Report of the Secretary-General – Implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) – (S/2025/415)

25 June 2025

Implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016)

Report of the Secretary-General

I. Introduction

1. The present report is the thirty-fourth quarterly report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016), covering the period from 14 March to 17 June 2025.

II. Settlement activities

1. In its resolution 2334 (2016), the Security Council reaffirmed that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity and constituted a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. The Council reiterated its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and that it fully respect all of its legal obligations in that regard. No such steps were taken during the reporting period, as the establishment and expansion of settlements continued.
2. During the reporting period, the Israeli planning authorities advanced or approved approximately 9,870 housing units in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Of those, approximately 6,570 housing units were located in Area C, including a plan for over 1,300 units in the Kedumim settlement. In East Jerusalem, some 3,310 housing units were advanced or approved, including a plan for 1,850 housing units near the Givat Hamatos settlement. Tenders for the construction of approximately 300 housing units in Area C, most in the Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron Governorate, were published.
3. On 23 March, the Security Cabinet of Israel reportedly approved a proposal to split 13 neighbourhoods in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including some outposts, and to work towards recognizing them as independent settlements.
4. On 30 March, the Security Cabinet decided to allocate $90.4 million to construct a bypass road between the two Palestinian towns of Ayzariyah and Za‘ayyim, located east of the Ma‘ale Adummim settlement in Jerusalem Governorate. The road would effectively create a separate road system for Palestinians who are not from Jerusalem or do not have a permit to enter Jerusalem. The area has been designated by Israeli authorities for the E1 settlement plan and the expansion of the Ma‘ale Adummim settlement. The move is stated to be designed to reduce the Palestinian presence in the area by diverting traffic to the bypass road, while facilitating access to settlements.
5. On 28 May, the Ministry of Defence of Israel announced that the Security Cabinet had approved a proposal to recognize 22 new settlements, including recognizing at least 9 existing outposts and the establishment of 6 new settlements, including Homesh and Sanur, that were evacuated previously as part of the 2005 Disengagement Law. The Minister of Defence, Israel Katz, stated that the decision to establish new settlements was “a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian State that would endanger Israel”.
6. Meanwhile, on 11 May, the Security Cabinet approved a decision to resume formal registration of land ownership in Area C, reviving a process suspended since 1968, and instructed the military commander to begin the process through military orders. The decision also authorized actions by the Israel Defense Forces commander to prevent land registration procedures by the Palestinian Authority, including by denying access and blocking funding. The Ministry of Justice allocated 4 million new Israeli shekels for the designated authorities to complete all necessary legislative amendments and budgetary preparations within 60 days.
7. Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures continued across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, throughout the reporting period. Israeli authorities, citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which remain almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain, demolished, sealed, seized or forced people to demolish 453 structures. These include 26 structures that were demolished by their owners, after they received demolition orders, to avoid heavy Israeli fines. Another 32 structures were demolished, sealed, seized or destroyed during Israeli forces’ security operations or on punitive and other grounds. In addition, more than 250 structures were demolished in refugee camps in the northern West Bank. Of the total number of structures that were documented as having been demolished or seized, 50 had been funded by international donors. Overall, the demolitions resulted in the displacement of 599 persons, including 308 children and 147 women.
8. On 6 April, Israeli authorities demolished 33 structures in the Khirbat al-Ras al-‍Ahmar community, located in an Israeli-designated firing zone in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank. The demolition displaced five households, comprising 33 people, including 19 children and 6 women, previously displaced due to settler violence.
9. On 11 June, Israeli authorities carried out a mass demolition in the Palestinian herding community of Khallat Athaba’ in Masafer Yatta, in Area C of Hebron Governorate, displacing 38 Palestinians, including 21 children, the fourth such incident affecting the community since the beginning of 2025. Over the four incidents, 78 structures were demolished.

III. Violence against civilians, including acts of terror

11. In its resolution 2334 (2016), the Security Council called for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction, called for accountability in that regard and called for compliance with obligations under international law for the strengthening of ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, including through existing security coordination, and to clearly condemn all acts of terrorism.
12. The reporting period was marked by increased hostilities between Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza. Israel resumed hostilities in Gaza on 18 March following a two-month ceasefire, conducting intense military operations throughout Gaza. During the reporting period, Israel escalated strikes from air, land and sea, which resulted in thousands of Palestinian casualties, the massive displacement of civilians and widespread destruction, including of civilian infrastructure. During the reporting period, approximately 80 per cent of Gaza was under evacuation orders issued by the Israel Defense Forces.
13. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continued to attack Israeli forces and hold hostages, with reports of severe ill-treatment. On 12 May, an Israeli-American hostage was released by Hamas with reported signs of ill-treatment. At least 42 rockets or mortar rounds were fired from Gaza towards Israel.
14. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, from 14 March to 17 June at least 5,407 Palestinians were killed and at least 17,365 were injured in the Gaza Strip. This brings the total number of Palestinian fatalities in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health, to at least 55,493 since 7 October 2023, most of them reportedly women and children.
15. According to Israeli sources, during the same period, 20 members of the Israeli security forces were killed in hostilities in Gaza and 8 Israeli civilians were injured by rockets launched from Gaza. Israeli sources reported that more than 1,739 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed in attacks in or originating from Gaza, including at least 310 women and 57 children, and at least 786 members of the security forces, since 7 October 2023. According to Israeli sources, 53 hostages, including 2 women, are still being held captive by Palestinian armed groups in Gaza. A total of 251 persons were abducted from Israel on 7 October 2023.
16. During the reporting period, at least 43 United Nations personnel were killed in Gaza, bringing the total number of United Nations personnel killed since 7 October 2023 to 323.
17. The intensity of hostilities and Israel Defense Forces strikes in Gaza during the reporting period, including numerous mass casualty incidents, precludes detailing them all, but several significant incidents are reported below.
18. On 18 March, Israel Defense Forces reportedly hit a shelter for internally displaced persons in Daraj neighbourhood, central Gaza City. The incident resulted in the killing of 25 Palestinians and injuries, including women and children. On 19 March, a United Nations staff member was killed and five other United Nations personnel were seriously injured when Israeli tank fire struck two United Nations guest houses in Dayr al-Balah, Gaza.
19. On 23 March, several first responders who were travelling in clearly marked ambulances went missing in Gaza. On 30 March, eight members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, six members of the Palestinian Civil Defence and one staff member of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and their vehicles were found buried in a mass grave in Rafah following a week-long rescue operation to locate those missing. Some were reportedly killed by Israeli forces on 23 March, and the others were reportedly killed over several hours as they searched for those missing. On 28 March, the Civil Defence recovered the body of another crew member in addition to the six bodies recovered on 30 March. The vehicles and bodies were found buried, some with their hands tied. The Israel Defense Forces subsequently stated that forces had opened fire on vehicles travelling in a “suspicious manner” and that the incident had been referred for investigation.
20. On 9 April, the Israel Defense Forces struck at least six neighbouring residential buildings in the Shuja‘iyah neighbourhood of Gaza City, reportedly killing at least 47 Palestinians, including at least 13 women and 18 children, and injuring around 50 others. The Israel Defense Forces stated that the target of the strike was a Hamas command centre and that the Hamas Qassam Brigades Shuja‘iyah battalion commander had been killed in the strike.
21. On 26 April, at least 22 Palestinians, including at least 13 children and 6 women, were killed in an Israeli air strike on a residential building near a mosque in Sabra neighbourhood in central Gaza City. On 13 May, at least 19 Palestinians, including 5 women, were killed and others injured, including 4 journalists, in intense air strikes on the outer yard of the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis and a nearby residential building. After the strikes, the Israel Defense Forces reportedly struck the Palestinian Civil Defence crews, injuring two as they attempted to rescue the injured. The Israel Defense Forces stated that the strike had targeted “a command-and-control centre located in an underground terrorist infrastructure underneath the European hospital” and reported killing the head of the Hamas Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Mohammed Sinwar.
22. On 14 May, in the early morning hours, the Israel Defense Forces launched numerous, intensive strikes in North Gaza, particularly Jabaliya and its camp, on at least five residential buildings, killing at least 38 people, including 13 women and 21 children. On 15 May, at least 51 Palestinians, including at least 19 women, were reportedly killed in eight separate air strikes on residential buildings in eastern and north-western Khan Yunis.
23. The Israel Defense Forces launched an intensified campaign across Gaza between 16 and 22 May. They conducted simultaneous air strikes, heavy artillery shelling and gunfire from land and sea, and ground manoeuvres, which resulted in 643 fatalities, including many women and children. According to the Israel Defense Forces, weapons storage facilities and military structures were hit, along with the killing of a number of Hamas Qassam Brigades commanders.
24. On 17 May, the Israel Defense Forces carried out several air strikes that hit tents for internally displaced persons in Mawasi, Khan Yunis, killing at least 36 Palestinians and injuring dozens, several seriously. Fire broke out in several such tents, burning several people alive, including children. On 19 May, an uncrewed aerial vehicle reportedly struck a tent for internally displaced persons in Mawasi, killing a woman and six of her children. Also on 19 May, nine Palestinians, including a woman and a girl, were reportedly killed, and at least 18 others, including children, were injured when a school was hit in Dayr al-Balah. On 20 May, 13 Palestinians were reportedly killed, including some who were burned to death, in an attack on a school in Daraj, in eastern Gaza City. On 24 May, an air strike on the home of a doctor in Khan Yunis killed her husband and 9 of her 10 children while she was on duty at Nasser Hospital. On 4 June, at least 18 Palestinians, including at least 13 women and girls, were reportedly killed when a school was struck in Mawasi. On 6 June, the Israel Defense Forces struck several residential buildings in Jabaliya, North Gaza, including a residence where at least 36 members of one family, including 20 women and girls, were killed.
25. Palestinians continued to be killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza. As at 17 June, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 397 Palestinians had been killed and 3,031 injured, including while trying to reach militarized food distribution points established by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
26. On 21 May, the Prime Minister of Israel pledged to place the entire Gaza Strip under “Israeli security control”. Since hostilities resumed on 18 March, about 280 km² have been placed under Israel Defense Forces evacuation orders. On 12 April, Israel announced the completion of the establishment of the “Morag corridor”, completely cutting off Rafah from the rest of the Strip. Over 680,000 people (32 per cent of the population) are estimated to have been displaced again since the resumption of hostilities on 18 March.
27. On 22 March, Hamas reportedly executed a 48-year-old Palestinian man for alleged collaboration with Israeli forces. Hamas or other Palestinian armed groups also reportedly carried out executions and maiming, for collaboration with Israeli forces or looting, including the reported killing on 11 June of eight Palestinians working for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in an attack on their bus.
28. Meanwhile, violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continued at an alarming rate. Israeli authorities continued to impose widespread movement restrictions and conduct extensive operations, arrests and detentions. Daily clashes and armed exchanges between Palestinians, including armed groups, and Israeli security forces were recorded, as were attacks perpetrated by Palestinians against Israelis and attacks by Israeli settlers and other civilians against Palestinians.
29. In total, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 47 Palestinians, including 10 children, were killed by Israeli security forces during operations, demonstrations, clashes, air strikes and other incidents during the reporting period. Of those, 36 Palestinians were killed by live ammunition and 1 by air strikes. A total of 1,124 Palestinians were injured, including 39 women and 231 children. Of that total, 924 were injured by Israeli security forces, including 437 due to tear gas inhalation and 223 by live ammunition, and 194 by Israeli settlers and other civilians.
30. According to Israeli sources, during the same reporting period, a total of 2 Israelis, 1 woman and 1 child, were killed by armed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and another 46 Israelis, including 8 women, 3 children and 15 security forces personnel, were injured in the occupied West Bank and Israel by Palestinians in shooting, ramming and stabbing attacks, armed exchanges and clashes, and rock- and Molotov cocktail-throwing and other incidents.
31. During the reporting period, the Israeli forces’ large-scale operation Iron Wall continued in the northern West Bank, particularly in the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin and their refugee camps. The operation resulted in a large number of casualties and the extensive destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure and the continued massive displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
32. On 11 March, four Palestinians, including one woman, were reportedly killed by Israeli security forces during an operation and ensuing armed exchanges in the city of Jenin. On 14 March, during an operation in Salim, east of Nablus, Israeli security forces shot and killed a 21-year-old Palestinian man who was reportedly throwing stones at the Israeli security forces vehicles. On 19 March, Israeli forces conducted a 14-hour operation in Ein Beit el-Ma’ refugee camp, on the outskirts of Nablus, killing one Palestinian. In separate incidents on 18 and 25 March, two Palestinian men were killed in Qalqilyah city by Israeli security forces, one in a drone strike.
33. On 18 and 19 March, the Israeli forces announced that they had expanded the operation to the city of Nablus and its surrounding refugee camps, Ein Beit el-Ma’, Balata and Askar. On 2 April, Israeli undercover forces shot and killed a 33-year-old unarmed Palestinian man during an operation to arrest his brother in the old city of Nablus, and Israeli forces killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy who allegedly threw explosive devices at their vehicles during a raid in Silat al-Harithiyah, north-west of Jenin.
34. Israeli security forces killed a 14-year-old Palestinian boy in the town of Turmus‘ayya, north-east of Ramallah, on 6 April, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy on 14 April during an operation in Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah, and a 12‑year-old boy in Yamun, west of Jenin, on 23 April, for reportedly throwing stones at their armoured vehicles.
35. On 17 April, Israeli security forces killed a 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man, who had gathered with others near Usarin, south of Nablus, to protest the death of a Palestinian man while in Israeli custody, with some reportedly throwing stones at vehicles. On 25 April, Israeli security forces killed a 16-year-old boy with live ammunition during an operation in Salim town, east of Nablus, reportedly in response to stone throwing by Palestinian youth.
36. On 15 May, in the town of Tammun, south of Tubas, Israeli security forces killed five Palestinians during a military operation and exchange of fire. During an Israeli security forces operation in Burqah, north-west of Nablus, on 17 May, Israeli security forces shot live ammunition at three Palestinian boys throwing stones, killing one 16‑year-old. The Israel Defense Forces stated that the boys had been “throwing stones at a main road used for civilian traffic, without any casualties” and that “the forces responded with precise fire … in order to neutralize the threat”.
37. On 21 May, Israeli security forces fired what they described as warning shots towards a group of diplomats and United Nations personnel on an official visit coordinated by the Palestinian Authority to Jenin refugee camp in Area A. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces acknowledged the delegation’s approved coordinated entry to the area but said that the group had deviated from the approved route.
38. On 28 May, Israeli security forces shot and killed an unarmed 19-year-old Palestinian man in Jit, north-east of Qalqilyah, during a raid on his house. The Israeli Defense Forces said that the incident was “under investigation”.
39. During the reporting period, Israeli security forces conducted over 2,380 search-and-arrest operations, which resulted in the detention of more than 1,500 Palestinians, including at least 76 children, amid reports of ill-treatment. Since 7 October 2023, 70 Palestinians, including 1 child, have died in Israeli detention.
40. Violence against Israelis by Palestinians also continued in the occupied West Bank and in Israel. On 7 May, a Palestinian man reportedly attempted to carry out a ramming and stabbing attack near the southern entrance of Hebron city, injuring an Israeli soldier, and was subsequently killed by Israeli security forces. On 14 May, an armed Palestinian shot at a passing Israeli vehicle near Bruqin, west of Salfit, killing a pregnant Israeli woman and injuring her husband. The woman’s baby was delivered but subsequently died on 29 May. Israeli security forces subsequently killed a 36‑year-old Palestinian man who they said was responsible for the killing, reportedly while he was in custody.
41. Settler-related violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, escalated frequently in the presence or the support of Israeli security forces, resulting in casualties, property damage or theft, or both. On 28 and 29 March, more than 30 Israeli settlers or other civilians from the settlement outposts of Mitzpe Ya’ir and Nof Nesher reportedly attacked Palestinian herders in Khirbat Janbah, in the Masafer Yatta area, with the active participation of Israeli security forces, which resulted in injuries to several Palestinians, including 2 children, the detention of more than 30, and vandalism of houses and other community structures. Following an investigation, three Israel Defense Forces personnel were reprimanded and sentenced to seven days in prison for their conduct during the attack.
42. On 20 April, a group of Israeli settlers and other civilians, reportedly from the Itamar settlement, entered Bayt Furik village, south-east of Nablus, and abducted a Palestinian 13-year-old girl and her 3-year-old brother, who were found by their parents 15 minutes later tied to a tree inside the village.

IV. Incitement, provocations and inflammatory rhetoric

43. In its resolution 2334 (2016), the Security Council called upon both parties to act on the basis of international law, including international humanitarian law, and their previous agreements and obligations, to observe calm and restraint and to refrain from provocative actions, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric, with the aim, inter alia, of de-escalating the situation on the ground, rebuilding trust and confidence, demonstrating through policies and actions a genuine commitment to the two-State solution and creating the conditions necessary for promoting peace. Incitement, inflammatory rhetoric and the glorification of the killing of civilians continued.
44. Hamas publicly commended the attack on 14 May in the occupied West Bank in which a pregnant Israeli woman was killed and called for additional violent attacks against Israelis. Several Palestinian Authority officials accused Israel of seeking to destroy the Aqsa Mosque, and a senior official denied Jewish historical and religious connections to Jerusalem. A Palestinian Authority official said that the attacks on 7 October 2023 would have been legitimate if not for their consequences for the people of Gaza. Another senior Fatah official called Israelis “neo-Nazis”.
45. Israeli ministers and Members of Knesset continued to call for the exercise of Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank and the mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, alongside a full Israeli occupation of the Strip and re‑establishment of settlements in Gaza. Several ministers said that no humanitarian aid should be provided to Gaza until all hostages were released, while one called for bombing the warehouses where aid was stored. One minister described the current policy of Israel as “destroying everything that is left” of Gaza. Ministers also participated in a highly provocative march through the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem’s old city, during which large groups of participants shouted racist and dehumanizing chants, vandalized property, engaged in violent altercations with Palestinian residents and incited violence against Arabs. Several ministers and Members of Knesset conducted inflammatory visits to Jerusalem’s holy sites, with a Member of Knesset waving an Israeli flag and a senior minister calling for violations of the status quo.

V. Affirmative steps to reverse negative trends

46. In its resolution 2334 (2016), the Security Council called for affirmative steps to be taken immediately to reverse the negative trends on the ground that were imperilling the two-State solution. Negative trends on the ground continued during the reporting period.
47. Amid escalating hostilities, the humanitarian situation deteriorated even further due to the complete aid blockade by Israel on the Gaza Strip following the collapse of the ceasefire on 18 March. All humanitarian aid and commercial supplies, including fuel, were entirely blocked from entering Gaza for almost 80 days (from 2 March to 19 May), rendering people with insufficient access to food, clean water, medicine and other essential items, significantly affecting humanitarian operations and compounding the suffering of civilians in Gaza.
48. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, the entire population of the Gaza Strip, approximately 2.1 million people, remained at critical risk of famine, and half a million people (one in five) faced starvation, following 19 months of conflict, mass displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid. The global initiative warned that acute malnutrition in North Gaza, Gaza and Rafah Governorates would most likely reach critical levels between April 2025 and March 2026, with nearly 71,000 children under the age of 5 expected to be acutely or severely malnourished over the next 11 months if, inter alia, aid was not restored at scale.
49. On 18 May, Israeli authorities announced a temporary resumption of limited humanitarian aid into Gaza. However, Israel continued to impose strict access restrictions on the number of organizations and types of supplies allowed to enter Gaza. A small fraction of aid entering Gaza reached distribution sites due to obstacles in aid delivery and to forced offloading by desperate civilians. More than half of all requests for humanitarian movement across the Gaza Strip were denied by the Israeli authorities. Humanitarian operations and conditions were also severely affected by fuel shortages due to blockages, frequent disruptions and a total collapse of telecommunications caused by military activity. There are no fully functional hospitals in Gaza.
50. On 27 May, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started its distribution operations in Gaza, which do not meet basic requirements under the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence or offer necessary safeguards to the population. The United Nations aid distribution system operates separately from the Foundation.
51. Across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israel imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, including increased closures of road gates and partial checkpoints. These restrictions prevent access to services, including medical treatment, schools and livelihoods, and significantly affected the economy, particularly around Jenin, Nablus and Tulkarm, while also impeding access to occupied East Jerusalem.
52. In March, the Government of Israel commenced new unilateral deductions on the clearance revenues that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on commercial goods purchased in the occupied West Bank but believed to be consumed in Israel. The new deduction is in addition to previous unilateral deductions such as the monthly $77 million that Israel estimates the Palestinian Authority spent in Gaza prior to October 2023. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Finance, $2.21 billion of Palestinian clearance revenue had been withheld by Israel as at the end of May. Overall, clearance revenue received by the Palestinian Authority had decreased significantly amid economic decline. On 10 June, the Minister of Finance of Israel announced his decision to cancel indemnity waivers granted to Israeli banks to correspond with Palestinian banks. On 14 June, the President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, invited the international community to send auditors to assess the implementation by the Palestinian Authority of the decree cancelling prisoner payments.
53. On 8 May, Israeli security forces entered three UNRWA schools in Shu’fat camp in occupied East Jerusalem, forcing over 550 children out of their schools. One UNRWA staff member was detained. As a result, UNRWA was forced to evacuate all children across the six other schools that it operated in occupied East Jerusalem. Subsequently, on 26 May, a group of Israelis led by a Member of Knesset and accompanied by media forcibly entered the UNRWA compound in Shaykh Jarrah, in occupied East Jerusalem.

VI. Efforts by the parties and the international community to advance the peace process and other relevant developments

54. In its resolution 2334 (2016), the Security Council called upon all States to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967. The Council also called upon all parties to continue, in the interest of the promotion of peace and security, to exert collective efforts to launch credible negotiations on all final status issues in the Middle East peace process. In the same resolution, the Council urged the intensification and acceleration of international and regional diplomatic efforts and support aimed at achieving, without delay, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Quartet road map, and an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967.
55. On 11 May, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global announced its divestment from the Israeli company Paz Retail and Energy Ltd. because of the company’s dealings with settlements in the occupied West Bank. According to the press release on the matter, the decision was based on the recommendation of the Fund’s Council of Ethics that “by operating infrastructure for the supply of fuel to the Israeli settlements on the West Bank, Paz is contributing to their perpetuation. The settlements have been established in violation of international law, and their perpetuation constitutes an ongoing violation thereof.” The divestment is the second of its kind by the Fund since August 2024. The first was its divestment from the Israeli company Bezeq, which supplies telecommunications services to businesses and private individuals, including in settlements in the occupied West Bank.
56. On 20 May, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland announced new sanctions “in response to the persistent cycle of serious violence undertaken by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank”. The sanctions include “financial restrictions and travel bans” and target “three individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organizations supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank”.
57. Also on 20 May, the fifth meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the two-State Solution was hosted by Morocco and Netherlands (Kingdom of the) under the theme “Sustaining momentum for the peace process: lessons learned, success stories and steps forward”.
58. On 25 May, an expanded ministerial meeting of the Madrid Group for the implementation of the two-State solution took place in Madrid. Member States, as well as the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, met in Madrid to discuss calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, increased humanitarian aid and preparations for the forthcoming international conference.
59. On 10 June, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom jointly announced sanctions and other measures targeting the National Security Minister of Israel, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and its Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, for “inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank”.

VII. Observations

60. I reiterate my strong condemnation of the horrific attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel on 7 October 2023 and their continued holding of 53 hostages in Gaza under horrific conditions. Nothing can justify these acts of terror. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. I remain appalled that hostages may be subjected to ongoing ill-treatment and that the bodies of hostages continue to be withheld. While in captivity, hostages must be treated humanely and allowed to receive visits and assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross. I reiterate that there is no justification for the deliberate killing, maiming, torture and abduction of civilians and other persons taking no active part in the hostilities and the use of sexual violence against them. The indiscriminate firing of rockets towards Israeli population centres and the use of human shields are violations of international humanitarian law and must cease.
61. I also unequivocally condemn the widespread killing and injury of civilians in Gaza, including children and women. The level of suffering and brutality in Gaza is shocking and unbearable. Palestinians, subjected to untenable living conditions, are repeatedly coming under attack, confined to smaller and smaller spaces, and cruelly deprived of life-saving relief. I condemn the use by Israel of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas, which has caused massive casualties and widespread destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, mosques and United Nations premises. Attacks on hospitals have left healthcare decimated at a time of drastically increased need in Gaza. The continued collective punishment of the Palestinian people is unjustifiable. The protection of civilians is paramount in any armed conflict.
62. I am concerned about what may amount to violations of international humanitarian law in the conduct of hostilities, particularly in relation to the choices by Israel of means and methods of warfare. International humanitarian law always applies to all parties to a conflict, and its application does not depend on reciprocity. There must be full accountability for any atrocity crimes and other violations of international law that have been committed.
63. I am deeply concerned by, on the one hand, the Israeli military operations in Gaza that render large areas of Gaza uninhabitable, displacing the population, and, on the other hand, the statements by some senior Israeli officials on the country’s intent to place the entirety of the Gaza Strip under its control. Calls by some senior Israeli officials for the “voluntary migration” of the Palestinian population from Gaza are particularly concerning. Palestinians must be able to safely return to their homes, and there should be no reduction in Palestinian territory or military reoccupation of Gaza. I reject the forced displacement of the Palestinian population from any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which would constitute a breach of several international law obligations. I strongly reject any form of ethnic cleansing.
64. All parties must respect and protect humanitarian relief personnel. I mourn the United Nations personnel killed in Gaza and strongly condemn the killing of all health and humanitarian personnel and journalists. These incidents must stop and must be thoroughly and independently investigated. The perpetrators of these acts must be held accountable.
65. Following almost 80 days of the denial of entry by Israel of all humanitarian and commercial supplies into Gaza, supplies started to enter Gaza at wholly inadequate levels. The level of aid does not meet the massive needs of the population, including the huge numbers of internally displaced persons living in an ever-shrinking space in extremely overcrowded conditions. I strongly condemn the loss of lives of and injuries to Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza. This is unacceptable. I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable. The United Nations, its partners and the civilian population urgently require unimpeded movement of food, shelter materials, medicine and fuel, and the capacity to repair essential, life-saving infrastructure, including the healthcare system. This must comprise commercial and humanitarian goods, as humanitarian assistance alone cannot meet the needs. Immediate action is essential to prevent the population in Gaza from descending into famine. I call upon Israel to fulfil its obligations under international law, including allowing and facilitating the rapid and unimpeded passage into and throughout Gaza of humanitarian relief for civilians in need. Israel, as the occupying Power, has the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the Palestinian population and ensure that their needs are met.
66. As the United Nations remains focused on delivering crucial life-saving aid, it has also made clear that it will not participate in any aid delivery modality that does not meet the minimum criteria for principled humanitarian support, in line with the fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality. The United Nations has rigorous mechanisms to ensure that aid reaches civilians, and it already has a coordinated plan to resume humanitarian aid deliveries at scale, rooted in non-negotiable humanitarian principles.
67. In the midst of regional developments, the untold horrors in Gaza must not be forgotten. I reiterate my call for an immediate permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in Gaza. Along with my Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process a.i., I am continuously engaging with all stakeholders towards these objectives and stand ready to support the implementation of an agreement. I welcome the continued efforts, including by Egypt, Qatar and the United States of America, to reach a deal.
68. I remain deeply alarmed by the relentless Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which continues to fuel tensions, impede access by Palestinians to their land and threaten the viability of a fully independent, democratic, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian State. The ever-growing settlement footprint, including expanding outposts, contributes to a rise in settler-related violence and further entrenches the Israeli occupation, hampering the free movement of the population and undermining the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. I once again urge the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and recall the findings by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, which states, inter alia, that the State of Israel is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible.
69. I reiterate that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, including all related infrastructure, have no legal validity and are in flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. I am deeply concerned by the decision of the Government of Israel to resume formal land registration in Area C and the serious risk that this decision will facilitate further settlement expansion and entrenchment in the occupied West Bank. The process could pave the way for the unlawful exercise of Israeli sovereignty over several areas of the occupied West Bank. It could also further erode Palestinian property rights by imposing obstacles on ownership claims.
70. The demolition and seizure of Palestinian-owned structures, including internationally funded humanitarian projects, as well as structures related to income generation and the provision of essential services, entail numerous violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law and raise concerns about the risk of forcible transfer. I recall the findings by the International Court of Justice in its advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 in this regard. I once again call upon the Government of Israel to end this practice and prevent the possible displacement and forced eviction of Palestinians, in accordance with its international obligations, and to approve plans to allow Palestinians to build legally and address their development needs.
71. The escalating violence and tensions in the occupied West Bank are alarming. The continued military operations by Israeli security forces in the northern occupied West Bank have resulted in high levels of fatalities, including women and children, significant population displacement, with residents continuing to be denied the right to return home, and large-scale destruction of homes and infrastructure, particularly in Palestine refugee camps. I am particularly concerned by the increased use of military methods and heavy weaponry, including air strikes, in densely populated areas in the occupied West Bank. I am deeply concerned by any long-term presence of Israeli security forces in the camps, which would be contrary to the obligation of Israel to end its unlawful continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice.
72. I am also deeply concerned by the continued settler attacks, which have intensified in severity, sometimes in the proximity and with the support of Israeli security forces. Israeli settlers are rarely held accountable for violent attacks, fuelling tensions, causing displacement and increasing the level of threat to Palestinians and their property. I urge Israel, as the occupying Power, to ensure the protection of the Palestinian population and to investigate all attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
73. I remain deeply concerned by the continued attacks by Palestinians against Israelis. All acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, must cease immediately. All perpetrators must be held accountable.
74. All Israeli 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 call upon Israel to abide by its obligations under international law, including with regard to the proportional use of force, and ensure thorough, independent and prompt investigations into all instances of possible unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, holding those responsible to account.
75. I reiterate my concern about the large number of Palestinians, including children, detained by Israeli security forces and the increase in the number of Palestinians held in administrative detention, without charge or trial, by Israel since 7 October 2023. Reports of torture and other ill-treatment, including sexual violence, during arrest and detention are also deeply concerning, alongside the deaths of 70 Palestinians in Israeli custody since 7 October 2023. I reiterate my call for Israel to use detention as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period, to prevent ill-treatment and to end the administrative detention of children, who are entitled to special protection. I remain concerned by the continued Israeli practice of holding the bodies of killed Palestinians. I call upon Israel to return the withheld bodies to their families, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law.
76. I am appalled at the numerous instances during the reporting period in which officials glorified violence and engaged in dangerous provocations, incitement and inflammatory language, including about violent attacks against civilians, the displacement of Palestinians, and settlement expansion. Leaders must prevent acts of terror and violence directed against civilians. Incitement to violence must stop immediately.
77. I reiterate my call to the parties to uphold and respect the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem, taking into account the special and historic role of Jordan as custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem.
78. I am concerned that, despite a doubling of international budgetary support to the Palestinian Authority in 2024 and significant reforms, the Palestinian Authority continues to face a fiscal crisis that threatens to further undermine Palestinian institutions and basic service delivery. Increased Israeli clearance revenue deductions and measures that introduce considerable instability to the Palestinian financial sector are critical contributing factors to this crisis, nearly offsetting the increase in international support, and should be urgently resolved.
79. The international community must provide immediate support to the Palestinian Government to strengthen its governance capacity, address its fiscal challenges and prepare it to reassume its responsibilities in Gaza. I reiterate that we must establish political and security frameworks that can relieve the humanitarian catastrophe, start early recovery and reconstruction, address the legitimate security concerns of Israel and lay the groundwork for a political process to end the occupation as rapidly as possible and establish a viable two-State solution. These frameworks must facilitate a legitimate Palestinian Government that can reunify Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, politically, economically and administratively, while reversing the steadily deteriorating dynamics throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
80. I strongly reject the steps taken by Israeli authorities to close the UNRWA schools in occupied East Jerusalem, denying girls and boys – some as young as 6 years old – their basic right to education. Forcibly entering United Nations premises and schools and forcing their closure is a blatant disregard of international law and a violation of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. I recall the obligation of Israel to respect its obligation, under the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, to respect the privileges and immunities of UNRWA and its officials. National legislation concerning UNRWA cannot alter the obligations of Israel under international law. I recall that Israel has an obligation to respect the inviolability of all United Nations premises, property and assets. UNRWA is committed to implementing the recommendations and action plan of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality.
81. I welcome recent reform steps undertaken by the Palestinian Authority, including the appointment of a Vice-President of the State of Palestine. I encourage continued reforms and urge international partners to provide the necessary support to these efforts and hope that expanded reforms will also encourage real progress on Palestinian unity, which is an essential building block to a just and lasting peace. I urge the Palestinian Authority to advance its stated goal of holding elections, which are key to the reform process. More than half of the Palestinian population has never had the chance to vote. Palestinians have the right to have their voices heard and to be meaningfully included in the process of shaping the future of the State of Palestine.
82. I regret the need to suspend the General Assembly-mandated High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. I welcome the continued commitment of the Co-Chairs, France and Saudi Arabia, to convene the Conference as soon as possible. I encourage Member States to go beyond affirmations and to think creatively about the specific steps that they will take to urgently support a viable two-State solution.
83. I remain committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis in 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 a fully independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, of which Gaza is an integral part – 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.
84. I express my deep appreciation to my Special Coordinator a.i. and thank her and her team for their outstanding service in what remains a deeply challenging context. I pay tribute to all United Nations personnel who have lost their lives in this conflict – the highest number in any conflict – and to all the United Nations personnel and heroic humanitarian aid workers who remain committed to their work despite the enormous danger to their health, well-being, families and lives.

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This report was presented to the UN Security Council on 30 June 2025 by the UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari.

More documents related to this meeting: 

• UN Assistant Secretary-General updates Security Council on Gaza crisis, urges ceasefire and respect for international law – Reporting on UNSCR 2334 (2016)
• Press Release – ‘Human Toll Mounting’, Security Council Told, as Focus Shifts Back to Gaza after Israel-Iran Ceasefire
• Security Council – 9950th meeting – Reporting on UNSCR 2334 (2016) – Verbatim Record (S/PV.9950)