peace will require tangible, irreversible and permanent progress towards the two-State solution, an end to the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Gaza as an integral part.  A viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability.

Beyond Gaza, the situation continues to unravel in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.  I am gravely concerned by rising violence by Israeli settlers and other violations.  The violence must stop.

As affirmed by the International Court of Justice, Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory must end.  International law must be respected and accountability ensured.

We must work towards preserving the unity, contiguity and integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.  A strong and unified Palestinian governance is crucial.  The international community must support the Palestinian Authority to this end.

The UN is fully committed to peace, stability and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.  I commend this Committee for its steadfast dedication to these goals and call on the international community to fully support these efforts.

And I thank you.

III.  UNRWA HQ in Jerusalem shut down, international staff effectively expelled

On 5 February, the following statement of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA was delivered at the inaugural 2025 meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

At the outset I would like to convey warm regards to you from the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini and thank the Committee for inviting UNRWA to speak at your meeting today.  I’m delivering the statement on his behalf.

Excellencies,

The Israeli Knesset legislation prohibiting UNRWA’s operations in the “sovereign territory of the State of Israel” and forbidding contact between Israeli officials and UNRWA representatives, entered into force last week.

The legislation, which contravenes international law and has been condemned by most UN Member States, creates significant operational challenges for the Agency.

The limitation of visas for international UNRWA staff in occupied East Jerusalem has effectively expelled them.

The United Nations has underlined to Israeli authorities that UNRWA’s compound in Sheikh Jarrah – which the Agency was compelled to evacuate after decades of use – remains a UN building, protected by privileges and immunities under international law.

Our local staff are continuing to work wherever possible across the occupied West Bank.

However, they do so at considerable personal risk in an increasingly hostile operating environment.

Thanks to them, UNRWA schools and health clinics remain open, providing essential services to Palestine Refugees.

This week, attendance at our schools has been above 85 percent and hundreds of people have sought treatment at our health centers.

Our operations in Gaza are also continuing and a core team of international staff is present.

It is unclear how our ability to operate will be constrained by the recently imposed prohibition on contact between UNRWA representatives and Israeli officials.

What is clear is that UNRWA remains firmly committed to staying and delivering its mandate from the General Assembly until it is no longer possible to do so.

Excellencies,

While the ceasefire in Gaza brings hope, the situation on the ground is dire and humanitarian needs are immense.

UNRWA is critical to the success of the ceasefire.

The Agency constitutes half the emergency response, with all other UN entities and NGOs delivering the other half.

Since October 2023, we have delivered two-thirds of all food assistance, provided shelter to over a million displaced persons, and vaccinated a quarter of a million children against polio.

Since the ceasefire began, UNRWA has distributed food to more than 750,000 people.

We conduct some 17,000 medical consultations every day, and have expanded our health services, including in Gaza City and North Gaza.

The resumption of education for hundreds of thousands of children remains a priority.

Children in Gaza have already lost two years of learning.

In January alone more than 260,000 children – half of them girls – enrolled in our online learning platform.

Absent a full-fledged State, only UNRWA has the capacity to bring the children back to learning.

Curtailing our operations now – when needs are so high, and trust in the international community is so low – will undermine the ceasefire.

It will sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition.

Excellencies,

In the occupied West Bank, violence is surging.

Large swathes of Jenin camp have been destroyed in controlled detonations by the Israeli Security Forces.

Depriving Palestine Refugees in the occupied West Bank of UNRWA’s education and healthcare services will only deepen their vulnerability.

Across the occupied Palestinian territory, undermining the Agency’s work will harm the lives and future of millions of Palestine Refugees.

Excellencies,

The Knesset legislation is part of a relentless campaign to dismantle UNRWA.

The Government of Israel is investing significant resources to portray the Agency as a terrorist organization, and our staff as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers.

Billboards and ads accusing UNRWA of terrorism were displayed in major cities around the world, including New York.

They were paid for by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Google ad campaigns re-direct those seeking information about the Agency to websites replete with disinformation.

The absurdity of anti-UNRWA propaganda does not diminish the threat it poses to our staff, especially those in the occupied West Bank and in Gaza – where 273 of our colleagues have been killed.

It sets a precedent for governments to accuse a United Nations entity of terrorism as a pretext to clamp down on human rights.

It sets a precedent for criminalizing humanitarian assistance and protection.

Excellencies,

The political attacks on the Agency are motivated by the desire to strip Palestine Refugees of their refugee status, thereby unilaterally changing the long-established parameters for a political solution.

The objective is to erase the history and identity of the Palestinians and deny them the right to self-determination, the very right that is at the heart of the mandate of this Committee.

To be clear, the rights of Palestine Refugees to protection and assistance are not derived from UNRWA’s mandate.

They exist independently of the Agency.

If UNRWA ceases to protect and assist Palestine Refugees, their rights will not only remain, but there will be much greater emphasis on the right to return or to be resettled, for which UNRWA has no mandate.

The threat posed by political efforts to dismantle UNRWA is compounded by financial challenges, with key donors deciding to end or reduce their contributions to the Agency.

I am therefore appealing for an urgent increase in financial support, the early disbursement of allocated funds, and a review of funding currently on hold.

Excellencies,

A ceasefire in Gaza must be followed by a political transition that includes an orderly conclusion of UNRWA’s mandate.

Only a political pathway can ensure the protection and welfare of Palestine Refugees, and peace and stability in the region and beyond.

A clear choice lies before us:

We can allow UNRWA to implode due to the Knesset legislation and the suspension of funding by key donors.

The impact on the rights and welfare of Palestine Refugees will be catastrophic.

Alternatively, we can allow the Agency to progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political process, and handover its public-like services to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions.

To maximize UNRWA’s value in support of the ceasefire and any subsequent political transition, I appeal for the support of the international community on three actions:

First, push back against the implementation of the Knesset legislation.

UNRWA’s personnel and services are integral to the success of the ceasefire.

Preserving the Agency’s operational space is critical for upholding the rights of millions of Palestine Refugees.

Second, insist on a genuine political path forward that delineates UNRWA’s role as a provider of education and healthcare.

The Agency is essential for ensuring a viable political transition.

Finally, ensure that a financial crisis does not abruptly end UNRWA’s lifesaving work.

The Agency cannot continue to operate in the face of extraordinary challenges without adequate resources.

For 75 years, UNRWA has been a stabilizing force and a committed partner for peace in the occupied Palestinian territory.

It must be allowed to remain so until a political solution is at hand.

Thank you.

IV.  New CEIRPP Bureau demands end to Israeli ban on UNRWA and lifting of Jenin siege amid ceasefire efforts

Below are the Chair remarks at the joint press encounter by members of the newly elected Bureau of Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People on 5 February.

I am Ambassador Coly Seck, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the UN and newly elected Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for 2025.

We address you following the Committee’s first meeting of 2025, during which the Bureau was elected by acclamation. The newly elected Bureau comprises:

• H.E. Neville Melvin Gertze (Namibia) – Vice-Chair
• H.E. Jaime Hermida Castillo (Nicaragua) – Vice-Chair
• H.E. Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir (Indonesia) – Vice-Chair (represented by H.E. Hari Prabowo, Deputy Permanent Representative)
• H.E. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán (Cuba) – Vice-Chair
• H.E. Ahmad Faisal Muhamad (Malaysia) – Vice-Chair and Rapporteur
• We are also joined by H.E. Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine.

As Chair, I reaffirm the Committee’s unwavering commitment to Palestinian rights. On 31 January, the Bureau welcomed the Gaza ceasefire as a critical step in halting military operations and addressing immense humanitarian suffering. We demand its full implementation and sustained humanitarian access for Gaza’s 2 million residents, who face devastation, displacement, and disease.

The Committee commends the mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. and urges continued engagement—especially by the Security Council—toward a lasting cessation of hostilities and the release of all hostages.

However, we strongly condemn Israel’s ban on UNRWA, which obstructs vital humanitarian operations in direct violation of the UN mandate and General Assembly resolutions. UNRWA is irreplaceable in stabilizing the ceasefire and supporting Gaza’s recovery. This ban, imposed immediately after the ceasefire deal, will deepen Gaza suffering—not through airstrikes, but through deprivation, hunger, and disease.

We call on Israel to immediately reverse this decision, which accelerates humanitarian collapse. As reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel, as the occupying power, has no sovereignty in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, where UNRWA operates. This ban is as unlawful as the occupation itself and must end.

We strongly condemn the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Israeli forces and demand the immediate lifting of the siege on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank and the immediate stop to the deliberate destruction of neighborhoods and homes using explosives. The devastation in Jenin has resulted in the collapse of critical infrastructure, including UNRWA’s health clinic, which was bombed in recent attacks. Humanitarian aid to refugees must be allowed to enter to restore essential services and provide urgent relief.

Looking ahead, the Committee’s 2025 Programme of Work prioritizes: Diplomatic engagement – Mobilizing Member States and engaging the Security Council; Awareness raising and advocacy, including global dissemination of updates, information and knowledge via social media and Committee UNISPAL website; Cooperation, including partnering with intergovernmental and CSOs and NGOs; and Capacity Building – supporting Palestinian government staff training.

We rely on the media to keep focus to expose the rampant violations, occupation and threats to a viable two-State solution.

V.    WFP calls for urgent action to rebuild Gaza after visit

On 6 February, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued the following statement.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau appealed today for an increase in international support to boost humanitarian assistance for millions of people in Gaza as they seek to rebuild their lives.

WFP has sent in more than 15,000 tonnes of food since the ceasefire began on 19 January, reaching more than 525,000 people with food parcels, hot meals and cash. Meeting with families, Skau noted a sense of relief as families are able to reunite and eat together – often amidst the rubble of their homes. With flour and fuel, WFP is now operating 22 bakeries across Gaza and is providing cash so that families can decide for themselves how to meet their most basic needs – beyond food.

“This is a strong step in the right direction but it is not enough,” said Skau. “The scale of the needs is enormous and progress must be maintained. The ceasefire must hold. We cannot go back. And in critical sectors beyond food – water, sanitation, shelter, even getting children back into school – we need to work together. WFP, with its logistics expertise, is ready to support all efforts.”

While it is too early to focus on recovery, Skau noted that it is critical that WFP and the entire humanitarian community assist Gazans to become self-sufficient and boost their long-term resilience against hunger. This may be through helping them re-establish commercial markets and local food systems – from farming and food processing to fishing.

“The people of Gaza are unique in their strength, resilience and capacity to rebuild. Our assistance should increasingly be geared towards supporting them in their first steps towards rebuilding their lives. But this requires funding,” added Skau. “We call on the international community and all donors to continue supporting WFP’s life-saving assistance at this pivotal moment.”

During his two-day visit to Gaza, Skau went to Jabalia, Gaza City and Khan Younis where he met families impacted by the conflict, visited WFP operations and met heads of UN agencies. Skau’s previous visit to Northern Gaza was in June 2024.

VI.  UN Human Rights office, experts raise alarm about distressing conditions of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees

On 10 February, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)  issued the following statement.

Images of emaciated Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees released as part of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement have been deeply distressing.

The images we have seen of Israeli hostages released over the weekend show signs of ill-treatment and severe malnourishment, reflecting very dire conditions they were subjected to in Gaza. We are also deeply concerned by the public parading of hostages released by Hamas in Gaza, including statements apparently made under duress during release.

Also distressing, Palestinians released from Israeli detention have revealed such treatment, reflecting the severe conditions under which they have been held. The manner in which they have been released also raises serious concerns.

Israel and Hamas must ensure humane treatment, including freedom from any form of torture or abuse, for all those held under their power. All parties to the conflict are reminded that torture and other forms of ill-treatment of protected persons are war crimes, and that those found guilty must receive sentences that are commensurate to the severity of their conduct. We reiterate that the taking of hostages is a war crime. Hamas must immediately and unconditionally release all hostages, and Israel must immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained.

***

On 18 February, 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 territories occupied since 1967; Morris Tidball- Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Gabriella Citroni (Chair- Rapporteur), Grażyna Baranowska (Vice-Chair), Aua Baldé, Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez and Mohammed Al-Obaidi, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; and Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment issued the following press release.

Human rights experts have repeatedly condemned the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees and Israeli hostages. Today they denounced the degrading public display by Hamas of Israeli hostages released in Gaza on 8 and 15 February 2025.

“International humanitarian law prohibits ‘outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment’. Parading hostages as trophies of war, in a propaganda spectacle, clearly violates this rule. It is also distressing to their families,” the experts said.

They noted that some of those released were coerced into holding certificates on stage and conducting interviews on Hamas television testifying to good treatment, beneath political banners and surrounded by armed militants. An earlier release saw an intimidating scene of a young female hostage shoved by a crowd.

Three of those released on 8 February appeared malnourished. “Humanitarian law requires humane treatment of all detainees. The physical condition of the hostages suggests serious mistreatment,” the experts said.

The experts stressed that violations of humanitarian law provisions are war crimes and further violate the absolute prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

They recalled that international humanitarian law prohibits and criminalises hostage-taking. It is also a crime in non-international armed conflict under the 1979 International Convention on the Taking of Hostages.

“Hostage taking negates the humanity of victims and is agonising for their loved ones. No one should be treated as a means to a political end. All people arbitrarily deprived of liberty must be immediately and unconditionally released,” the experts said.

UN experts have repeatedly condemned the taking of hostages since it first occurred. Six groups of hostages of Israeli and other nationalities have been released since the ceasefire commenced and 70 of the 251 people taken hostage have not been released and 34 of these are reportedly deceased.

They have also repeatedly condemned Israel’s mistreatment and abuses of Palestinian detainees, including starvation, beatings and sexual violence, which may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and war crimes. “Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians since 7 October 2023,” the experts said. “In many cases their detention has been arbitrary and incommunicado, along with dozens of reported enforced disappearances. Perpetrators of all international crimes must be held accountable.”

“We urge both Israel and Palestinian armed groups to release all those illegally detained and immediately permit unfettered access to all detainees by the International Committee of the Red Cross, provide necessary medical care, and enable contact with their families,” they said.

The experts called on all parties to respect the three stages of the ceasefire agreement, ensure the continuing release of all hostages and Palestinians arbitrarily detained, reveal the fate and whereabouts of all forcibly disappeared persons, respectfully return the deceased to their families, ensure the entry of humanitarian aid, and permit the return of displaced Palestinians.

“Decades of brutal violence and dehumanisation in the context of Israel’s prolonged occupation has not guaranteed security for anyone in the region,” the experts said. “We urge independent investigations and accountability for all violations, and a comprehensive political settlement based on full respect for international law.”

VII. The suffering in the Gaza Strip is beyond comprehension, warns WHO

On 9 February, Hanan Balkhy, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean delivered the following remarks in front of the WHO Executive Board.

The suffering in the Gaza Strip is beyond comprehension.

Tens of thousands of people have died, and around 30 000 have life-changing injuries.

The health system is ruined.

Malnutrition is rising. The risk of famine persists.

Families are returning to devastated neighbourhoods.

Almost no health facilities remain intact.

Our only comfort lies in the courage, dedication and resilience of the people and health workers.

Despite unimaginable challenges, health workers are maintaining health services with minimal resources.

They continue to serve even after enduring personal losses and while living with the trauma of the horrors they have seen.

Excellencies,

We are doing all we can to alleviate the suffering.

During this ceasefire, our top priority is to restore essential health services and get health facilities operational.

We continue to deliver medical supplies, fuel hospitals, respond to outbreaks and evacuate patients – all while navigating severe access constraints.

Supporting mental health is at the heart of our response.

We are ready to scale up our response.

But we urgently need systematic and sustained access to the population across Gaza, and we need an end to restrictions on the entry of essential supplies.

Equally critical is protecting civilians and health-care workers, expediting the evacuation of patients in urgent need of specialized care, and strengthening the referral system to East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

We also need massively increased funding both to meet immediate health needs and to begin restoring the health system.

In closing, I call to all parties to honour their commitments. Implement the ceasefire agreement in full and work towards a political solution to this protracted crisis.

Such a solution is essential for lasting peace and the dignity of those who have suffered for far too long.

VIII.   US proposal to ‘take over’ Gaza would shatter fundamental rules of international order, warn UN human rights experts

On 11 February, Ben Saul, UN 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 territories occupied since 1967; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Genevieve Savigny, Chair of the Working group on peasants and other rural workers; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Astrid Puentes Riaño, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito (Chair-Rapporteur), Ravindran Daniel, Michelle Small, Joana de Deus Pereira, Andrés Macías Tolosa, Working Group on the use of mercenaries; Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development; Bina D’Costa (Chair), Barbara G. Reynolds, Isabelle Mamadou, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Heba Hagrass, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities; Ashwini K.P. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children and Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons issued the following press release.

UN experts today condemned shocking threats by US President Donald Trump to “take over” and “own” Gaza and move the Palestinian population elsewhere, using military force if necessary.

“Such blatant violations by a major power would break the global taboo on military aggression and embolden other predatory countries to seize foreign territories, with devastating consequences for peace and human rights globally,” they said.

“Implementing the US proposal would shatter the most fundamental rules of the international order and the United Nations Charter since 1945, that the US was instrumental in creating to restore peace after the catastrophic Second World War and Holocaust. It would return the world to the dark days of colonial conquest,” the experts said.

“It is manifestly illegal to invade and annex foreign territory by force, to forcibly deport its population, and to deprive the Palestinian people of their inalienable right to self-determination, including to retain Gaza within a sovereign Palestinian state,” they said.

“Such violations would replace the international rule of law and the stability it brings with the lawless “rule of the strongest.” International law aims to stop predatory countries from violently colonising foreign lands and subjugating their populations, which inevitably leads to gross human rights violations,” they said.

“Just as over half a century of Israeli occupation of Palestine has not brought peace or security to Israel or Palestine, US occupation would be similarly ruinous and fuel perpetual war, death and destruction,” they said.

The mass deportation of civilians from occupied territory was recognised as a war crime under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 after the Second World War, to prevent the recurrence of acts such as Nazi Germany’s expulsion of populations from European countries. Today, it is also a crime against humanity.

“The US proposal would accelerate forced displacement of Palestinians from their lands, which began in the 1947-48 Nakba, and has since included home demolitions, evictions, destruction and theft of natural resources and the criminal building of illegal Israeli colonial settlements,” they said.

In his previous term, President Trump illegally recognised Israel’s unlawful annexations of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, which have been rejected by the International Court of Justice, the General Assembly, the Security Council and an overwhelming majority of countries.

“If the US President is genuinely concerned for the welfare of Palestinians, the US should broker a lasting ceasefire, resume funding to UNRWA, compensate Palestinians for damage resulting from US weapons and munitions supplied to Israel despite the serious risk of violations of humanitarian law, and end arms transfers. It should also pressure Israel to fund reconstruction and provide reparation for violations, pursue accountability for perpetrators of international crimes, and meaningfully support Palestinian statehood,” they said.

The experts also urged the United States to support the multilateral bodies that protect human rights in Palestine, including the Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, which advance US national interests in liberty and justice.

Israeli military attacks in Gaza have killed over 48,100 Palestinians and injured 110,000, the majority women and children. They left 85 per cent of the population, about 1.9 million people, homeless and deprived of adequate food, water and other essentials, damaged or destroyed most housing, agricultural and public infrastructure and devastated the environment.

“All countries who care about human rights and the international rule of law should resolutely oppose the US President’s illegal threats. The world must never again accept a lawless world dominated by brute force that endangers us all,” they warned.

IX.  In the first two months of 2025, 13 Palestinian children killed in the West Bank – UNICEF

On 12 February, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) published the following press release.

Conflict-related violence continues to bring death and fear to civilians, including women and children in the West Bank. On 7 February, a 10-year-old Palestinian boy succumbed to his wounds after reportedly being shot, while two days later, in another tragic event in Nur Shams camp, an eight-months pregnant woman was reportedly shot and killed along with her unborn baby.

In the first two months of 2025, a total of 13 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank. This includes seven children killed since 19 January, following the launch of a large-scale operation in the north of the territory. The casualties include a two-and-a-half-year-old, whose pregnant mother was also injured in the shooting.

Since 7 October 2023, 195 Palestinian children and three Israeli children have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. There has been a 200 per cent increase in the number of Palestinian children killed in the territory over the past 16 months as compared to the 16-month period prior.

UNICEF is deeply alarmed by the escalating violence, particularly in Jenin. The increased use of explosive weapons, airstrikes and demolitions in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas Governorates – including in refugee camps and other densely populated areas – has left essential infrastructure severely damaged, disrupting water and electricity supplies.

Children and their families in the northern West Bank – especially those in refugee camps – continue to face incredible hardship. Thousands of families have been displaced due to the recent military operations, including in Jenin, Nur Shams, Tulkarem, and al-Faraa Camps.

Education has been disrupted for students in nearly 100 schools, with teachers and students unable to safely attend classes, further exacerbating psychological and social stress. Many children living in affected areas urgently need mental health and psychosocial support.

UNICEF condemns all acts of violence against children and calls for the immediate cessation of armed activity across the occupied West Bank. All civilians, including every child without exception, must be protected.

Humanitarian organizations must have safe and unfettered access to deliver life-saving assistance and protection services to children and their families. The worsening crisis underscores the urgent need for parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Critically, a lasting political solution, supported by the international community, is needed to that ensure all children in the region can live in peace and safety.

UNICEF stands ready to work with partners to address both the immediate and long-term needs of affected children and families in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”

X.    UN Human Rights Office warns of mass displacement of nearly 40 thousand Palestinians from northern West Bank

Following is a press release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 14 February.

The UN Human Rights Office condemns the intensifying Israeli operation in the northern West Bank and calls for the immediate halt to this alarming wave of violence and mass displacement.

Unlawful killings

Israeli security forces have so far killed 44 Palestinians, many of them unarmed and not posing an imminent threat to life or of serious injury, since the start of the operation on 21 January which has affected Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas governorates, and four refugee camps in these areas. Among those killed are five children and two women. One of the women killed, 23-year-old Sundus Shalabi, was fleeing Nour Shams refugee camp with her husband on 9 February when Israeli security forces shot at their car, critically injuring her husband. When she left the car in search of safety, she was shot and killed with her unborn child. According to Israeli media reports, an investigation by the Israeli military preliminarily confirmed that Sundus and her husband, Yazan, were unarmed and posed no threat to life.
In Tulkarem city, a 10-year-boy, Saddam Hussein Rajab, was shot in the chest by Israeli security forces and succumbed to his injuries on 7 February. Circulating video evidence showed the moment he was shot while simply standing in front of a building.

This is part of an expanding pattern of Israel’s unlawful use of force in the West Bank where there are no active hostilities, and a continuously increasing number of apparently unlawful killings documented by the UN Human Rights Office.

Mass displacement

The operation is also raising concerns about levels of mass displacement unprecedented in the Occupied West Bank for decades. According to UNRWA, the Israeli operation has so far displaced nearly 40,000 Palestinians.

The UN Human Rights Office received daily reports from displaced residents describing a pattern where they are led out of their homes by Israeli security forces and drones under the threat of violence. They are then forced out of their towns with snipers positioned on rooftops around them and houses in their neighbourhoods used as posts by Israeli security forces.

Aseel, a 29-year-old mother of three, has been displaced three times so far. First from her home in Jenin by Palestinian security forces last December when they were engaged in an operation in Jenin, then by Israeli security forces when she attempted to return in January. Her house was burnt down shortly afterwards according to photos shared by some of her neighbours. After fleeing to Tulkarem to stay with her family, Israeli security forces again forced her out end of January when the ongoing Israeli operation extended from Jenin to neighbouring refugee camps.

Another young woman said that she fled her home in Tulkarem in panic—barefoot and carrying her one-and four-year-old children—when she heard Israeli security forces threatening via loudspeakers on jeeps and drones that anyone who did not immediately leave would be shot. She pleaded with officers to go back inside for her youngest’s heart medications or to at least put on shoes.

“Leave this place and forget the camp. You will never return. Move now before we destroy it completely,” was the answer she reported in her testimony.

Other eyewitness testimonies also recounted similar statements by Israeli security force members who reportedly told displaced residents to “forget” and “say goodbye” to their homes, stressing they would not be allowed to return. One resident reported being told to “go to Jordan.”

Photos received from Jenin refugee camp on Thursday show freshly bulldozed roads with new signs apparently giving several streets Hebrew names. This is happening while statements by Israeli officials persist in communicating open plans to annex the region, empty it of Palestinians, and expel them out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

In this regard, we reiterate that any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited and amounts to a crime under international law.

Legal obligations

Displaced Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes. The killing of each and every Palestinian must be promptly, effectively, and transparently investigated, and perpetrators of unlawful killings must be held to account. Military commanders and other superiors may be held responsible for the crimes committed by their subordinates if they fail to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent or punish unlawful killings.

Furthermore, Israel must comply with its other obligations under international law, which include ending its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible and evacuating all West Bank settlements immediately. In the meantime, as the occupying power, Israel must ensure the protection of Palestinians, the provision of basic services and needs, and the respect of Palestinians’ full range of human rights.

XI.  The window of opportunity to preserve UNRWA’s operations is closing, UNRWA Chief tells Global Alliance

Following is the statement by Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, at the fourth meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution held in Cairo on 17 February.

The Israeli legislation targeting UNRWA’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territory is now being implemented.

The last time we met, we discussed the possible implications of this legislation for UNRWA’s work in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

The Agency now faces significant operational challenges.

UNRWA was compelled to evacuate its compound in Sheikh Jarrah, which remains a United Nations building, protected under international law.

International staff have been effectively expelled from the occupied West Bank.

The courage and commitment of our Palestinian staff have allowed UNRWA schools and health clinics to remain open, providing essential services to Palestine Refugees.

In East Jerusalem, attendance rates at our schools are averaging 80 percent and hundreds of people visit our health centers daily.

UNRWA’s operations in Gaza are also continuing.

A core team of international staff is present, but Israel no longer facilitates their entry and exit via the Kerem Abu Salem crossing.

It is unclear to what extent our ability to operate will be further constrained by the prohibition on contact between UNRWA representatives and Israeli officials.

What is clear is that the Agency will stay and deliver its mandate until it is prevented from doing so.

We will do this despite the considerable risks to our staff in an increasingly hostile operational environment.

Excellencies,

The ceasefire is a welcome respite from the horrors of the war in Gaza.

We are heartened by the return of hostages and Palestinian detainees to their families.

We welcome the marked improvement in the flow of humanitarian aid.

UNRWA continues to play a critical role in addressing the immense needs of Gaza’s shattered population.

Since the ceasefire began, we have distributed food to more than 1.5 million people.

We conduct some 17,000 medical consultations every day, and have expanded our health services, including to Gaza City and North Gaza.

In January, we launched an online learning platform, which has already registered more than 260,000 children – half of them girls.

Curtailing UNRWA’s operations now – when needs are so high, and trust in the international community is so low – is counterproductive.

It has the potential to sabotage Gaza’s recovery and plans for a political transition.

Excellencies,

The transition from a ceasefire to a “day after” will be long and painful.

UNRWA’s capacity to provide public-like services to an entire population can only be substituted by a full-fledged state.

A clear choice lies before us:

We can allow UNRWA to implode due to the Knesset legislation and the suspension of funding by key donors. The collapse of the Agency would create a vacuum in the occupied Palestinian territory and send shockwaves through neighbouring countries. An environment in which children are deprived of education, and people lack access to basic services, is fertile ground for exploitation and extremism.

This is a threat to peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Alternatively, we can allow UNRWA to progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political process like that championed by the Global Alliance.

The Agency would gradually transition its public-like services to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions.

This is the future for which we are preparing.

Today, you will hear from my colleagues how UNRWA’s critical services, personnel and assets can be handed over in the context of a political process.

Developing the capacity of Palestinian personnel and institutions will be the cornerstone of our approach.

The transition of education services would span several years.

In addition to incrementally handing over schools and personnel, UNRWA would train teachers to use UNRWA materials on human rights, tolerance, and conflict resolution.

We would also provide access to self-learning materials for emergencies and our IT infrastructure to facilitate digital education.

UNRWA is the largest primary healthcare provider in Gaza, and the second largest in the West Bank.

Our network of health centres and highly trained workforce make UNRWA a vital partner in any transition.

The handover of our health services would focus on developing the capacity of Palestinian institutions, including managing non-communicable diseases, family medicine, and digital health systems.

Our efforts would be guided by national health priorities and the specific needs of the Palestinian population.

Our priority would be to ensure continuity of care for millions of patients across the occupied Palestinian territory.

Excellencies,

The success of our efforts depends entirely on the strength of the international community’s commitment to a political pathway.

This commitment must be backed by funding to preserve the Agency’s operations until the transfer of its services to Palestinian institutions is complete.

UNRWA is a formidable asset for ensuring a viable political transition that can provide a definitive answer to the question of Palestine.

Embedding the Agency in a political process will help to protect Palestine Refugees and maintain the long-established parameters for peace in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The window of opportunity to preserve UNRWA’s operations is closing – your decisive intervention is urgently needed.

XII. UN High Commissioner in report to Human Rights Council calls for accountability, humanitarian access, and a lasting resolution to the crisis

Below is an excerpt (conclusions and recommendations) of the report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on the Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice issued on 20 February.

…

IV. Conclusions and recommendations

61. The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has deteriorated alarmingly since 7 October 2023, with gross violations of rights and disregard for obligations under international law escalating to unprecedented levels. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza continued to hold hostages and to fire inherently indiscriminate projectiles towards Israel. The military operations of Israel in Gaza had killed 43,204 Palestinians and injured at least 101,641 more since 7 October 2023, according to the Ministry of Health of the State of Palestine, and exposed hundreds of thousands more to the risks associated with mass displacement and humanitarian catastrophe. In October 2024, the Israeli military subjected North Gaza to siege and bombardment, while demanding the evacuation of the entire population, raising concerns that its conduct in North Gaza was placing the Palestinian population of the northernmost governorate at risk, through death or displacement.

62. Israeli forces and Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have committed violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, in many cases amounting to war crimes and other gross violations and abuses of international human rights law. If committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population, further to a State or organizational policy, such acts may constitute crimes against humanity. If committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such, they may also constitute genocide.

63. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, there was an intensification of Israeli measures against Palestinians, which, coupled with pervasive State support for or collaboration with settler violence, exacerbated the occupation’s stifling impact on Palestinians’ lives and livelihoods, while deepening the denial of their right to self-determination.

64. The frequency with which violations have gone unpunished has normalized duty bearers’ egregious conduct. In Israel, the pervasive and long-standing lack of accountability and prevailing environment of impunity continued to enable international law violations, which escalated in the reporting period, with an unprecedented impact on the lives and rights of Palestinians. All duty bearers must act to ensure timely and effective investigations of alleged violations by credible, impartial judicial bodies, and appropriate sanctions for all perpetrators, whether State or private actors.

65. The High Commissioner calls upon all parties to the conflict in Gaza to implement an immediate ceasefire and to ensure full respect for international law and accountability for violations and abuses.

66. The High Commissioner in particular calls upon Israel:

(a) To immediately and effectively ensure the unhindered provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza, including through the removal of all practical barriers;

(b) To immediately take steps to ensure full compliance with international humanitarian law in the conduct of hostilities, including in relation to the targeting of civilians, including journalists, medical workers, emergency responders, government workers and police officers, and the protection of civilian objects;

(c) To ensure that all Palestinians displaced from and within Gaza are allowed to return to their homes as rapidly as possible by creating safe conditions and providing adequate alternatives to those whose homes have been rendered uninhabitable, to ensure adequate standards of living, including the provision of adequate accommodation as long as people remain displaced, and to refrain from any further unlawful displacement of Palestinians;

(d) To ensure and maintain hospital and other medical services and public health in Gaza, in line with its obligations as an occupying Power, with special regard for the health requirements of women and girls, who have been disproportionately affected by the near-total destruction of the health system in Gaza;

(e) To urgently ensure compliance with and implement fully the provisional measures indicated by the International Court of Justice in its orders of 26 January, 28 March and 24 May 2024 relating to the contentious proceedings brought under the Genocide Convention;

(f) To ensure that the rules of engagement of its forces and their application in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are fully consistent with international human rights law, including by refraining from the use of tactics and weaponry developed for warfare;

(g) To immediately end administrative detention and other forms of detention that amount to arbitrary detention and ensure that all detainees are released unless promptly charged and fairly tried, applying non-discriminatory laws;

(h) To bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible and in a manner consistent with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024 and General Assembly resolution ES-10/24 of 18 September 2024.

67. The High Commissioner in particular calls upon Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza:

(a) To immediately and unconditionally release all hostages and ensure their humane treatment, including freedom from any form of abuse;

(b) To cease firing indiscriminate projectiles, refrain from co-locating military objectives and civilians and civilian infrastructure, especially when the intent is to prevent the targeting of military objectives, and comply fully with all other applicable obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

68. The High Commissioner calls upon all duty bearers, including Israel, the Palestinian Authority and, as applicable, Hamas and other Palestinian groups:

(a) To prevent, repress and punish all violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of international human rights law, to conduct prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and effective investigations into all possible serious violations and abuses by duty bearers and private actors, and to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and victims provided with redress;

(b) To immediately end all practices that may amount to torture or other ill-treatment, including sexual violence;

(c) To take immediate steps to prevent, repress and punish hate speech and all incitement to hatred and violence, including atrocity crimes;

(d) To ensure cooperation with the International Criminal Court and other international accountability mechanisms;

(e) To take measures to prevent and redress all forms of gender-based violence, including in the domestic sphere, and ensure that survivors have access to appropriate victim-centred support in accordance with international standards and that perpetrators are prosecuted and appropriately sentenced;

(f) To ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and association are respected and protected and that civil society actors can conduct their legitimate activities safely and freely.

69. The High Commissioner calls upon all States and international organizations:

(a) To exert their influence to prevent international law violations by all parties to the conflict in Gaza, not to enable such violations, and to fulfil their obligations under international law to take steps to prevent and punish violations;

(b) To cooperate with the International Criminal Court and exercise universal jurisdiction to try crimes under international law in national courts, consistent with international standards;

(c) To comply with obligations under international law to neither recognize as legal nor aid or assist the maintenance of the situation arising from the unlawful presence of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;

(d) To encourage Israel to cooperate with OHCHR and to issue visas to its full international staff, ensuring that OHCHR has access throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as in Israel, to monitor and document violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law.

XIII. ‘Last chance’ to achieve two-State solution, interim UN mediator warns Security Council

Below is the briefing to the Security Council by Sigrid Kaag, interim Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process and Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza on 25 February.

The Middle East today is undergoing rapid transformation—its scope and impact remain uncertain, but it presents a historic opportunity. The people of the region can emerge from this period with peace, security, and dignity. However, this may be our last chance to achieve the two-State solution.

It cannot be repeated enough; nothing justifies the appalling October 7 terror attacks executed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. I welcome the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire including the release of 34 hostages. I echo the Secretary-General’s condemnation of the public parading of hostages released by Hamas, including statements made under duress, and the appalling display of the coffins of deceased hostages. I think none of us will forget the harrowing pictures of the coffins of the Bibas children taken hostage with their mother and killed while in captivity. The images of Israeli hostages released show clear signs of ill-treatment reflecting the very dire conditions they were subjected to in Gaza. I reiterate that all hostages must be released unconditionally and while in captivity, they must be allowed to receive visits and assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The trauma is undeniable on both sides.

In Gaza, death, destruction, and multiple displacement has been inflicted upon the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. While the first phase of the ceasefire has provided a surge of much-needed relief, far more remains to be done to address over 15 months of deprivation of basic human necessities and above all a loss of human dignity. In my last visit to Gaza, soon after the ceasefire came into effect, I was once again moved by a sense  of utter devastation, young and old, and despair due to loss, trauma and a sense of abandonment by the international community.

As part of the ceasefire deal, 1,135 Palestinian prisoners and detainees have been released so far. Reports of serious ill-treatment and humiliation during their detention are concerning.

Since the first phase of the ceasefire came into effect on 19 January, the United Nations, NGOs and member states have expedited and scaled up life-saving humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Improved access and security conditions have allowed for the delivery of assistance and services.

Medical evacuations through the Rafah crossing began on 1 February, facilitating the transfer to Egypt of sick and injured patients in accordance with the ceasefire deal.

The resumption of hostilities must be avoided at all costs. I call on both sides to fully honor their commitments to the ceasefire deal and conclude negotiations for the second phase.

I commend the mediators Egypt, Qatar, and the United States for their steadfast work in securing the first phase and pursuing the second phase.

As we address the immediate needs in Gaza, we must also build a future that offers protection, recovery, and reconstruction.

As you know, the World Bank, EU, and UN have released an updated Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction. Initial estimates indicate that $53 billion will be required for this effort. Arab states are leading the efforts to devise a plan for rebuilding Gaza, with Egypt planning to host a conference dedicated to Gaza’s reconstruction.

The UN is ready to support reconstruction efforts. Palestinians – Palestinian civilians – must be able to resume their lives, to rebuild, and to construct their future in Gaza. There can be no question of forced displacement.

While international attention is focused on Gaza, I am concerned about military operations, attacks and mounting violence in the West Bank. Casualties, destruction, and displacement continue to be reported, particularly in Jenin, Tubas, and Tulkarm governorates, where refugee camps and infrastructure are heavily impacted. Many of these areas are in Area A under the Palestinian Authority’s civil and security responsibility.

Israeli forces have deployed airstrikes and other heavy weaponry, whilst Palestinian militants have used improvised explosive devices and carried out shooting attacks. This takes place alongside continued violence and intimidation by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and attacks by Palestinians against Israelis. Following the detonation of three bombs on empty buses near Tel Aviv in a suspected terror attack, the IDF has increased its troop presence in the West Bank.

I am alarmed by the killing of a pregnant woman and young children during these operations. These incidents must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible held to account.

Regarding continued illegal settlement activity, approximately 2,000 new housing units have been advanced in recent weeks, mostly in Area C.

State land declarations and settler outposts impede Palestinian land use for farming, while demolitions and evictions have been accelerated. Severe movement restrictions continue to paralyze daily life for many Palestinians, hindering access to essential services and economic activity.

These developments along with continued calls for annexation, present an existential threat to the prospect of a viable and independent Palestinian State and thereby the two-State solution.

Israeli legislation that bans UNRWA from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem took effect on 30 January 2025. The Secretary-General has condemned the breach of inviolability of United Nations premises in occupied East Jerusalem. UNRWA’s work remains essential and must be allowed to continue unimpeded.

The Palestinian Authority, as has been reported, continues to implement agreed-upon reforms, including fiscal and public finance policy, governance and rule of law, for the investment climate, and basic service provision.

In early February, the Palestinian Authority issued a decree cancelling financial payments to families of Palestinians killed during or imprisoned following attacks on Israelis. This represents an important step in the Palestinian Authority’s reform agenda and should be fully implemented.

Turning briefly to the region. In Lebanon, the election of the President and formation of the new Government provide an opportunity to fully empower state institutions in laying the foundation for greater stability, to extend state authority and address the country’s multifaceted challenges.

I call upon Lebanon and Israel to uphold their commitments under the cessation of hostilities and undertake meaningful steps towards the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 to restore stability and allow the people on both sides of the Blue Line to return home.

In southwest Syria, the UN is concerned by violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and I urge the parties to uphold their obligations under the Agreement.

Since assuming the role of Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim, my team and I have actively engaged with all relevant parties. I have initiated consultations in the region and will continue to engage with key stakeholders.

These consultations have reaffirmed that there is no sustainable resolution to the current war or wider conflict that is not fundamentally political. As we engage in planning for Gaza’s future, we  need to ensure that:

1. Gaza remains an integral part of a future Palestinian State.
2. Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem are unified politically, economically, and administratively.
3. There will be no long-term IDF presence in Gaza and Israel’s legitimate security concerns are addressed.

We need to commit to ending the occupation and a final resolution of the conflict based on UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements.

I would like to make four key requests:

First, continued support for the full realization of the ceasefire deal, including the release of all hostages. This is critical.

Second, it is crucial not to lose sight of the dangerous dynamics in the West Bank and urgent de-escalation which is needed.

Third, the international community must continue to support the Palestinian Authority in its reform efforts and its resumption of responsibilities in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian security forces should also be empowered to carry out their responsibilities in areas under their control.

Fourth, politically and financially support Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Peace in the Middle East is possible. We can achieve a future where a safe and secure Israel exists alongside a viable and independent Palestinian State. This requires continued, concerted effort, dedication, and political courage by all parties. The United Nations will continue to play its role in the pursuit of lasting peace.