Action by UN System and Intergovernmental Organizations Relevant to the Question of Palestine (June 2024 Monthly Bulletin)

June 2024

Volume XLVII, Bulletin No. VI

 

 Contents

1. Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict lists Israeli forces, Palestinian armed groups
2. 26 UN human rights experts urge all States to recognise State of Palestine
3. Israel Defense Forces strike UNRWA school sheltering internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Gaza
4. Security Council adopting resolution S/RES/2735 (2024), welcomes 3-phase Gaza ceasefire proposal and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and conditions
5. King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres make a call for action at the conclusion of Gaza humanitarian conference
6. OHCHR expresses shock at impact on civilians of Israeli raid in Nuseirat to free 4 hostages
7. UNICEF warns 3,000 malnourished children at risk of “dying before their families’ eyes” as Rafah offensive disconnects them from treatment
8. Commission of Inquiry concludes that Israeli authorities and Hamas are both responsible for war crimes, identifies persons responsible, calls on Security Council to use Chapter VII
9. UNOSAT and FAO reveal that 57% of Gaza’s cropland damaged by conflict
10. WFP Deputy Executive Director warns food aid nearly impossible to deliver
11. 16 UN human rights experts condemn outrageous disregard for Palestinian civilians during Israel’s military operation in Nuseirat
12. WHO concerned about escalating health crisis in West Bank
13. High Commissioner for Human Rights tells Human Rights Council more than 120,000 people in Gaza, overwhelmingly women and children, have been killed or injured
14. 29 UN human rights experts stress States and companies must end arms transfers to Israel immediately, name companies involved
15. Special Rapporteur on the right to education conveys alarm at violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators at universities calling for a ceasefire in Gaza
16. UN Special Committee concludes six-days mission, highlights extensive human rights violations in Gaza and West Bank
17. UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process reports on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016)
18. About 495,000 Gazans face catastrophic food insecurity, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative says
19. FAO sounds alarm over high risk of famine across the whole Gaza Strip amidst humanitarian access constraints
20. Stop Israel’s Violent Campaign Against UNRWA, Commissioner-General pleads in the New York Times

 

I. Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict lists Israeli forces, Palestinian armed groups 

The Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict covering the period from January to December 2023 (A/78/842-S/2024/384) was issued on 3 June. Excerpts of the report are reproduced below.

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Israel and the State of Palestine

94. On 7 October 2023, Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip launched a large-scale armed attack on Israel which included numerous acts of terror. In addition, some 250 people, including women and children, were abducted and taken into the Gaza Strip, with some subsequently released, including during a seven-day humanitarian pause that started on 24 November. The violence that has been perpetrated since 7 October in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory – particularly in and around the Gaza Strip – has shaken the region and devastated the lives of millions of Palestinians and Israelis. The scale of death and destruction is shocking and unprecedented.
95. The United Nations verified 8,009 grave violations against 4,360 children (3,139 boys, 1,221 girls; Israeli children (113), Palestinian children (4,247)) in Israel (120); the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (4,868); and in the Gaza Strip (3,021).
96. Verified grave violations were attributed to Israeli armed and security forces (5,698), Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (116), unidentified perpetrators (58), Israeli settlers (51), Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades (21), individual Palestinian perpetrators (13) and Palestinian Authority Security Forces (1). In addition, the process of attribution of verified violations (2,051) is ongoing.
97. Owing to severe access challenges, in particular in the Gaza Strip, the information presented herein does not represent the full scale of violations against children in this situation. 2023 saw a significant increase in violations, and the last quarter of the year witnessed widespread violence by all parties to the conflict; over 23,000 grave violations against children (3,900 Israeli children, 19,887 Palestinian children) by all parties to the conflict were reported and are pending verification.
98. The United Nations verified 136 violations against 113 Israeli children (66 boys, 47 girls) in Israel (120), the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (15), and the Gaza Strip (1) by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other armed groups (116), Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades (1), individual Palestinian perpetrators (12), and unidentified perpetrators (7). Six children were victims of multiple violations.
99. The United Nations verified the use of two Israeli boys by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (1) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades (1) in Israel (1) and in the Gaza Strip (1) to accompany Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades in house-to-house searches and to film a video.
100. The United Nations verified that 43 Israeli children (29 boys, 14 girls) had been killed in Israel (37) during acts of terror on 7 October (live ammunition (27), crossfire (2), burned (1) and by rockets (7)), and in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (6), in shooting (4) and vehicle-ramming (2) attacks.
101. Israeli children were verified as having been maimed (27) (19 boys, 8 girls) in Israel (18) and in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (9). Israeli children were maimed (13) during attacks on 7 October (live ammunition (7), shrapnel (5) and burns (1)). In addition, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in northern Israel, children were maimed (14) by rocket fire (4), in shooting or stabbing attacks (6), and incidents of stone-throwing (4). Some 3,900 Israeli children were reported maimed and the reports are pending verification.
102. Perpetrators include Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups (54), individual Palestinian perpetrators (12), and unidentified perpetrators (4) including during crossfire between Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and Israeli armed and security forces (4).
103. Sexual violence against Israeli civilians, including children, in the context of the 7 October attacks in southern Israel, was reported.
104. The United Nations verified 17 attacks on schools (2) and hospitals (15) in Israel, including on health facilities (4), ambulances (4) and protected personnel (7), by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups (14) and unidentified perpetrators (3). Israeli schools were closed for weeks following the 7 October attacks. In addition, the United Nations verified the military use of a school by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel. There are numerous other reports of the use of human shields by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip.
105. A total of 47 Israeli children (20 boys, 27 girls) were abducted by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel, 36 of whom were held hostage and subjected to ill-treatment in the Gaza Strip by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades, the Palestinian Mujahidin Movement Mujahidin Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups. Two boys were still being held as at December 2023. Children held hostage in the Gaza Strip continue to be denied humanitarian access and assistance. The remaining 11 children were abducted by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups during the 7 October attacks in southern Israel and escaped or were released (8) or were killed (3).
106. The United Nations verified 7,873 violations against 4,247 Palestinian children (3,073 boys, 1,174 girls), in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (4,853), and the Gaza Strip (3,020). Violations were perpetrated by Israeli armed and security forces (5,698), Israeli settlers (51), unidentified perpetrators (51), Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups (20), individual Palestinian perpetrators (1) and Palestinian Authority Security Forces (1). In addition, the process of attribution regarding the verified killing of Palestinian children (2,051) that occurred between 7 October and 31 December in the Gaza Strip is ongoing. Five children were victims of multiple violations.
107. In the occupied West Bank, the United Nations verified the use of Palestinian boys (5) by Israeli armed and security forces to shield forces during law enforcement operations. Three children reported that Israeli armed and security forces had attempted to recruit them as informants. During 2023 in the Gaza Strip, Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades organized “summer camps”, including for children, exposing them to military content and activities.
108. The United Nations verified the detention of 906 Palestinian children (897 boys, 9 girls) for alleged security offences by Israeli armed and security forces in the occupied West Bank (435), East Jerusalem (458) and the Gaza Strip (13). Israeli authorities reported that 49 Palestinian children were held under administrative detention as at 31 December. The United Nations received the testimonies of 84 children who reported ill-treatment by Israeli armed and security forces while in detention. Further, the United Nations received reports of the detention of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip, compounded by multiple forms of sexual violence.
109. The United Nations verified the killing of 2,267 Palestinian children (1,259 boys, 1,008 girls) in the Gaza Strip (2,141) and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (126), by Israeli armed and security forces (206), Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades or other Palestinian armed groups (2), Israeli settlers (1), Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) (1) and unidentified perpetrators (6) (improvised explosive devices (4) and crossfire between PASF and armed Palestinians (1)). Of the total, 9 children (7 boys, 2 girls) were killed between 1 January and 6 October 2023, by Israeli armed and security forces (5), Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups (2), and unidentified perpetrators (2). In addition, the process of attribution regarding the verified killing of Palestinian children (2,051) that occurred between 7 October and 31 December in the Gaza Strip is ongoing. Most incidents were caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas by Israeli armed and security forces. Furthermore, in the Gaza Strip, some 9,100 children were reported killed and verification is ongoing. In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, most Palestinian children were verified as having been killed by Israeli armed and security forces (120), by live ammunition (102) and air strikes (18), during Israeli armed and security forces’ law enforcement operations, many in circumstances raising concerns of unwarranted or excessive use of force, including militarized operations and operations leading to armed exchanges with Palestinians, and in relation to attacks or alleged attacks on Israeli civilians or forces (9). Some 19,887 Palestinian children were reported killed or maimed and the reports are pending verification.
110. A total of 1,975 Palestinian children (1,809 boys, 166 girls) were verified as maimed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (1,825), and in the Gaza Strip (150). The main perpetrators were Israeli armed and security forces (1,892), Israeli settlers (36), Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades or other Palestinian armed groups (18), individual Palestinian perpetrators (1) and unidentified perpetrators (28), including by explosive ordnance (13). The main causes of maiming in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, were teargas inhalation (1,187: 1,079 boys, 108 girls), live ammunition (433) and rubber-coated metal bullets (70), in the context of law enforcement operations (979). Further, reports of some 10,787
     maimed children in the Gaza Strip are pending verification.
111. The United Nations verified 371 attacks on schools (45) and hospitals (326), including on protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals (104), attributed to Israeli armed and security forces (340), Israeli settlers (14) and unidentified perpetrators (17), in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (188), and in the Gaza Strip (183). Incidents involved attacks and threats of attack on health facilities (118), medical personnel (102) and ambulances (106), and attacks on schools (43) and education personnel (2). In addition, the United Nations verified incidents of the military use (5) of ambulances by Israeli armed and security forces (4) and a health centre by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (1). Separately, 561
     other interferences with education (461) and health (100) by Israeli armed and security forces (443), Israeli settlers (24) and unidentified perpetrators (94) were verified. Schools in the Gaza Strip have remained closed since 7 October 2023, affecting 625,000 children.
112. The denial of humanitarian access by Israeli armed and security forces (3,250) was verified in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem (2,698) and in the Gaza Strip (546). A total of 3,227 permit applications (1,895 for boys, 1,332 for girls) to Israeli authorities for children to exit the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing point, or from the occupied West Bank, to gain access to specialized medical treatment were denied or not approved in time to reach scheduled hospital appointments, while 17,693 applications were approved. On 7 October 2023, the Erez crossing point was closed. Following the attack on 7 October, Israel declared and imposed a siege of the Gaza Strip on 9 October. The United Nations verified 23 denials of humanitarian access by Israeli authorities related to denied coordination of humanitarian aid missions and prevention of access to medical care. In the context of Israeli armed and security forces military operations in the Gaza Strip, humanitarian personnel were killed, including 144 United Nations personnel, and nearly all critical infrastructure, facilities and services have been attacked, including shelter sites, United Nations installations, schools, hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, grain mills and bakeries. Access restrictions, water and fuel shortages and electricity and telecommunications blackouts also impeded access to humanitarian services. Children are at risk of famine, severe malnutrition and preventable death.

Developments and concerns

113. I am appalled by the dramatic increase and unprecedented scale and intensity of grave violations against children in the Gaza Strip, Israel and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, despite my repeated calls for parties to implement measures to end grave violations. I reiterate my urgent call upon Israel, Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups to take meaningful measures to comply with international humanitarian and human rights law, urgently and immediately agree to a humanitarian ceasefire, and facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and for them to be treated humanely. In the interim, they must be allowed to receive visits from the International Committee of the Red Cross. I reiterate that international humanitarian law requires the parties to treat children affected by armed conflict as persons who are entitled to special respect and protection. I repeat my call for an end to all violations of international humanitarian law.
114. I am shocked at the killing and maiming and abduction of children by Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups. Nothing can justify the brutal acts of terror that were committed and the deliberate killing, maiming, torture and abduction of civilians and other protected persons. I am appalled by the reports of sexual violence during the attacks; these must be investigated and prosecuted. I call upon all Palestinian armed groups to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and refrain from attacks that target civilians, including children, and from indiscriminate attacks, including the launching of rockets and mortars from densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip towards Israeli civilian population centres. I call upon Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian armed groups to release immediately and unconditionally all hostages, including children, and facilitate access for humanitarian actors. I am deeply concerned by reports that children held hostage were subjected to threats, violence and ill-treatment. I call upon Palestinian armed groups to protect schools and hospitals, including protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals.
115. I am shocked by the unprecedented number of children killed and maimed by Israeli armed and security forces in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The magnitude of the Israeli military campaign against Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and the scope of death and destruction in the Gaza Strip have been unprecedented. I reiterate my calls upon Israel to abide by international humanitarian law and human rights law and ensure that civilians, including children, and civilian infrastructure are not targeted, and that incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects are not caused in violation of the principle of proportionality in international humanitarian law, and to ensure that all feasible precautions are taken to avoid, and in any event to minimize, such incidental loss, injury or damage in the conduct of military operations. I am deeply concerned regarding the excessive use of force during law enforcement operations and reiterate that security forces must exercise maximum restraint and use intentional lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life and put in place preventive and protective measures to minimize damage and injury, including damage and injury that affect children. I further urge Israel to pursue accountability for violations against children. I exhort Israel to take immediate steps to protect schools and hospitals, including ambulances and protected persons in relation to schools and/or hospitals, and refrain from attacking them or using them for military purposes. Further, I am deeply concerned by the alarming increase in the number of children arrested and detained by Israel and by the reports by children of physical violence directed against them during detention. I reiterate my call upon Israel to uphold international juvenile justice standards, including the use of detention only as a last resort and for the shortest period of time, to immediately end the administrative detention of children, to prevent any violence and ill-treatment in detention and to prevent attempted use of children as informants.
116. I urge all parties to conflict to immediately end and prevent grave violations against children and to urgently engage with my Special Representative and the United Nations working group on children and armed conflict on the ground, on the basis of the letters previously addressed by Israel, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to my Special Representative in 2022 and 2023, and to adopt immediately clear, time-bound commitments to end and prevent grave violations against children, as proposed by the United Nations, and to comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
117. I am deeply alarmed about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions, and by attacks against humanitarian workers, including the killing of United Nations personnel. I call upon Israel to grant full, rapid, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid and personnel into and within the Gaza Strip. The United Nations and its partners cannot effectively deliver humanitarian aid while the Gaza Strip is under heavy, widespread and unrelenting military operations, including air strikes. I call upon all parties to conflict to respect the humanitarian notification system so as to maximize the safety of aid operations.

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1. New listed parties contained in the annexes to the present report

State actors

351. In Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Israeli armed and security forces have been listed for the killing and maiming of children, and for attacks on schools and hospitals. While noting a decrease in violations against children during the first nine months of 2023, owing to direct engagement with my Special Representative regarding the prompt approval for children to receive medical attention outside the Gaza Strip, the last quarter of 2023 exposed an extreme rise in violations, particularly against children in the Gaza Strip, in particular the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects, including in highly populated areas, which resulted in a large number of child casualties and increased attacks on schools and hospitals. I urge Israel to immediately sign an action plan with the United Nations to end and prevent the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals. Further, although the denial of humanitarian access to children is a non-listable violation, I urge the Israeli armed and security forces to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law and to ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid and humanitarian workers throughout the Gaza Strip. I request Israel to expedite working with my Special Representative so as to put in place measures to better protect children.

Non-State armed groups

355. In Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and affiliated factions, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades have been listed for the killing and maiming and abduction of children, following the brutal acts of terror on Israel of 7 October 2023. I urge the armed groups Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and affiliated factions, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades, to urgently end and prevent grave violations against children.
356. Measures, including by listed parties, aimed at improving the protection of children

State actors

362. In Israel, I welcome the offer by the Government of Israel on 28 May 2024 to engage with my Special Representative to develop an action plan with the United Nations.

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Annex

Pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1379 (2001), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015), parties that commit grave violations affecting children in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council

1. State actors

Parties in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory

• Israeli armed and security forces (b,d)

1. Non-State armed groups

Parties in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory

1. Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades (b,e)
2. Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and affiliated factions (b,e)

———–

b Party that kills and maims children.
d Party that engages in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.
e Party that abducts children.

 

II. 26 UN human rights experts urge all States to recognise State of Palestine

On 3 June, George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Cecilia M Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Elisa Morgera, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change; Ashwini K.P. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Carlos Salazar Couto (Chair-Rapporteur), Michelle Small, Ravindran Daniel, Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito, Sorcha MacLeod, Working Group on the use of mercenaries; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons ; Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Geneviève Savigny (Chair-Rapporteur), Carlos Duarte, Uche Ewelukwa, Shalmali Guttal, Davit Hakobyan, Working Group on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas; José Francisco Calí Tzay, Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples; Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development; and Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences issued the following press release.

All States must follow the example of 146 United Nations Member States and recognise the State of Palestine and use all political and diplomatic resources at their disposal to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, UN experts said today.

“This recognition is an important acknowledgement of the rights of the Palestinian people and their struggles and suffering towards freedom and independence,” the experts said.

They insisted that Palestine must be able to enjoy full self-determination, including the ability to exist, determine their destiny and develop freely as a people with safety and security.

“This is a pre-condition for lasting peace in Palestine and the entire Middle East – beginning with the immediate declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza and no further military incursions into Rafah,” the experts said.

The State of Palestine, formally declared by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on 15 November 1988, claims sovereignty over the remaining parts of historic Palestine that Israel occupied in 1967: the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

As of 28 May 2024, the State of Palestine was recognised by the vast majority of Member States of the United Nations.

The experts welcomed the latest recognitions of the occupied Palestinian territory as a State by Norway, Ireland and Spain, which comes after the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted – with 143 votes in favour to nine votes against – to back Palestine’s bid to become a full member of the United Nations on 10 May 2024.

“Even though the prospect of lasting peace and an end to occupation has remained elusive since the Oslo Accords more than 30 years ago, a political solution should not be considered foregone,” the experts said. “A two-State solution remains the only internationally agreed path to peace and security for both Palestine and Israel and a way out of generational cycles of violence and resentment.”

The UN experts said the move by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and top Hamas leaders on suspicions of war crimes and crimes against humanity was a promise of accountability and an end to impunity in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its most recent ruling on provisional measures, ordering Israel to stop its military operations in Rafah, immediately reopen the Rafah crossing to allow life-saving humanitarian aid into the Gaza strip and grant unimpeded access for UN human rights mechanisms, complements the work of the ICC in ensuring full justice in Palestine and preventing any further bloodshed in Gaza,” the experts said.

“States must refrain from threats and attacks against the ICC and the ICJ,” they said. “These courts must operate without foreign interference and threats, to uphold the promise of global justice and individual accountability for all victims of the conflict.”

 

III. Israel Defense Forces strike UNRWA school sheltering internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Gaza

On 6 June, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the following press release.

The UN Human Rights Office is shocked by reports of an attack by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) this morning on an UNRWA school in An Nuseirat Camp 2, Middle Gaza, that reportedly left tens of civilians dead. At approximately 0140 hours this morning, an UNRWA school located on Khalid Ibn Al Waleed Street, reportedly sheltering almost 6,000 IDPs, was struck by Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets. According to UNRWA, at least 35 Palestinians were killed. Meanwhile, the Gaza Government Media Office announced that those killed included 14 children and 9 women, and 74 others were injured including 23 children and 18 women. This attack follows strikes yesterday in Middle Gaza that led to a high number of casualties.

We are deeply concerned that this strike suggests a failure by the IDF to ensure strict compliance with international humanitarian law, particularly the basic principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in attack. While Israel has claimed that armed Palestinians were using the school as a base of operations, which itself would amount to a violation of IHL, this would not allow or justify violations of these principles. We note with concern that this attack follows a strike last week on an IDPs camp in Rafah that left at least 45 Palestinians dead.

 

IV. Security Council adopting resolution S/RES/2735 (2024), welcomes 3-phase Gaza ceasefire proposal and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and conditions

On 10 June, the Security Council adopted resolution S/RES/2735 (2024) by 14 votes with 1 abstention (Russian Federation).

The Security Council,

Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling all its relevant resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,

Underscoring the importance of the ongoing diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States aimed at reaching a comprehensive ceasefire deal, consisting of three phases,

1. Welcomes the new ceasefire proposal announced on May 31, which Israel accepted, calls upon Hamas to also accept it, and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition;
2. Notes that the implementation of this proposal would enable the following outcomes to spread over three phases:

(a) Phase 1: an immediate, full, and complete ceasefire with the release of hostages including women, the elderly and the wounded, the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, withdrawal of Israeli forces from the populated areas in Gaza, the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes and neighborhoods in all areas of Gaza, including in the north, as well as the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale throughout the Gaza Strip to all Palestinian civilians who need it, including housing units delivered by the international community;

(b) Phase 2: upon agreement of the parties, a permanent end to hostilities, in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza; and

(c) Phase 3: the start of a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the remains of any deceased hostages still in Gaza to their families;

3. Underlines that the proposal says if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue, and welcomes the readiness of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to work to ensure negotiations keep going until all the agreements are reached and phase two is able to begin;
4. Stresses the importance of the parties adhering to the terms of this proposal once agreed and calls upon all Member States and the United Nations to support its implementation;
5. Rejects any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce the territory of Gaza;
6. Reiterates its unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and in this regard stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority;
7. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

 

V. King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres make a call for action at the conclusion of Gaza humanitarian conference

On 11 June, the co-chairs of the high-level conference “Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza” hosted by Jordan issued the following statement.

The high-level conference “Call for Action: Urgent Humanitarian Response for Gaza,” was held in Dead Sea Jordan on the 11^th of June 2024, and co-chaired by His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and His Excellency Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres,

The Co-chairs

• Expressed grave concern at the enormous loss of life, the unprecedented civilian casualties and the unfolding man-made humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza caused by targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure and at the persistent and continuing lack of humanitarian access to civilians in need. Condemned the killing, targeting and other harmful actions against civilians by both sides in violation of international law and international humanitarian law.
• Condemned the attacks on United Nations staff and other humanitarian workers, including the more than 250 attacks on UNRWA schools and other premises sheltering displaced people and the killing of at least 193 UNRWA staff and at least 135 of their children and called for a full investigation into each and every one of these deaths.
• Deplored the effects of the war in Gaza, including the ongoing operations in Rafah, which have exacerbated the catastrophic humanitarian situation, and condemned in the strongest terms attacks striking camps of displaced Palestinians.
• Rejected individual or mass forcible transfer and displacement of civilians within and from the Occupied Palestinian Territory in violation of international law.
• Stressed the importance of the current mediation by Egypt, Qatar and the United States with a view to finalizing a deal that would guarantee a permanent ceasefire throughout Gaza, the release of hostages and detainees, and increase and ensure the unhindered access and distribution of humanitarian assistance to civilians in need.
• Acknowledged the important role of all United Nations humanitarian organizations and humanitarian workers inside Gaza and commended their efforts to stay and deliver, saluting those who have sacrificed their lives.
• Stressed the indispensable and irreplaceable role of UNRWA, especially in providing life-saving supplies and services despite existential challenges and unprecedented difficult working conditions.
• Emphasized that the Gaza Strip constitutes an integral part of the territory occupied in 1967 and reiterated in this regard the importance of ending the occupation, with a view to achieving a stable, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East, on the basis of the pre-4 June 1967 lines, fulfilling the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for self-determination and statehood.
• Expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and condemned all unilateral measures, including settlement activities, that undermine the two-state solution.

In light of the discussions that took place during the Conference, the Co-chairs hereby call for the following actions:

• Establishing an immediate, permanent, and fully respected cease fire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and all civilians who are being illegally held captive, demanding their safety, well-being and humane treatment in compliance with international law.
• Ending the ongoing operation in Rafah, and implementing the provisional measures indicated by the International Court of Justice.
• Ensuring full respect for international law and international humanitarian law, in particular with regards to the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, UN and humanitarian aid workers, and medical and media personnel.
• Allowing, facilitating and enabling the immediate, safe and unhindered access and provision of humanitarian assistance at scale, in quality and quantity, into and throughout Gaza, via the most direct routes to the civilian population, including through lifting all barriers and restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Ensuring its safe and unimpeded passage to the civilian population in need and ensuring conditions conducive to the safe and effective distribution and provision of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza, including by establishing robust coordination, humanitarian notification and deconfliction mechanisms.
• Stepping up the efforts to ensure sustained provision and delivery of humanitarian assistance into and throughout Gaza, in line with obligations under international humanitarian law, Security Council resolution 2712 (2023), and Security Council resolution 2720 (2023), via all routes, including through establishing reliable, simplified and standardized measures and operating procedures, as well as providing necessary financial, logistical and supply needs (trucks, warehouses, stockpiles, etc.), to reduce humanitarian needs and resources gap.
• Addressing early recovery priorities, including education, health, shelter, nutrition, water and sanitation, electricity, logistics, and telecommunications, while underscoring the crucial importance of education as part of early recovery for over 500,000 children and for future peace.
• Ensuring the necessary conditions for the safe and dignified return of displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
• Providing the necessary support and sustained, transparent, and long-term funding to enable UNRWA to carry out its duties as mandated by the United Nations General Assembly, and to maintain its essential life-saving activities and services for the Palestinian people, in Gaza and all fields of operation, including through early recovery activities.
• Facilitating and supporting the establishment of a UN mechanism inside Gaza for accelerating the provision of humanitarian relief consignments with the goal of expediting, streamlining, and accelerating the process of providing assistance while continuing to help ensure that aid reaches its civilian destination in accordance with Security Council resolution 2720 (2023).
• Increasing diplomatic efforts to end the Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and launch a credible and irreversible track for the implementation of the two-state solution, that results in the establishment of an independent, contiguous, viable and sovereign, Palestinian State, in line with agreed parameters and on the basis of the pre- 4 June 1967 lines, living side by side with Israel in peace and security, on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, previous agreements and international law.
• Lifting all punitive measures imposed on the Palestinian people and economy and refraining from all provocative and inflammatory statements and actions that further exacerbate the dire situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as providing the necessary support to the Palestinian Government.”

 

VI. OHCHR expresses shock at impact on civilians of Israeli raid in Nuseirat to free 4 hostages

On 11 June, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the following press release.

We are profoundly shocked at the impact on civilians of the Israeli forces’ operation in An Nuseirat at the weekend to secure the release of four hostages. Hundreds of Palestinians, many of them civilians, were reportedly killed and injured. The manner in which the raid was conducted in such a densely populated area seriously calls into question whether the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution – as set out under the laws of war – were respected by the Israeli forces.

Our Office is also deeply distressed that Palestinian armed groups continue to hold many hostages, most of them civilians, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law. Furthermore, by holding hostages in such densely populated areas, the armed groups doing so are putting the lives of Palestinian civilians, as well as the hostages themselves, at added risk from the hostilities.

All these actions, by both parties, may amount to war crimes.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, welcomes Security Council Resolution 2735 calling for a “full and complete ceasefire”, the release of hostages held by Palestinian armed groups, the return of the remains of dead hostages, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners. An immediate priority must be to ensure the full and unfettered flow of humanitarian aid to the desperate population of Gaza.

The High Commissioner calls on all parties as well as third States, in particular those with influence over the parties to the conflict, to also maximise efforts to work towards the goal whereby Israelis and Palestinians can fully enjoy all human rights and live side by side, in peace.

 

VII. UNICEF warns 3,000 malnourished children at risk of “dying before their families’ eyes” as Rafah offensive disconnects them from treatment

On 11 June, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Adele Khodr issued the following press release.

Almost 3,000 children have been cut off from treatment for moderate and severe acute malnutrition in southern Gaza, putting them at risk of death as harrowing violence and displacement continue to impact access to healthcare facilities and services for desperate families.

This number, based on reporting from UNICEF’s nutrition partners, equates to approximately three-quarters of the 3,800 children who were estimated to be receiving life-saving care in the south ahead of the escalating conflict in Rafah.

The looming risk of more vulnerable children falling sick to malnutrition is also a concern. While there has been a slight improvement in the delivery of food aid to the north, humanitarian access in the south has declined dramatically. Early results from recent malnutrition screenings in the middle and southern governorates of Gaza indicate that cases of moderate and severe malnutrition have risen since the second week of May, when aid delivery and humanitarian access was significantly curtailed by the escalation of the Rafah offensive.

“Horrific images continue to emerge from Gaza of children dying before their families’ eyes due to the continued lack of food, nutrition supplies, and the destruction of healthcare services,” said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Adele Khodr. “Unless treatment can be quickly resumed for these 3,000 children, they are at immediate and serious risk of becoming critically ill, acquiring life-threatening complications, and joining the growing list of boys and girls who have been killed by this senseless, man-made deprivation.”

The risk of rising cases of malnutrition comes at the same time as malnutrition treatment services are collapsing. Today, only two of the Gaza Strip’s three stabilisation centres that treat seriously malnourished children are functioning. Meanwhile, plans for the opening of new centres have been delayed due to ongoing military operations across the Strip.

Treating a child for acute malnutrition typically takes six to eight weeks of uninterrupted care and requires special therapeutic food, safe water, and other medical support.

Malnourished children are at heightened risk of catching diseases and other health issues due to limited access to safe water, sewage overflow, infrastructure damage, and a lack of hygiene items. Water production in the Gaza Strip is now less than a quarter of what was produced prior to the intensification of hostilities in October.

“Our warnings of mounting child deaths from a preventable combination of malnutrition, dehydration and disease should have mobilized immediate action to save children’s lives, and yet, this devastation continues,” Khodr said. “With hospitals destroyed, treatments stopped and supplies scant, we are poising for more child suffering and deaths.”

Since October 2023, UNICEF has reached tens of thousands of women and children with prevention and treatment services for malnutrition, including the use of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, Ready-to-Use Infant Formula and preventative high energy biscuits and micronutrients supplements for pregnant women containing iron and other essential nutrients.

“UNICEF has more nutrition supplies prepositioned to arrive in the Gaza Strip, if access allows,” said Khodr. “United Nations agencies are seeking assurances that humanitarian operations can safely collect and distribute aid to children and their families without interruption. We need better operating conditions on the ground, with more safety and less restrictions. But ultimately, it is a ceasefire that children need most.”

 

VIII. Commission of Inquiry concludes that Israeli authorities and Hamas are both responsible for war crimes, identifies persons responsible, calls on Security Council to use Chapter VII

On 12 June, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, issued its report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/56/26). The conclusions and recommendations are reproduced below.

/…

1. Conclusions
2. 7 October 2023 has marked a clear turning point for both Israelis and Palestinians, and it presents a watershed moment that can change the direction of this conflict; with a real risk of further solidifying and expanding the occupation. Amid months of losses and despair, retribution and atrocities, the only tangible result has been compounding the immense suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis, with civilians, yet again, bearing the brunt of decisions by those in power. Children and women make up a large part of those civilians, the latter marginalised from decision-making.
3. For Israelis, the attack of 7 October was unprecedented in scale in its modern history, when in one single day hundreds of people were killed and abducted, invoking painful trauma of past persecution not only for Israeli Jews but for Jewish people everywhere. Palestinians with Israeli citizenship were also deeply affected by the attack of 7 October.
4. For Palestinians, Israel’s military operation and attack in Gaza has been the longest, largest and bloodiest since 1948. It has caused immense damage and loss of life and triggered for many Palestinians traumatic memories of the Nakba and other Israeli incursions.
5. The Commission affirms that both the 7 October attack in Israel and Israel’s subsequent military operation in Gaza should not be seen in isolation. The only way to stop the recurring cycles of violence, including aggression and retribution by both sides, is to ensure strict adherence to international law. That includes ending the unlawful Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, discrimination, oppression and the denial of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and guaranteeing peace and security for Jews and Palestinians.
6. In relation to the attack of 7 October in Israel, the Commission concludes on reasonable grounds that members of the military wings of Hamas and of other Palestinian armed groups, as well as Palestinian civilians who were directly participating in the hostilities, deliberately killed, injured, mistreated, took hostages and committed SGBV against: civilians, including Israeli citizens and foreign nationals; and members of the ISF, including soldiers considered hors de combat, in many locations in southern Israel. These actions constitute war crimes and violations and abuses of IHL and IHRL.
7. The Commission concludes that civilians were intentionally targeted, that the attack was premeditated and planned over a significant period, reflecting a high degree of organisation and coordination, and implemented in several locations at or about the same time. The attacks were led and coordinated by Hamas and implemented by the military wings of Hamas and six other Palestinian factions, with the participation of some Palestinian civilians.
8. Members of the military wing of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups abducted primarily Israeli people as hostages to Gaza, without regard for age or gender, to use them in negotiations with the Israeli authorities. Some abductees were shot at and in some cases killed. Many abductions were carried out with significant physical, mental and sexual violence and degrading and humiliating treatment, including in some cases parading the abductees.
9. Israeli children were subjected to physical and emotional mistreatment on 7 October. In addition to those who were killed and injured, many children lost one or both parents. Many children witnessed the killings of their parents and siblings and were also filmed for propaganda purposes by Palestinian armed groups who published videos depicting young Israeli children in vulnerable positions. The Commission finds it particularly egregious that children were targeted for abduction, several of them taken
10. The Commission concludes that members of the military wing of Hamas and Palestinian armed groups targeted women, including by wilful killings, abductions, and physical, mental and sexual abuse. These crimes were deliberate and, in several cases, enforced with violence, intentionally causing great suffering and serious injury to the victims. The Commission particularly notes that women were subjected to GBV during the course of their execution or Women and women’s bodies were used as victory trophies by male perpetrators and the abduction, violence and humiliation of women, were put on public display, either on the streets of the Gaza Strip or online.
11. The Commission identified patterns indicative of sexual violence in several locations and concludes that Israeli women were disproportionally subjected to these crimes. The attack on 7 October enabled perpetrators to commit SGBV and this violence was not isolated but perpetrated in similar ways in several locations and by multiple Palestinian perpetrators. The Commission did not find credible evidence, however, that militants received orders to commit sexual violence and so it was unable to make conclusions on this issue. However, inflammatory language and disbelief around sexual violence, observed with both parties, risks silencing and discrediting survivors, further exacerbating trauma and stigmatization.
12. The Commission notes that Israeli authorities failed to protect civilians in southern Israel on almost every front. This included failing to swiftly deploy sufficient security forces to protect civilians and evacuate them from civilian locations on 7 October. In several locations ISF applied the so-called ‘Hannibal Directive’ and killed at least 14 Israeli civilians. Israeli authorities also failed to ensure that forensic evidence was systematically collected by concerned authorities and first responders, particularly in relation to allegations of sexual violence, undermining the possibility of future judicial proceedings, accountability and justice.
13. In relation to Israel’s military operations in Gaza from 7 October, the Commission concludes that Israel has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of IHL and IHRL.
14. The Commission concludes that the immense numbers of civilian casualties and widespread destruction of civilian objects and crucial civilian infrastructure are the inevitable results of Israel’s chosen strategy for the use of force during these hostilities, undertaken with intent to cause maximum damage, disregarding distinction, proportionality and adequate precautions, and thus unlawful. ISF’s intentional use of heavy weapons with large destructive capacity in densely populated areas constitutes an intentional and direct attack on the civilian population, particularly affecting women and children. This conclusion is confirmed by the substantial and increasing numbers of casualties, over weeks and months, with no change in Israeli policies or military strategies.
15. ISF has killed and maimed tens of thousands of children, resulting in permanent physical impairment for thousands of children and long-term emotional trauma for all children. Israel has the obligation under international law to ensure that the needs of all children, particularly of the large number of orphans and children separated from their families, are prioritised and addressed. It has a duty to avoid the separation of families and to facilitate their reunification, noting the particular impact separation of family member has on mothers and children.
16. The Commission concludes that evacuation orders issued by ISF were at times insufficient, unclear and conflicting, and did not provide adequate time or support for safe evacuations. Moreover, areas evacuated were attacked with no regard for those who could not or would not evacuate, and evacuees were targeted along the evacuation routes and in designated safe zones. Civilians who choose not to evacuate do not lose their protected status under international law. Moreover, statements by Israeli officials demonstrated an intent to forcibly transfer the population.
17. Israeli authorities consistently presented their military objectives as destroying all of Hamas, releasing Israeli hostages and preventing future threats to the State of Israel emanating from the Gaza Strip, yet their actions and the consequences of their actions indicate other motivations including, vengeance and collective punishment. Statements made by Israeli officials reflected policy and practice of inflicting widespread destruction, killing large numbers of civilians and forcible transfer. The Commission found that statements made by Israeli officials amounted to incitement and may constitute other serious international crimes. Statements aimed at systematically dehumanizing Palestinians, particularly Palestinian men and boys, and called for collective punishment.
18. The Commission concludes that Israel has used starvation as a method of war, affecting the entire population of the Gaza Strip for decades to come, with particularly negative consequences for children. This is a war crime. At the time of writing this report, children have already died due to acute malnutrition and dehydration. Through the siege it imposed, Israel has weaponized the withholding of life-sustaining necessities, cutting off supplies of water, food, electricity, fuel and other essential supplies, including humanitarian assistance. This constitutes collective punishment and reprisal against the civilian population, both of which are clear violations of IHL.
19. The frequency, prevalence and severity of sexual and gender-based crimes perpetrated against Palestinians since 7 October across the OPT indicate that specific forms of SGBV are part of ISF operating procedures. Palestinian men and boys experienced specific persecutory acts intended to punish them in retaliation for the crimes committed on 7 October. The way in which these acts were committed, including their filming and photographing, in conjunction with similar cases documented in several locations, leads the Commission to conclude that forced public stripping and nudity and other related types of abuse were either ordered or condoned by Israeli authorities.
20. SGBV constitutes a major element in the ill-treatment of Palestinians, intended to humiliate the community at large. This violence is intrinsically linked to the wider context of inequality and prolonged occupation, which have provided the conditions and the rationale for gender-based crimes, to further accentuate the subordination of the occupied people. The Commission notes that these crimes must be addressed by tackling their root cause; through dismantling the historically oppressive structures and institutionalized system of discrimination against Palestinians, which are at the core of the occupation.
21. The situation in the West Bank has continued to deteriorate, with Palestinian fatalities recorded since 7 October exceeding any other period since 2005. The rise in fatalities is linked to several highly militarized ISF operations and a surge in violent settler attacks on Palestinian communities, often assisted or condoned by ISF.
22. The Commission is aware of reports and ISF allegations indicating that the military wing of Hamas and other non-State armed groups in Gaza operated from within civilian areas. The Commission reiterates that all parties to the conflict, including ISF and the military wings of Hamas and other non-State armed groups, must adhere to IHL and avoid increasing risk to civilians by using civilian objects for military purposes.
23. The Commission concludes that the individuals who bear the most responsibility for the international crimes, violations and abuses that it has investigated include: senior members of the political and military leadership of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups and of the Palestinian Joint Operations Room; senior members of the political and military leadership of the Israeli State, including members of the War Management Cabinet and the Ministerial Committee on National Security, other Ministers of the Government and leaders of the ISF. The Commission will continue its investigations focusing on individual criminal responsibility and command responsibility.

VII. Recommendations

108. To the Government of Israel:
109. a) Immediately end attacks resulting in the killing and maiming of civilians in Gaza, end the siege on Gaza; implement a ceasefire; ensure that those whose property has been unlawfully destroyed receive reparations; ensure that necessities crucial for the health and wellbeing of the civilian population immediately reach those in need;
110. b) Ensure that the rules of engagement for military and security personnel strictly adhere to international standards; investigate, prosecute and punish those who commit violations of IHL and IHRL; publish the rules of engagement and reports of investigations into violations;
111. c) Ensure that age and gender-specific harm is assessed and preventive measures based on gender and child-centric risk assessments are applied to prevent harm to the civilian population during the planning and execution of military operations;
112. d) Cease the practices of forced public stripping and nudity, intimate body searches, removing of women’s veils, abuse and harassment of Palestinians online and in person of all ages and genders; bring those responsible for such acts to justice; address the discriminatory structures and beliefs that enable those violations to prevent their recurrence;
113. e) Ensure that all displaced or evacuated Palestinians are allowed to return safely to their homes and are assisted to do so, and ensure the reconstruction of Gaza in line with Israel’s legal obligations
114. f) Ensure that all Palestinians who have been arrested and/or detained are treated humanely, report on their state of health and wellbeing, allow ICRC visits, contact with families and medical attention and ensure their treatment in compliance with IHL and IHRL;
115. g) Comply fully and immediately with the ICJ orders on provisional measures issued on 26 January and 28 March, to ensure the unhindered provision of all basic services and humanitarian assistance to Gaza and ensure that the military does not commit acts violating the rights of the Palestinians in Gaza, in compliance with Israel’s obligations under the Genocide Convention;
116. h) Ensure impartial and fair investigations, aligned with principles of IHRL, of crimes committed on 7 October and, where applicable, prosecute those persons arrested in Israel in open trials;

i)Allow the Commission to access the OPT and Israel to enable full, impartial and independent investigations, in particular into the Gaza Strip in compliance with the ICJ order on provisional measures issued on 24 May 2024;

1. j) Address mental health needs of survivors and community members who were displaced in the OPT and Israel following the attack, with particular attention to children, women, older persons, foreigners and released hostages.
2. To the Government of the State of Palestine and the de-facto authorities in Gaza:
3. a) Ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held in Gaza; ensure their protection, including from SGBV; report on their state of health and wellbeing, allow ICRC visits, contact with families and medical attention and ensure their treatment in compliance with IHL and IHRL;
4. b) Stop all indiscriminate firing of rockets, mortars and other munitions towards civilian populations;
5. c) Thoroughly and impartially investigate and prosecute violations of international law, including those committed on and since 7 October 2023, by members of the military wings of Hamas and other Palestinian non-State armed groups in southern Israel and in the OPT; investigate and prosecute violations against those suspected of aiding Israel;
6. d) Take urgent measures to investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for any forms of sexual violence; refrain from discrediting survivors and witnesses of sexual violence.
7. e) Avoid use of civilian objects or property for military purposes, in line with all IHL obligations, and implement a clear separation from civilian areas;
8. To the UN Security Council:
9. a) In light of the continuing threat to international peace and security this conflict poses and the gravity of the crimes, demand, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the Government of Israel to immediately implement a ceasefire, end the siege on Gaza, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, cease the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and demand the unconditional release of hostages;
10. b) Reaffirm the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
11. To the UN Secretary General:
12. a) List Israel in the annexes of the next annual report on CAAC, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1379 (2001) and subsequent resolutions and institutionalize the country task force on monitoring and reporting in the OPT (as noted previously in A/78/198).
13. To all Member States:
14. a) Ensure compliance by all States Parties with all treaty obligations, including common article 1 of the Geneva Conventions, the CAT and the Genocide Conventions;
15. b) Conduct investigations under domestic or universal jurisdiction on core international crimes committed during the current war.
16. To all State Parties to the Rome Statute:
17. a) Support and cooperate fully with the investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in its investigation into the Situation in the State of Palestine.

 

IX. UNOSAT and FAO reveal that 57% of Gaza’s cropland damaged by conflict

On 13 June, the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), released an update on the health and density of cropland in the Gaza Strip.

The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has released an update on the health and density of cropland in the Gaza Strip.

This damage assessment analyzed the status of cropland in the Gaza Strip, which was comprised of field crops, vegetables and orchards and other trees. Roughly 41% of the Gaza Strip’s total area is covered by cropland, according to recent estimates by FAO. However, 57% of this cropland, which plays a vital role in maintaining food security, has been damaged in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip as of May 2024. These results were realized in a collaborative assessment by UNOSAT and FAO, by method of employing geospatial analysis to compare the health and density of cropland to the average state of cropland over the past years.

Combining various satellite imagery such as Sentinel-2, Worldview 2-3, Pléiades for the period between May 2017 and 2024, this analysis provides a geospatial perspective on the impact of the ongoing conflict on the integrity of the agricultural sector in the Gaza Strip. UNOSAT and FAO conducted an analysis of the changes of crop land area extent, crop categories and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to assess significant changes in cropland health and density when compared to data representing the past seven years.

8 660 ha of cropland in the Gaza Strip was determined to be damaged, amounting to 57% of the total cropland area. The governorate of Rafah exhibited the most significant increase in area of damaged cropland, more than doubling from 452 ha in February to 922 ha in May 2024. 1 751 ha (59.3%) of field crops, 1 675 ha (52.2%) of vegetables and 233 ha (59.1%) of orchards and other trees were established as damaged.

As of May 2024, crop health and density across the Gaza Strip appears to have substantially declined compared to the average of the past seven years. This deterioration is attributed to conflict-related operations, including razing, heavy vehicle movement, bombing, and shelling. The assessment, which evaluates damage to permanent field crops, vegetables and orchards and other trees, offers an insight into the relationship between conflict-related destruction and the state of the agricultural sector. The extent and severity of the damages highlighted in this assessment underscore the urgent need to provide emergency support to restart local production of fresh and perishable food. UNOSAT and FAO remain committed to providing accurate and timely information to support humanitarian efforts in conflict-affected areas. This satellite imagery-based analysis will serve as a crucial tool for assessing the implications of the damage and guiding emergency relief efforts.

 

X. WFP Deputy Executive Director warns food aid nearly impossible to deliver

On 14 June, World Food Programme Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau made the following statement as he concluded a two-day mission to Gaza.

As fighting escalates in the south and centre of Gaza, the toll on civilians is devastating, and the continued hostile operating environment make it near-impossible for humanitarian operations to deliver desperately needed food aid, warned WFP’s Deputy Executive Director, Carl Skau as he today concluded a two day- mission to Gaza.

” Driving through Gaza City to Jabalia, the destruction is unbelievable. In the North of Gaza, I didn’t see one single building intact and there was constant shelling with drones buzzing overhead,” said Skau. “The people here are traumatised and exhausted. One woman who had lost her husband told me this war has been going on for 250 days – but to her it felt like 250 years.”

With lawlessness inside the Strip now hampering deliveries from Karam Abu Salem/ Kerem Shalom crossing, and active conflict spreading in the southern and middle areas of Gaza, WFP staff are finding it close to impossible to deliver the level of aid that meets the growing demands on the ground.

“It is getting harder to do our job. Staff spend five to eight hours waiting at checkpoints every day. Missiles hit our premises, despite being deconflicted. The breakdown of law and order means we also face looting and violence amid a large security vacuum,” added Skau.

WFP fears that southern Gaza could soon see the same catastrophic levels of hunger recorded previously in the northern areas.

“The situation in southern Gaza is quickly deteriorating. A million people have been pushed out of Rafah and are trapped in a highly congested area along the beach in the burning summer heat. We drove through rivers of sewage,” said Skau.

In northern Gaza, there has been improvement in assistance where WFP and partners have been delivering supplies through West Erez crossing. However, this assistance needs to be sustained and scaled-up to ensure supplies of fresh food. Access to clean water, healthcare, fuel needed for bakeries and medical supplies are also essential to achieve a stable food security situation. “But more than anything people want this war to end, and so do we,” added Skau.

“At WFP we will now look at how we can support the functioning of markets and also get cash to the people so that they can begin to restore their lives. Emergency assistance is still critical, but we also need to start instilling some hope – by supporting bakeries and markets – and go beyond meeting food needs for survival to support water sanitation and basic health care needs. Only this way can we help restore a more dignified form of assistance that goes beyond meeting basic food needs. On my previous visit in November, the people I met were angry. Now they are exhausted and just wanted this war to end.”

The Deputy Executive Director was on a three-day visit to the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem where he met staff, partners and Palestinians.

WFP assisted over 1 million Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza in May, though rations were reduced due to access constraints and dwindling food stocks.

WFP continues to call for an immediate ceasefire and safe and sustained access to deliver life-saving aid.

 

XI. 16 UN human rights experts condemn outrageous disregard for Palestinian civilians during Israel’s military operation in Nuseirat

On 14 June, Francesca Albanese, UN 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; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Laura Nyirinkindi (Vice-Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Dominique Day, Bina D’Costa, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and Ashwini K.P. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance issued the following press release.

UN human rights experts today strongly condemned the umpteenth massacre by Israeli forces in Gaza during a hostage rescue operation in Nuseirat Refugee Camp, which killed at least 274 Palestinians, including 64 children and 57 women, and injured nearly 700.

On 8 June, Israeli Occupation Forces – allegedly assisted by foreign soldiers – entered Nuseirat disguised as displaced persons and aid workers in a humanitarian truck. They violently raided the area, assaulting residents with intense ground and air attacks that spread terror, death and despair.

“According to survivors, the streets of Nuseirat were filled with bodies of dead and injured people, including children and women, lying in pools of blood. Walls were covered in body parts scattered by multiple explosions and bombed houses,” the experts said.

With Gaza’s health sector decimated, the injured taken to hospitals had to wait for medical treatment on the floors, they said.

“While we are relieved by the safe return of four Israeli hostages captured by Palestinian armed groups eight months ago, Israel’s attack on the Nuseirat camp is obnoxious in its excessive violence and devastating impact,” the experts said.

They particularly condemned Israeli forces for treacherously hiding in a humanitarian aid truck coming from the US-built pier, which was intended to facilitate humanitarian assistance. “Acquiring civilian disguise to conduct a military operation constitutes perfidy, which is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law and tantamount to a war crime,” the experts said.

“These tactics put aid workers and the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid at even greater risk and expose an unprecedented level of savagery in Israeli military actions,” they said.

The World Food Program has already announced the pause of its operations from the pier due to “security concerns.”

“The dramatically high death toll among Palestinians affected by the rescue operation confirms Israel’s blatant disregard for Palestinian life,” the experts said. “Under international law, all civilian life must be equally valued and protected and no life is worth more than another.”

The experts noted that Israel had an opportunity to free the hostages without further bloodshed eight months ago, when the first ceasefire deal was presented. Instead, Israel has systematically rejected ceasefire proposals, preferring to continue its assault on Gaza, which has even taken the lives of Israeli hostages. All the while, Israel has claimed to be engaging in military operations to save them,” they said. “Using the pretext of seeking to rescue hostages to justify excessive use of force exposes Israel’s criminal actions, including through humanitarian camouflage, and tells us they have reached a whole new level,” the experts said.

“The military operation in Nuseirat stands out as one of the most heinous acts in Israel’s destructive assault against the Palestinian people since 7 October, which has killed over 36,000 Palestinians, injured over 80,000 and displaced and starved 2 million people in Gaza, while violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem also continues unabated,” they said.

The experts noted that the UN Security Council Resolution 2735 is a way out of the horror, reiterating their call for an arms embargo against Israel to end the violence against Palestinians by Israeli forces and settlers.

“While the hour is already late, we hope this Resolution will pave the way for durable peace for the Palestinian people and freedom for hostages being held by Palestinian armed groups and for the thousands of Palestinian hostages arbitrarily detained by Israel,” they said.

 

XII. WHO concerned about escalating health crisis in West Bank

On 14 June, the World Health Organization issued the following press release.

WHO remains concerned about the escalating health crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, where attacks on health infrastructure and increased restrictions on movement are obstructing access to health care.

A spike in violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the war in Gaza started has resulted in the deaths of 521 Palestinians, including 126 children between 7 October 2023 and 10 June 2024. In addition, over 5200 people, 800 of them children, have been injured, adding to the growing burden of trauma and emergency care at already strained health facilities.

As of 28 May, WHO has documented 480 attacks on health care in the West Bank since 7 October 2023, resulting in 16 deaths and 95 injuries. The attacks affected 54 health facilities, 20 mobile clinics, and 319 ambulances. Fifty-nine percent of the attacks occurred in the cities of Tulkarem, Jenin, and Nablus. They include attacks on health infrastructure and ambulances, detention of health workers and patients, obstruction of their access to health facilities, use of force on health workers and militarized searches of ambulances and staff.

The closure of checkpoints, arbitrary obstructions, and detentions of health workers, rising insecurity, as well as the siege and closure of entire towns and communities, have made movement within the West Bank increasingly restricted, impeding access to health facilities. Extensive infrastructure and housing damage, particularly in the northern West Bank, have compounded the situation by obstructing access for ambulances and first-aid responders.

Between October 2023 and May 2024, 44% of 28 292 applications for patients to seek medical care outside the West Bank, in East Jerusalem or Israeli health facilities, have been denied or remain pending, with access being mainly granted to cancer, dialysis, and other lifesaving cases. In the same period, 48% of the 26 562 companion permit applications have been denied or remain pending.

A comparison between October 2022–May 2023 and October 2023–May 2024 shows a 56% decrease in West Bank patient permit applications and 22% decrease in approvals, and a 63% decrease in companion permit applications and a 24% decrease in approvals. Prior to October 2023, over 300 patients required permits daily to cross from the West Bank to east Jerusalem and Israeli health facilities.

The long-standing fiscal crisis faced by the Palestinian Authority (PA) is further impacting the health system and has been worsened by Israel’s increased withholding of tax revenues meant for the occupied Palestinian territory since 7 October, and the overall deterioration of the economic situation in occupied Palestinian territory. The impact of the financial situation on health service delivery is significant–with health workers receiving only half of their salary for nearly a year and 45% of essential medications being out of stock. In most areas of the West Bank, primary care clinics and outpatient specialty clinics are now operating two days per week, and hospitals are operating at approximately 70% capacity.

WHO is supporting the Ministry of Health with procurement of essential medications as well as with technical assistance to address some of the policies and procedures that contribute to the fiscal crisis in health. Additionally, WHO has pre-positioned supplies at key hospitals across the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, and conducted community trauma management training for first aid responders in the affected communities to boost emergency preparedness, but worsening insecurity and accessibility for emergency health workers and field volunteers to reach the injured, combined with the ongoing strict curfews, pose significant risks to the health system and make it very difficult for responders to reach those in need of urgent care.

WHO calls for the immediate and active protection of civilians and health care in the West Bank. International humanitarian law must be respected, which means the sanctity of health care must be observed at all times.

 

XIII. High Commissioner for Human Rights tells Human Rights Council more than 120,000 people in Gaza, overwhelmingly women and children, have been killed or injured

On 18 June, High Commissioner Volker Türk made the following statement as he delivered his global update at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council excerpted below.

/…

I am appalled by the disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law by parties to the conflict in Gaza. There has been unconscionable death and suffering. More than 120,000 people in Gaza, overwhelmingly women and children, have been killed or injured since 7 October, as a result of the intensive Israeli offensives. Since Israel escalated its operations into Rafah in early May, almost one million Palestinians have been forcibly displaced yet again, while aid delivery and humanitarian access deteriorated further.

The situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is dramatically deteriorating. As of 15 June, 528 Palestinians, 133 of them children, had been killed by Israeli security forces and/or settlers since October, in many cases raising serious concerns of unlawful killings. In the same period, 23 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank and Israel in clashes with or attacks by Palestinians, including 8 members of Israeli security forces.

Israel’s relentless strikes in Gaza are causing immense suffering and widespread destruction. The arbitrary denial and obstruction of humanitarian aid have continued, and Israel continues to detain arbitrarily thousands of Palestinians. This must end.

Palestinian armed groups continue to hold many hostages, and, in some cases in densely populated areas, putting them and Palestinian civilians at further risk. These hostages must be released.

The patterns we have documented raise serious concerns about the commission of war crimes and other atrocity crimes.

I call for the binding decisions of the Security Council and of the International Court of Justice to be respected.

The occupation must end, accountability must be served and the internationally agreed two-State solution must become a reality.

/…

 

XIV. 29 UN human rights experts stress States and companies must end arms transfers to Israel immediately, name companies involved

On 20 June, Robert McCorquodale (Chair), Fernanda Hopenhaym (Vice-Chair), Pichamon Yeophantong, Damilola Olawuyi, Elzbieta Karska, Working Group on business and human rights; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; 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; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Cecilia M Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Carlos Salazar Couto (Chair-Rapporteur), Michelle Small, Ravindran Daniel, Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito, Sorcha MacLeod, Working Group on the use of mercenaries; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Laura Nyirinkindi (Vice-Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, and Haina Lu, Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Astrid Puentes, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; Attiya Waris, Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt; Marcos A. Orellana, Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing issued the following press release.

The transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel may constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws and risk State complicity in international crimes, possibly including genocide, UN experts said today, reiterating their demand to stop transfers immediately.

In line with recent calls from the Human Rights Council and the independent UN experts to States to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel, arms manufacturers supplying Israel – including BAE Systems, Boeing, Caterpillar, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Oshkosh, Rheinmetall AG, Rolls-Royce Power Systems, RTX, and ThyssenKrupp – should also end transfers, even if they are executed under existing export licenses.

“These companies, by sending weapons, parts, components, and ammunition to Israeli forces, risk being complicit in serious violations of international human rights and international humanitarian laws,” the experts said. This risk is heightened by the recent decision from the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, having recognised genocide as a plausible risk, as well as the request filed by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants for Israeli leaders on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. “In this context, continuing arms transfers to Israel may be seen as knowingly providing assistance for operations that contravene international human rights and international humanitarian laws and may result in profit from such assistance.”

An end to transfers must include indirect transfers through intermediary countries that could ultimately be used by Israeli forces, particularly in the ongoing attacks on Gaza. The UN experts said that arms companies must systematically and periodically conduct enhanced human rights due diligence to ensure that their products are not used in ways that violate international human rights and international humanitarian laws.

Financial institutions investing in these arms companies are also called to account. Investors such as Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung, Amundi Asset Management, Bank of America, BlackRock, Capital Group, Causeway Capital Management, Citigroup, Fidelity Management & Research, INVESCO Ltd, JP Morgan Chase, Harris Associates, Morgan Stanley, Norges Bank Investment Management, Newport Group, Raven’swing Asset Management, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, State Street Corporation, Union Investment Privatfonds, The Vanguard Group, Wellington and Wells Fargo & Company, are urged to take action. Failure to prevent or mitigate their business relationships with these arms manufacturers transferring arms to Israel could move from being directly linked to human rights abuses to contributing to them, with repercussions for complicity in potential atrocity crimes, the experts said.

“Arms initiate, sustain, exacerbate, and prolong armed conflicts, as well as other forms of oppression, hence the availability of arms is an essential precondition for the commission of war crimes and violations of human rights, including by private armament companies,” said the experts.

They said the ongoing Israeli military assault is characterised by indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure, including through extensive use of explosive and incendiary weapons in densely populated areas, as well as in the destruction and damage of essential and life-sustaining essential civilian infrastructure, including housing and shelters, health, education, water and sanitation facilities. These attacks have resulted in more than 37,000 deaths in Gaza and 84,000 injured. Of these deaths and injuries, an estimated 70 per cent are women and children. Today, children in Gaza are the largest group of amputee children in the world due to grave injuries sustained in the war. These operations have also resulted in severe environmental and climate damages.

“The imperative for an arms embargo on Israel and for investors to take decisive action is more urgent than ever, particularly in light of states’ obligations and companies’ responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions, the Genocide Convention, the international human rights treaties, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,” the UN experts said.

The experts paid tribute to the sustained work of journalists who have been documenting and reporting on the devastating impact of these weapons systems on civilians in Gaza, and human rights defenders and lawyers, among other stakeholders, who are dedicated to holding States and companies accountable for the transfer of weapons to Israel.

They have also engaged with States, as well as the involved businesses and investors on these issues.

 

XV. Special Rapporteur on the right to education conveys alarm at violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators at universities calling for a ceasefire in Gaza

On 24 June, Special Rapporteur Farida Shaheed on the right to education made the following statement.

Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education, presented her thematic report on the right to academic freedom. Since last October, multiple mandate holders had repeatedly issued joint statements regarding the situation in Israel and Gaza. They unequivocally condemned targeted and deadly violence directed at civilians in Israel and violent indiscriminate attacks against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including indiscriminate and disproportionate killing of children, women and men of all ages and the weaponisation of humanitarian assistance and essentials.

In April, they sounded the alarm on the systematic attacks on schools, universities, teachers, and students that suggested an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system, known as ‘scholasticide’. Demands for an immediate cease-fire, and for ending blockades and restrictions on the delivery of life-saving aid to civilians were not heeded, illustrating the lack of capacity, as human rights monitoring mechanisms, to protect people in the most vulnerable situations.

Ms. Shaheed said she had officially visited the United States this year. Her visit coincided with anti-war demonstrations at universities, including encampments on campus premises, calling for a ceasefire and for universities to review investments with Israel. Ms. Shaheed said her report on the visit would be presented next year but she had already conveyed her alarm at the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators. Student protests expressing solidarity with the suffering civilians in Gaza and denouncing Israeli military actions took place in many other countries, receiving similar treatment. What was alarming was the unequal treatment of those expressing themselves, with pro-Palestinian protesters, including Jewish students, being confronted with disproportionately harsh responses, allegedly for anti-Semitic views, with criticism of the State of Israel conflated with anti-Semitism. All States should prohibit the advocacy of any views that constituted incitement to violence, hostility or discrimination. The expression of a critical political opinion was not, and never would be, a legitimate ground to restrict freedom of expression.

The current report called for acknowledging academic freedom as being as crucial as a free press or independent judiciary. The worldwide submissions received, available online, showed that in every region, people exercising their academic freedom faced harassment, retaliation, repression, imprisonment and sometimes even death. Ms. Shaheed was especially worried by how curtailments of institutional autonomy; increasing surveillance of students and staff; new public management techniques; and digitalisation and artificial intelligence impacted academic freedom. Prohibiting specific subjects and banning books in schools and libraries also deserved attention. There were multiple actors: Governments, religious or political groups, armed and terrorist groups, but also sometimes the educational institutions themselves, school boards, staff and students, and parents’ associations.

Academic freedom was the freedom to access, disseminate and produce information; to think freely; to develop, express, apply and engage with a diversity of knowledge within or related to one’s expertise or field of study, regardless of whether it took place inside the academic community or outside it. Academic freedom should not be politicised. Ensuring academic freedom required institutional autonomy; so academic, research and teaching institutions themselves must respect academic freedom. Academic freedom was intrinsic to the entitlement to receive and provide quality education and needed to be protected at all levels of education. This should be followed even on controversial issues. Ms. Shaheed called on the Principles for Implementing the Right to Academic Freedom to be endorsed and implemented by all.

 

XVI. UN Special Committee concludes six-days mission, highlights extensive human rights violations in Gaza and West Bank

On 25 June, United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories issued the following press release:

The United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (the “Special Committee”) conducted its annual mission to Geneva, Switzerland and Amman, Jordan, from 19 to 24 June 2024.

During the six-day mission, the Special Committee* met with high-level Government officials, UN organisations, Special Procedure mandate holders, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, Commissioners, representatives of civil society organisations, youth representatives, human rights defenders, and Palestinian families.

Furthermore, the Special Committee met with UNRWA officials, and visited Baqa’a refugee camp and interacted with Palestinian refugees. The Special Committee thanks all the persons who took time to provide the Committee with information, and shared their views, perspectives, and experience with the Committee.

The Committee regrets that Israel did not respond to its request for consultations with Israeli authorities nor provided access to Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan. Israel’s persistent refusal to hold credible dialogue with the UN Committee further illustrates its unwillingness to be held accountable for its actions and for the policies pursued by Israeli in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Israel’s refusal to interact with UN mechanisms is unhelpful.

The Special Committee’s visit took place in the context of Israel’s military operations resulting in extensive destruction of the Gaza strip and its campaign against the Palestinian people living there. The visit was also conducted during a time when an ongoing deadly campaign against Palestinians is being waged by Israel security forces and settlers in the West Bank, with over 500 Palestinians being killed since 7 October 2023, with one out of five being children. To date there have been 37,431 people killed in Gaza, with over 85,653 injured due to the sustained attack on the people, damage to civil infrastructure, hospitals, educational facilities, religious sites of worship and serious disruption of all aspects of cultural and social life. The Special Committee condemns the horrific war crimes that took place on October the 7th and equally condemns the reaction by the Israeli State in its response to these most heinous of crimes. The violent assault on Gaza has been indiscriminate, disproportionate, and callous in nature, cutting off the most needed resources, including food, water, electricity, fuel, medical supplies, and reproductive healthcare products in order to subjugate, dehumanize and collectively punish the Palestinian civilian population. These acts flagrantly violate Israel’s obligations under international law as the occupying power to ensure an adequate supply of crucial goods and resources and other fundamental obligations under international human rights law, resulting in the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

The Special Committee was briefed by stakeholders as to the numbers of Palestinians currently being held, including a large number in prisons and detention centres with no access to family, nor the International Committee of the Red Cross nor to the protections of the procedures established by international law. These include thousands of Palestinians detained from Gaza, many of whom are held incommunicado for months and often in stress positions. The Committee was informed that thousands of Palestinian “security” prisoners were being held in unhygienic, overcrowded conditions, with no access to basic human necessities. The Committee was informed that given the steep rise in cases of abuse filed against Israeli security officers, it could be determined that a systematic scheme of inhumane treatment was being executed as a matter of State policy to deprive Palestinians of their liberty.

Throughout its visit, the Special Committee was briefed on the continued and increased systematic targeting of women and children by Israeli security forces, with those killed comprising a high proportion of children. Multiple stakeholders reported a stark increase in sexual harassment, sexual abuse, the threat of rape, and rape itself, including with foreign objects, against men, women, and even children, as well as intimidation through the use of dogs by Israeli security forces. The Committee is shocked by these horrific violations and the levels of impunity for Israeli soldiers that engaged in dehumanizing behaviour, with security personnel publicly and shamelessly sharing photos on social media platforms that violate the privacy and intimate sphere of Palestinian women, aimed to mock, shame, and humiliate them.

The Committee also heard about the systematic use of criminal force against Palestinian women, including their reproductive rights and capacity. They noted accounts of a campaign by Israeli forces to systematically and comprehensively destroy the health care system in Gaza, and consequently prevent births of Palestinians by denying medical and reproductive healthcare, forcing women to give birth in dire conditions. This comes partly as a direct result of Israel’s sustained bombing of healthcare facilities, and killings of medical personnel. The Committee was alarmed to hear that the rate of miscarriage has drastically increased.

The Israeli government has also stepped up its campaign of food deprivation (starvation campaign) in an effort to punish a people who were already food insecure. This policy has included a complete siege of the Gaza Strip since 9 October, using food as a weapon of war, targeting individuals looking for humanitarian assistance, destroying food production and circulation systems, not enabling an environment for effective humanitarian aid delivery and fundamentally damaging the conditions of life. Israeli policies and practices have led to children dying of dehydration and starvation which, as the Committee was told by the actors it met with, the first indicator that a deliberate plan to purposely created famine was being pursued. The targeting of humanitarian aid workers delivering food must not be understated. These practices, like those of targeting journalists, are intentional and aim to block the work of essential workers needed in Gaza. The international community must not wait for this situation to be declared an official famine. Instead it must use all diplomatic and political means to pressure Israel to open the land border crossings and allow and enable essential aid to reach the people who desperately need it.

The Special Committee dedicated a significant segment of its visit to UNRWA’s Baqa’a Camp for Gazan refugees. During the visit, the Special Committee met with UNRWA staff, educational and medical personnel, refugees, children and Gazan families. The Special Committee would like to thank UNRWA and the individuals it met with during this visit, particularly for their heroic fortitude in such unimaginable, painful circumstances. The Committee is appalled by the ongoing smear campaign that is currently being directed against UNRWA, and the suspension of financial contributions. To date 193 UNRWA staff have been killed in the current conflict, with family members and loved ones also perishing in the continuous bombing of Gaza. UNRWA provides some of the most essential services, and is the only organisation equipped with providing the much-needed humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. Moreover, protection is integral to UNRWA’s mandate, where protection for Palestine refugees is understood as the realisation of their rights under international law. The Special Committee notes that the international community must stand in solidarity with UNRWA, including through political and financial support, and should increase funding through the UN regular budget.

The Special Committee had the privilege of meeting with students who are member of UNRWA School Parliament, including children from Gaza, who spoke eloquently about the lack of accountability and the impact Israel’s war in Gaza was having on people’s trust in human rights, multilateralism, and the rules-based system. They noted the perceived double standards that States were implementing when it came to holding Israel accountable and seeking justice. Many of the children also had family members and friends who were killed; all had been affected. The children asked, ‘Why is this happening to us, and why no one is doing anything?’ ‘We want action from the world, not empty words,’ and noted that, ‘if this was happening in other countries this wouldn’t be allowed to continue.’

The Special Committee is extremely concerned about the impact the war in Gaza is having on future generations, including their physical and mental health. The conflict will leave a legacy of transgenerational trauma, for which no current psychosocial support exists in Gaza, due to the targeting of healthcare workers and facilities. The Special Committee was also made aware of the psychological impact that carrying out military orders was having upon young Israeli soldiers, who will have to live with the consequences of their actions far beyond the current conflict.

The Special Committee would like to thank the families from Gaza who briefed the Committee at Baqa’a Camp. Despite the harrowing tales the Committee heard, such as the story of a man still suffering from the effects of having to move dead bodies in Gaza, the Committee was struck by the families’ strength and resilience, and their longing to return to a peaceful Palestine. The clear message from the families to the Special Committee, and the international community, was the need for an immediate ceasefire.

Many of the stakeholders who met with the Special Committee highlighted that the environmental impact of the war in Gaza cannot be overlooked, as it must be a key pillar of Gaza’s recovery. Palestinians, like all people, have a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. As highlighted recently by UNEP report, sewage, wastewater and solid waste management systems and facilities have collapsed, and the destruction has resulted in 39 million tons of debris, some of which is contaminated with unexploded ordnance, asbestos and other hazardous substances. The impact of thousands of unexploded ordnances as well as chemical weapons cannot be underestimated. The Special Committee was also informed that the environmental impact has the potential to affect neighboring countries and possibly the rights of others.

Although the Special Committee was unable to visit Syria, the Committee is dismayed that the Israeli plan to double the settler population in the Syrian Golan by 2027 is still ongoing, both in terms of an increase in the number of Israeli settlements as well as in the Israeli settler population. Today, Israeli settlers are distributed among 35 different settlements. The Committee notes that beside settlement expansion, commercial activity, such as construction of wind turbines has been approved. The Committee understands that Israel has granted an Israeli energy contractor a license to build between 45 and 52 wind turbines to generate power in the occupied Syrian Golan. The Committee reiterates that policies of land appropriation only foster the creation of a situation which would prolong the Israeli occupation. The environmental impact could potentially have a detrimental impact on the health of the occupied Syrian Golan’s population and also continue to limit the Syrian population’s access to land and water, further worsening the overall human rights situation. In addition, the project could specifically impact the right to adequate housing, incentivize land grabbing, and potentially displace local populations, such as members of the Druz community.

The Committee is deeply concerned by reports of artificial intelligence (A.I) being deployed by the Israeli military in the war in Gaza. The use of A.I technology has a number of legal, moral, and ethical implications that have yet to be regulated at the international level. It has been reported that this technology could have contributed to the staggering number of civilian deaths, who are deemed collateral damage, as A.I programmes have moved to identify anyone who could be a potential target through a system of mass surveillance, and have bombed those targets at night – a time when family members take shelter together in one place.

During the Special Committee’s annual mission to Geneva, Switzerland and Amman, Jordan, the Committee members received numerous briefings, documentation and first-hand accounts of atrocity crimes committed in Gaza. The dehumanising language used by Israeli Cabinet ministers has incited violence and given a licence to settlers and military personnel to commit gross human rights violations against the Palestinian people with impunity. The occupation of Palestine, and the apartheid system of injustice that serves it, cannot continue if there is to ever be a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. As a first step, the Special Committee calls on Israel and Palestinian armed groups to urgently agree to a lasting ceasefire, to release all hostages, including detainees being held without trial, to open the border crossings and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and for the ICRC to have unfettered access to those held in detention. The Special Committee urges Israel to cease its assault on the international rules-based system, multilateralism, and the rule of law. Furthermore, the Special Committee calls on all States and businesses that provide assistance in prolonging the occupation to collaborate with stakeholders, including governments, international organisations, civil society organisations, and others, to cease their activities and support for the occupation, or risk being complicit in serious international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law violations, including possible genocide. The Palestinians’ right of self-determination must be realised, and ultimately the occupation must end. The Committee will present its next report to the General Assembly in October 2024.

 

XVII. UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process reports on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016)

On 25 June, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland made the following statement.

Before turning to my regular briefing, allow me to express my serious concerns about the risk of escalation in the region, particularly between Israel and Hezbollah along the Blue Line. I reiterate the Secretary-General’s concerns that further military escalation will only guarantee more suffering, more devastation to communities in Lebanon and Israel, and more potentially catastrophic consequences for the region. In complement to the efforts of UNSCOL and UNIFIL, I am encouraging all sides to immediately take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation.

The ongoing hostilities in Gaza are further fueling regional instability. There must be an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire – there is a deal on the table and it should be agreed – and fast. I welcome the efforts, including by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to reach such a deal. The UN stands ready to support its implementation.

I will now turn to my regular briefing on the situation in the Middle East devoted to the thirtieth report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016). The Secretary-General’s written report covers the period between 19 March and 10 June 2024.

Since the submission of the written report, intensive hostilities between Hamas and Israel Defense Forces in Gaza have continued, resulting in hundreds of fatalities.

The devastating impact of the hostilities on the civilian population in Gaza, and the unprecedented humanitarian crisis remain deeply alarming. I have witnessed the deterioration of the security situation on each of my visits. Ongoing military operations and a near total breakdown of civil order have resulted in multiple reported incidents of theft of relief supplies and shootings that posed significant risks to the population and humanitarian workers. A shooting incident on 15 June that resulted in the killing of two Palestinians while an aid convoy was on the road prompted the cancellation of convoys to Kerem Shalom between 16 and 18 June to mitigate risks.

Effective mechanisms for humanitarian notification, safe conditions for humanitarian operations, and sufficient access to humanitarian needs remain sorely lacking and must be put in place without delay. Following another series of serious security incidents this last weekend impacting humanitarian actors in Gaza, the UN welcomes the opportunity to clarify with the IDF on how the current situation can be clearly improved.

Hunger and food insecurity persist. While projections of imminent famine in the northern governates have been averted through an increase in food deliveries, food insecurity has worsened in the south. Nearly all of Gaza’s population continues to face high levels of food insecurity, with nearly half a million people facing “catastrophic” insecurity.

I welcome the high-level conference convened on 11 June in Jordan, by Jordan, Egypt and the United Nations, which urged all parties to do their part to ensure we can fully address the urgent needs of the population in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority’s fiscal situation remains very precarious amidst broader economic and security concerns across the occupied West Bank. Announcements by Israel’s Finance Minister that he intends to continue blocking the transfer of all clearance revenues to the PA, and to take measures that would end correspondent banking relations between Israeli and Palestinian banks at the end of this month threaten to plunge the Palestinian fiscal situation into an even greater crisis, potentially upending the entire Palestinian financial system.

I take note of the recent appointment by the Head of the Israeli military’s Civil Administration of a civilian deputy and the delegation of authority to that position for oversight of many areas of land management and development, planning, and day-to-day life in Area C of the occupied West Bank. That the appointment and delegation of authority is expected to expedite Israeli settlement expansion and regularization under Israeli law of illegal outposts is concerning and undermines the prospects for a two-State solution.

Allow me to reiterate several observations of the Secretary-General regarding the implementation of the provisions of Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) during this reporting period.

I once again strongly condemn the horrific armed attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel on 7 October 2023 and the continued holding of hostages in Gaza. Nothing can justify these acts of terror. All remaining hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. The use of human shields and the firing of indiscriminate rockets towards Israeli population centers are violations of international humanitarian law and must cease completely.

The scope of death and destruction in Gaza has been catastrophic and horrifying. Israel’s use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas has destroyed entire neighborhoods and damaged hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, schools, mosques, and United Nations premises. I unequivocally condemn the killing and maiming of civilians in Gaza, including women and children.

The protection of civilians is paramount in any armed conflict. International humanitarian law applies to all parties to a conflict at all times.

The impact of the ongoing hostilities on the humanitarian situation in Gaza is deeply concerning. The life-threatening conditions facing the more than 1.7 million internally displaced people in Gaza, where nowhere is safe, must be addressed immediately.

The level of essential goods, including humanitarian assistance, that has been allowed into Gaza continues to fall short of meeting the needs of the population. While it is positive that Israel has opened additional entry points for humanitarian aid, others have been closed, and it is imperative that all necessary access points be opened, and made operational, and humanitarian access be sustained. All parties must protect humanitarian workers at all times. Attacks on humanitarian aid workers and facilities are unacceptable, must cease immediately and should all be investigated.

The financial contributions of donors to UNRWA are welcome and further financial support is needed to meet needs in Gaza and throughout the region, however, attacks on the Agency’s facilities and activities are deeply concerning.

I remain deeply troubled by continued Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. I reiterate that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have no legal validity and are in flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. I urge the Government of Israel to cease all settlement activity immediately.

The escalating violence and tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are deeply worrying. Intensified armed exchanges between Palestinians and Israeli security forces alongside lethal attacks by Palestinians against Israelis and by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, have also exacerbated tensions and led to exceedingly high levels of casualties and detentions. All perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice. I urge Israel to ensure the safety and security of the Palestinian population.

I reiterate that security forces in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, must exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life.

I am encouraged by the PA’s reform plan. The United Nations will continue to support the PA to implement critical reforms and urges the international community to provide immediate support to address the PA’s financial challenges, strengthen its governance capacity and prepare it to reassume its responsibilities in Gaza.

Palestinians and Israelis can no longer wait to establish a viable political horizon. Efforts to address security and humanitarian challenges that ignore or sidestep fundamental political questions are doomed to fail. All stakeholders must urgently take steps that will lead towards a two-State reality. The UN will continue to support all such efforts.

The United Nations remains committed to supporting steps towards ending the occupation and resolving the conflict in line with international law, relevant United Nations resolutions and bilateral agreements in pursuit of the vision of two States – Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State – living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

 

XVIII. About 495,000 Gazans face catastrophic food insecurity, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative says

On 26 June, the World Bank Group issued the following statement.

“The World Bank Group remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian catastrophe that continues to unfold in Gaza.

The findings of the new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative, of which the World Bank is a partner, shows that 96 percent of the entire population of Gaza – around 2.15 million people – face high levels of acute food insecurity. The latest findings show that around 495,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and the risk of famine persists across all of Gaza. Food insecurity in the southern governorates has worsened since the last IPC update.

The gravity of the situation is another reminder of the urgent need to make sure food and other supplies reach all the people of Gaza.

The World Bank Group’s emergency response package, which includes support for urgent relief delivered through the World Food Programme, has so far helped to deliver food parcels to over 500,000 people in Gaza.”

 

XIX. FAO sounds alarm over high risk of famine across the whole Gaza Strip amidst humanitarian access constraints

On 26 June, the Food and Agriculture Organization issued the following press release.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) raises alarm over high risk of famine across the whole Gaza Strip, as long as conflict continues, and sustained and at-scale humanitarian access is restricted, according to a new report published by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) global initiative.

“We have observed high risk of famine over the last eight months due to relentless hostilities characterized by bombardment and ground operations as well as limited access to those in need of urgent humanitarian aid which have had severe impacts on the entire population of Gaza”, said FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero while commenting on the IPC’s latest findings at a press briefing in New York. “The report clearly shows that once the flow of and access to food and water in the Northern Gaza improved, the risk of famine has significantly decreased, therefore the solution is clear.”

However, he emphasized that despite some improvements in the Northern parts during the period of analysis, the situation still remains very fragile, unpredictable, and critical, and any significant change may lead to a rapid deterioration into famine in Gaza. The Chief Economist added that in Northern Gaza especially the ground operations continue with high intensity triggering forced displacement thus further exacerbating the social and food security situation.

With almost the entire population (96 percent) facing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), any deterioration may push more people into catastrophic levels of hunger, for example, if the level of permits and access of trucks with humanitarian aid to Gaza declines and does not increase substantially, Torero warned.

The new data reveals that while the increased amount of food deliveries and nutrition services provided to the northern governorates have temporarily alleviated hunger conditions, the situation in the southern governorates deteriorated following renewed hostilities in early May.

According to the new IPC report, around 495,000 people or 22 percent of the population are now experiencing catastrophic food insecurity (IPC Phase 5, Catastrophe) while almost entire population – 2.15 million people or 96 percent – is facing Crisis levels of acute food insecurity or higher (IPC Phase 3+).

More than half of cropland is damaged

FAO’s recent satellite data analysis reveals a continuous increase in damaged agricultural land, with over half the land damaged across the Gaza Strip or more than 57 percent as of May 2024. Of these damaged lands, approximately 61 percent are orchards, 19 percent are vegetables and 20 percent are cereals.

This level of agricultural land damage is highly concerning, with a 33 percent increase in damaged land since January 2024.

The satellite images indicate that heavy vehicle tracks, razing, shelling and other conflict-related pressures have also significantly damaged agricultural infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. The analysis reveals damages to greenhouses of almost 33 percent, to wells of more than 46 percent, to solar panels of almost 65 percent, and over 2 300 agricultural infrastructures.

Local food production at risk

Agriculture in the Gaza Strip represents over 40 percent of the surface area and contributes to approximately 20-30 percent of daily consumption. The damage to the agricultural sector due to the hostilities is extensive, bringing crucial local production of fresh and nutritious food to a near total halt, decreasing the population’s access to essential food items required for a healthy diet. The livelihoods of vulnerable farmers, herders and fishers have been significantly impacted, posing serious problems for future recovery.

Households with high dependency on agriculture have experienced up to 72 percent in income losses.

The Port of Gaza City has been severely damaged, with most fishing boats destroyed. Animal inventories are seeing a sharp decline. A large share of meat and dairy producing livestock in Gaza have been slaughtered, consumed or damaged and lost due to conflict.

FAO’s emergency agricultural support

FAO, like other UN and humanitarian actors, has experienced logistical challenges, particularly obtaining entry permits, to deliver agricultural aid materials into Gaza. Despite humanitarian access issues, the Organization is completing the distribution of 500 tons of fodder. As of 8 May, about 2 900 beneficiaries have been reached over two successive distributions.

FAO is scaling up efforts to prepare essential food production inputs for transportation to Gaza by mobilizing advanced procurement arrangements once access is granted. These include procuring fodder concentrate, greenhouse plastic sheets, plastic water tanks, plastic sheets for, vaccines, energy blocks, plastic sheds, animal shelters, and veterinary kits.

The new UN flash appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) was announced on 17 April, extending until December 2024. In total, FAO is appealing for a total of around $40 million, with $29 million allocated for Gaza and $11 million for the West Bank. This funding will support 70 660 individuals with emergency agricultural support, including animal fodder and animal health inputs distributions; restocking lost livestock; and providing time-critical inputs to farmers.

 

XX. Stop Israel’s Violent Campaign Against UNRWA, Commissioner-General pleads in the New York Times

On 30 June, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) published an opinion piece in The New York Times reproduced below.

The war in Gaza has produced a blatant disregard for the mission of the United Nations, including outrageous attacks on the employees, facilities and operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

These attacks must stop and the world must act to hold the perpetrators accountable.

As I write this, our agency has verified that at least 197 UNRWA employees have been killed in Gaza. Nearly 190 UNRWA premises have been damaged or destroyed. UNRWA-run schools have been demolished; at least 520 displaced people have been killed while sheltered inside UNRWA schools and other structures. Since Oct. 7, Israeli security forces have rounded up UNRWA personnel in Gaza, who have alleged torture and mistreatment while in detention in the Strip and in Israel.

UNRWA staff members are regularly harassed and humiliated at Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank including East Jerusalem. Agency installations are used by the Israel security forces, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for military purposes.

UNRWA is not the only U.N. agency that faces danger. In April, gunfire hit World Food Program and UNICEF vehicles, apparently inadvertently but despite coordination with the Israeli authorities.

The assault on UNRWA has spread to East Jerusalem, where a member of the Jerusalem municipality has helped incite protests against UNRWA. Demonstrations are becoming increasingly dangerous, with at least two arson attacks on our UNRWA compound, and a crowd including Israeli children gathered outside our premises singing “Let the U.N. burn.” At other times, demonstrators threw stones.

Israeli officials are not only threatening the work of our staff and mission, they are also delegitimizing UNRWA by effectively characterizing it as a terrorist organization that fosters extremism and labeling U.N. leaders as terrorists who collude with Hamas. By doing so, they are creating a dangerous precedent of routine targeting of U.N. staff and premises.

How can this be possible? Where is the international outrage? Its absence is a license to disregard the United Nations and opens the door to impunity and chaos. If we tolerate such attacks in the context of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, we cannot uphold humanitarian principles in other conflicts around the world. This assault on the United Nations will further diminish our tools for peace and defense against inhumanity around the world. It must not become the new norm.

While Israel has long been hostile to UNRWA, following the abhorrent attacks of Oct. 7 it unleashed a campaign to equate UNRWA with Hamas and depict the agency as promoting extremism. In a new dimension to this campaign, the Israeli government made serious allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the Hamas attack.

There is no question that individuals accused of criminal acts, including the deplorable assault on Israel, must be investigated. This is exactly what the United Nations is doing. Those individuals must be held accountable through criminal prosecution and, if found guilty, punished.

The Office of Internal Oversight Services, the top investigative body in the U.N. system, is overseeing this inquiry. It is looking into allegations against 19 out of 13,000 UNRWA staff members in Gaza. To date, one case was closed because there was no evidence. Four cases were suspended because the information was insufficient to proceed. Another 14 cases remain under investigation.

But we must distinguish the behavior of individuals from the agency’s mandate to serve Palestinian refugees. It is unjust and dishonest to attack UNRWA’s mission on the basis of these allegations.

Outside of these cases, there have been further allegations of collusion with Hamas, which I believe have rendered — in the eyes of some — U.N. humanitarian workers and assets to be legitimate targets. That’s a danger to U.N. workers everywhere. The world must act decisively against the illegitimate attacks on the United Nations, not only for Gaza and Palestinians but for all nations. The adoption in May by the U.N. Security Council of Resolution 2730 on the protection of humanitarian personnel is a welcome development.

The international community has ways to address the committing of international crimes, such as the International Criminal Court. However, the scale and scope of the attacks against U.N. personnel and premises in the occupied Palestinian territories in the last nine months merit the urgent establishment of a dedicated, independent investigative body, through a U.N. Security Council or General Assembly resolution, to ascertain the facts and identify those responsible for attacks on its agencies. Such an investigative body can ensure accountability and, crucially, help to reaffirm the inviolability of international law.

We must meaningfully defend U.N. institutions and the values they represent before the symbolic shredding of the charter establishing the United Nations. This can only be achieved through principled action by the nations of the world and a commitment by all to peace and justice.