United Nations in Palestine

The UN and its partners in Palestine are working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: 17 interconnected Goals which address the major development challenges faced by people in Palestine and around the world. These are the goals the UN is working on in Palestine:

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27 February 2026

Palestine: UN rights chief highlights suffering, atrocity crimes ‘that remain unpunished’

stemming from Israel’s disregard for human rights norms and serious violations also committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.Citing a new report from his office (OHCHR) covering the 12 months to 31 October 2025, High Commissioner Türk said that Israel had “continued attacks on residential buildings and makeshift tents, destroying entire neighbourhoods”.“Mass civilian deaths” resulted from the Israeli attacks, the UN rights chief noted, with more than 25,500 Palestinians killed in the space of one year, and more than 68,800 injured.Killed in search of foodA total of 2,435 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli military near food collection points run by the non-UN Gaza Humanitarian Foundation between late May and early October, Mr. Türk also said, adding that most were young men and boys.In the West Bank, Israeli security forces “continued to launch airstrikes and use unlawful force, killing hundreds of Palestinians,” he added.Since last October’s fragile ceasefire, more than 600 Palestinians have been killed with over 1,600 injured in Gaza, according to local authorities. “Anywhere else, this would be considered a major crisis,” the rights chief said. Independent human rights expert monitoring the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, highlighted the “catastrophic” situation facing Gazans today.The Special Rapporteur said that families “survive in flooded tents while people continue to die from gunfire, hunger and preventable diseases”, despite the truce.Ms. Albanese – who does not work for the UN and reports to the Human Rights Council - was speaking in Geneva alongside other independent experts, who condemned repeated attempts to undermine their work for the Council’s “Special Procedures” mandates.Attacks on independent experts ‘beyond the pale’Speaking to journalists in Geneva, the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, rejected calls for Ms. Albanese to resign along with “personal vendettas” against independent experts, following the publication of an online video misrepresenting her comments about Israel.Ms. Albanese was sanctioned by the United States last July for alleged “gross infringement” on national sovereignty, together with judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) beginning in February last year.Mr. Bennett said that all States which feature in reports and statements by Special Procedures mandate holders “may strongly disagree and are fully entitled to express those disagreements forcefully.“However, deliberately misrepresenting the statements or views of mandate holders and attacking them personally is beyond the pale. International sanctions are for human rights violators and criminals, not for human rights defenders.”Special Rapporteurs and other independent human rights experts are not UN staff and they are not paid for their work. Human rights is one of the fundamental pillars of all the United Nations’ work, along with peace, security and development.

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25 February 2026

‘I dream of a safe life’: Gaza’s children share the future they want

and restore the “fundamentals of childhood”.Through expressing their hopes for peace in art, poetry and models that they have made from rubble created by the war, thousands of young people across the enclave have taken part in The Gaza We Want initiative. With support from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the initiative has engaged children aged five to 18 to share their vision for rebuilding the territory that’s been largely destroyed since war erupted between Hamas and Israel in October 2023. The initiative helps “reinforce the importance of meaningful, ongoing child participation in decisions about Gaza’s future,” said Jonathan Crickx, UNICEF’s head of communications in the Palestinian Occupied Territory, briefing journalists in Geneva on Tuesday.Safety firstOver 11,000 children, including children with disabilities, have participated in the initiative which asked them to “imagine dignity” and share their ideas.Children prioritised shelter and safety; real schools with roofs, walls and toilets; followed by hospitals and psychological support; and lastly places where they can play and “reclaim what war stole from them”. Mr. Crickx said that when thousands of children independently draw clean streets, classrooms and parks, “it is no coincidence. It is a direct appeal to the world.” “The children’s deepest wish is simply the ability to sleep through the night, to walk to school without fear… I met too many children whose bodies had healed but whose fear had not.” Mr Crickx said, echoing the call for mental health support alongside physical care.'The clarity of children'Mr Crickx described meeting 15-year-old Hala at a temporary learning centre in the central Gaza city of Deir Al-Balah.Months without school had harmed her education but she dreams of a safe life, a safe home, her own bedroom and a good school, he said. Despite the ceasefire – in place since last October – more than 135 children have reportedly been killed in Gaza. UNICEF says that listening to children must be the foundation of any credible reconstruction. “It is difficult to ignore the clarity of children who have lived through such uncertainty. A recovery that ignores children’s voices will fail them – and fail Gaza.” The UNICEF's communications chief said. “What the Gaza children describe is not abstract. It is the Gaza they want and have the right to grow up in.”Aid continues Relief continues for children in Gaza as fresh bread, hot meals and digital cash assistance are provided to displaced families by the UN humanitarians. The trucking of drinking water has been stepped up after a large water line that connects Gaza with Israel shutdown two weeks ago when two leaks were identified, the UN’s humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) reported on Tuesday. To restore sanitation levels, the UN and partners are moving quickly to rehabilitate pumping stations that were damaged or destroyed during the war. This is critical as sewage overflows can lead to water contamination and spread of waterborne diseases.Although two new clinics for the screening of non-communicable diseases have become operational in North Gaza, there continues to be a critical shortage of medicine and laboratory supplies, particularly for cancer and heart diseases.

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19 February 2026

Ramadan in Gaza: Deprivation, high prices and the hardships of displacement

Palestinian Walid Al-Assi was playing with his young granddaughter this week, promising to take her to the market in Gaza City with the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan as his family had done before the Israel-Hamas war, but now circumstances had changed.Mr. Al-Assi lives with his family in a tent made of cloth and plastic sheeting next to the rubble of their home in the Al-Zarqa neighbourhood in the centre of Gaza City, where they used to live “happily” and eat good food, including special Ramadan sweets like Qatayef.“Everything has changed now,” he told UN News, describing the grim landscape left behind following two years of Israeli attacks.“We have been deprived of all these things. Today, I see goods in stores, and I turn my face away from them because I do not have the money to buy them. I am a man who suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes, and I cannot walk. Those in the tents must be helped.”‘We are living in a tragedy’In another displacement tent, Amal Al-Samri and her husband are trying to create an atmosphere, even if only symbolically, for the month of Ramadan. They have been busy arranging the tent and preparing for the holy month, while a smile never left Ms. Al-Samri’s tired face, and their three children wore clothes that looked new in celebration of the arrival of the month.Before the war, she said, “our life was beautiful.”She said she would visit relatives, go see her family and brothers, shop at the market for the house and create a Ramadan atmosphere, complete with hanging lights and decorations.“Today, there is nothing,” she said.“We are living in a tragedy. There is no electricity or water. We were displaced from our homes from one place to another, and in one place, the sea water flooded us and swept away our tents.” High prices and shortagesDespite the circumstances, challenges, continued suffering, shortages of supplies and the signs of destruction that left deep scars in the sector, the atmosphere of the holy month of Ramadan and its distinctive goods found their way to the historic Zawiya market in Gaza City.Shops and vendors’ stalls put up lanterns of different sizes and signs advertising their goods and welcoming the holy month.Some families were able to buy lanterns for their children despite the high prices.Prices double for Ramadan lanternsBut, many pass through the market without buying anything as they do not have enough to buy in light of the high prices and the scarcity of goods, explained Luay Al-Jamasi, the owner of a shop selling Ramadan decorations.“Many people have been deprived of Ramadan decorations because they do not have electricity,” he said. “The price of Ramadan decorations has risen significantly because no more of them have entered the sector in the past period.”Holding one of the lanterns, he pointed out that “the price of this lantern used to be 30 shekels, but now it has reached 60 shekels. The price has doubled because of the lack of goods entering the country.”‘We’ve been through some difficult times’However, there are those who are determined to celebrate in their own way and show solidarity with those who celebrate the month, including Maher Tarzi, a Christian Palestinian citizen, who was strolling through the Zawiya market.In a sweet voice, he sang one of the songs associated with the month of Ramadan, whose lyrics say: “sweet and happy nights have arrived, nights that are coming and nights that are going, in which the manifestation is always present, and its light shines from the heights.”“People want to be happy,” Mr Tarzi said. “We’ve been through some tough times, and it’s good that we’re still alive.”‘How did we survive all this?’“People look around and wonder, how did we survive all this?” Mr. Tarzi continued. “Then they resume their lives and come to the markets. But, things are not the same now as they were before in terms of purchasing power.”At night, some areas of Gaza City are illuminated by available lanterns and lamps in celebration of the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, despite the harsh conditions that many Gaza residents are still living in, most of whom are still displaced.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that, according to estimates, at least two thirds of the population (1.4 million out of 2.1 million) are living in about 1,000 of the sites to which they have been displaced, in overcrowded places and in tents that offer little privacy and protection.

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18 February 2026

Humanitarian access to Gaza still insufficient for relief and rebuilding: UN development chief

Alexander De Croo, the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), told journalists on Tuesday.Mr. De Croo, who chose Gaza for his first overseas visit since being appointed to the top job in November 2025, called for an expansion of access to the occupied territory for UN agencies to strengthen efforts to remove rubble and waste, provide shelter and medical equipment and evacuate patients.On Monday, Mr. De Croo visited Firas Market in downtown Gaza City, where around 370,000 tonnes of waste had piled up during the two-year war as garbage collection and sewage systems collapsed, turning it into a massive, foul-smelling landfill.‘It will take us seven years to remove all the rubble’UNDP bulldozers began removing the waste a week ago, creating a glimmer of hope for Palestinians, with the aim of reopening the market as an economic hub. The UN entity is also involved in ensuring shelter, basic services, and education and health needs are met.Speaking to the media from Jerusalem, following his three-day trip to Gaza and the West Bank, Mr. De Croo, formerly a Minister for Development in the Belgian government, said that the living conditions were the worst he had ever seen and that, so far, only 0.5 per cent of the rubble in Gaza has been removed.“At the current pace, it will take us seven years to remove all the rubble,” he said. “We need to have more capacity to do rubble removal and rubble recycling. 90 per cent of the people of Gaza today live in the middle of that rubble, which is extremely dangerous”.The vast majority of Gazans are still living in rudimentary tents, which the UNDP is beginning to replace with recovery housing units. 4,000 of them are ready, but up to 300,000 are needed for the population. “We understand the security concerns of the Israeli authorities”, explained Mr. De Croo, “but that should not be a reason to refuse access to organisations such as UNDP, other UN organizations and international NGOs.”

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17 February 2026

Guterres deplores Israel’s move to resume land registration in the West Bank

his Spokesman said on Monday. The development follows an Israeli cabinet decision from May 2025 and applies to Area C of the West Bank, which encompasses some 60 per cent of the territory. This will mark the first time since the 1967 occupation that Israel will begin registering land as state property following approval announced by the cabinet on Sunday. Risk of Palestinian dispossession, greater Israeli control Briefing journalists in New York, UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the decision could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians of their property. It also risks expanding Israeli control over land in the area. “Such measures, including Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, are not only destabilizing but, as recalled by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), unlawful,” he added. He said the Secretary-General calls on the Israeli Government to immediately reverse the measures while again warning that the current trajectory on the ground is eroding the prospect of a two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Settlement activity illegal Last week, the Israeli cabinet approved measures that would increase Israeli civilian authority in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which together constitute roughly 40 per cent of the territory “The Secretary-General reiterates that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have no legal validity and are in flagrant violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions,” the Spokesman said. The UN chief called on all parties to preserve the only path to a negotiated two-State solution which is “the only path to lasting peace.” Ongoing Gaza aid restrictions Meanwhile in Gaza, humanitarians working in logistics supported the recent transportation of nearly 1,900 pallets full of food, shelter, health, water and sanitation items from crossing points along the perimeter fence with Israel to destinations inside the Strip. Despite this, aid operations continue to face significant impediments, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update. Shipments from Jordan are restricted to a route that requires multiple offloading and reloading points. Those from Egypt – which come through the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing – face a high return rate, with less than 60 per cent offloaded between the period from 4 to 10 February. Humanitarian missions blocked Humanitarian movements inside Gaza that require coordination with Israeli authorities also continue to face obstacles. Out of nearly 50 movements coordinated between 6 and 11 February, just over a half were fully facilitated and five were denied outright. While 11 movements were approved, they encountered significant delays and other impediments and two were only partially accomplished as a result. OCHA noted that two more denials were recorded on Monday, and “teams on the ground are engaging with the authorities to clarify the constraints and seek their resolution so that our operations can move forward.”

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19 March 2026

Humanitarian needs in Gaza deepen as aid access remains constrained

The UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said, amid mounting pressures on aid delivery and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. “Families face ongoing hardship” as access to essential aid remains limited and many continue living in overcrowded shelters and damaged homes, UNRWA outlined. Stocks of tents, bedding items and other essential supplies are depleting rapidly, with some humanitarians buying what they can from local markets – clothing, bedding, basic kitchen items – according to the UN agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian relief, OCHA.The United Nations continues to deliver critical assistance, despite the “shrinking supplies due to increased restrictions since the regional escalation began,” OCHA underscored. More than 400,000 litres of fuel were successfully collected on Tuesday, while UN aid teams and partners working in water, sanitation and hygiene collected seven truckloads of supplies from Kerem Shalom.Aid bottlenecks The Kerem Shalom crossing remains the only operational crossing through which humanitarian and commercial cargo can enter the Strip.“This is not sustainable, as both the humanitarian and the commercial sectors are subject to the same bottleneck at the Kerem Shalom crossing,” OCHA said.“While the recent Israeli announcement that Rafah will reopen has not yet been implemented, the UN stands ready to resume medical evacuations and support people returning to Gaza,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq. The UN continues to call for safe, unhindered humanitarian access to ensure that those in need receive the support they urgently need.Fears of growing impunityWarning of a dangerous normalisation of the situation in Gaza, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, said “impunity reigns and disproportionate actions are being normalised amid the escalating conflicts in the Middle East.”“It is a vicious circle: the more violations, the stronger the culture of impunity becomes…failing to call out abuses and allowing the law of the strongest to prevail will rebound across the globe.”

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12 February 2026

West Bank: UN rights chief warns against deepening Israeli control over Palestinian land

“This is yet another step by the Israeli authorities towards rendering a viable Palestinian State impossible, in violation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination,” he said. He warned that if implemented, the decisions “will undoubtedly accelerate the dispossession of Palestinians and their forcible transfer, and lead to the creation of more illegal Israeli settlements.” This in turn “will also further deprive Palestinians of their natural resources and restrict their enjoyment of other human rights.” Acquiring more land On 8 February, the Israeli security cabinet approved a package of measures that would increase Israeli civilian authority in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which together constitute roughly 40 per cent of the territory. Some of these powers fall under the competence of the Palestinian Authority, according to the Oslo Accords – twin peace agreements signed by Israeli and Palestinian leadership in the 1990s. The measures would change the law to allow Israeli authorities and individuals to acquire land in Areas A and B, violating the law of occupation. “This will further cement Israel's control and integration of the occupied West Bank into Israel, consolidating unlawful annexation,” Mr. Türk said. Cultural rights violated The decisions also strip the Palestinian Authority of its planning and building powers in parts of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank, including the Ibrahimi Mosque – known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs and a holy site for Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Israel would also establish administrative control over another holy site, Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem, to accelerate settlement expansion. “This not only violates the land rights of Palestinians, but also their cultural rights in respect of sites of particular significance,” the rights chief said. ‘Decisions must be overturned’ Mr. Türk noted that the new measures come amid a wider context of increasing attacks by Israeli settlers and security forces against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, forcible transfers, evictions, home demolitions, land grabs, and movement restrictions, among other documented violations. “We are witnessing rapid steps to change permanently the demography of the occupied Palestinian territory, stripping its people of their lands and forcing them to leave,” he said. “This is supported by rhetoric and actions by senior Israeli officials and violates Israel’s obligation as an occupying power to preserve the existing legal order and social fabric. These decisions must be overturned.” He concluded by calling for all settlements to be evacuated and the Israeli occupation to end now.

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11 February 2026

UN warns civilians remain at risk as airstrikes continue across Gaza

The UN said on Tuesday, warning that humanitarian needs continue to outpace access and capacity.UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York that the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, had received additional reports of airstrikes, bombing, shelling – including from at sea - and shootings in residential areas.The violence, he said, “puts civilians in danger and adds to the immense hardship they have endured over the past 28 months.”He added that civilians are protected under international humanitarian law wherever they are, “even if they cross military demarcation lines or are near them...civilians must always be protected and during military operations and constant care must be taken to spare them.”Health centre reopensAmid the ongoing hostilities, UN agencies reported limited but important progress in restoring essential services.The UN ‘s Palestine refugee relief agency (UNRWA) said it has reopened the Bureij Health Centre in Deir al Balah after months of closure. The facility is now providing primary healthcare, maternal health services, laboratory testing and dental care.However, thousands of patients remain without access to treatment and recovery, as critical services are still unavailable in Gaza.“Their top priority is to scale up local services, including by rehabilitating damaged facilities and expanding critical care. This requires more medical supplies, including items that are not easily approved for entry by Israeli authorities, such as X-ray machines and laboratory equipment,” Mr. Dujarric said.Shelter, protection needs remain acuteUN shelter partners said that by last week they had provided more than 5,600 families with emergency shelter assistance in just over one week, including nearly 5,000 tarpaulins and more than 12,000 bedding items.Last month alone, similar assistance – including nearly 8,000 tents – reached more than 85,000 families. However, durable solutions are urgently needed, which requires permission from Israeli authorities to bring in machinery and construction materials to repair damaged structures, partner organizations said.

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10 February 2026

West Bank: New Israeli measures further erode prospects for two-State solution

to authorize a series of administrative and enforcement measures in Areas A and B in the occupied West Bank. The measures would make it easier for Jewish settlers to take over Palestinian land, thus expanding Israel’s power in the territory, according to media reports. The UN chief warned that the current trajectory on the ground – including this decision – is eroding the prospect for the two-State solution, according to a statement issued by his Spokesperson. Settlements are illegal He reiterated that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their associated regime and infrastructure, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law, including relevant UN resolutions. “Such actions, including Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are not only destabilizing but – as recalled by the International Court of Justice – unlawful,” the statement said.  The Secretary-General called on Israel to reverse the measures. He also urged all parties “to preserve the only path to lasting peace, a negotiated two-State solution, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and international law.” Heading off course UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric was asked about the statement during his regular briefing to journalists in New York. “These decisions are not moving us in the right direction,” he said. “They are driving us further and further away from a two-State solution and from the ability of the Palestinian authority and the Palestinian people to control their own destiny.” Ongoing aid efforts in Gaza Meanwhile, humanitarians in the Gaza Strip continue to respond to the immense needs of the population despite impediments and a challenging operating environment. The UN and partners are serving hundreds of thousands of meals each day, in addition to providing digital cash and monthly rations, Mr. Dujarric said. Colleagues report that Gaza City continues to face a severe shortage of drinking and domestic water despite the recent re-opening of the valve on the Mekorot supply line there that connects Israel to Gaza for fresh water.  Water and hygiene support Currently, only 6,000 cubic metres of water are reaching people in Gaza City every day, with significant losses in hard-to-reach areas.  “To mitigate this shortfall, we and our partners have increased water production and trucked deliveries from groundwater wells and private sector desalination plants,” he said. Aid partners have distributed over 100,000 water jerry cans across the Gaza Strip since late January, he added. They have also provided over 700,000 bars of soap, over 25,000 hygiene kits, over 400 household latrines, and 250 anti-lice kits Explosive ordnance threat Since Wednesday, humanitarians working in mine action have conducted over 200 assessments of potential explosive hazards in support of the removal of debris. They reached over 10,000 children and adults last week with education warning them of the risks of explosive ordnance which remains a major threat. Thirty-three explosive ordnance incidents have been reported since the ceasefire came into effect last October, resulting in nine deaths and 65 injuries.  Restrictions and limitations UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted that humanitarians continue to be hampered by restrictions, including limitations on the entry of so-called “dual use” items and those listed as non-humanitarian in nature. This includes spare parts and certain shelter materials.  Humanitarian operations are also being undermined by Israel’s de-registration of some international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and restrictions imposed on the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees – UNRWA – and sister agencies.

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05 February 2026

‘We are dying’: Gaza’s cancer patients plead for a way out

As World Cancer Day is marked, thousands of patients in Gaza face worsening illness, untreated pain and closed crossings – despite the limited opening of the vital route through Rafah this week.“We are dying. Every day, between two and three patients die inside this hospital,” says Munther Abu Foul, a cancer patient lying on his bed in Gaza’s largest hospital. “I can’t get out of bed because of the pain. We want a solution – open the crossings.”His words capture the reality facing thousands of cancer patients across the Strip, where access to specialist care has collapsed and evacuation for treatment abroad remains out of reach for many.Local health organisations warn that around 11,000 patients are currently deprived of specialised or diagnostic cancer treatment inside Gaza. Some 4,000 patients who received medical referrals to hospitals outside the Strip have been waiting for more than two years to travel.UN News visited Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, documenting the dire conditions inside its oncology department. Patients crowd corridors and wards, waiting for consultations or treatments that are no longer available. Essential medicines and equipment are in short supply, while many patients endure chronic pain that leaves them barely able to move.‘Every day, two or three patients die’Mr. Abu Foul flips through his medical transfer papers, issued long ago for treatment outside Gaza. He has not been able to travel for more than two years.“The health situation in the Gaza Strip is dilapidated,” he says. “There is no treatment or medicines, and we are dying. Every day, two to three patients die here inside this hospital. I can’t get out of bed because of the pain.”He appeals directly for help. “We want a solution. Open the crossings properly so that God will release us from this suffering. Everyone will be held accountable.”Nearby, Mohamed Hammou tends to his elderly mother, who is also battling cancer. He says families are forced to watch loved ones deteriorate without care.“This is how we stand in front of a patient who is dying, without treatment or any medical facilities that help them recover,” he says. “This does not please God and it does not satisfy people. We call on Islamic, Arab and international nations to look at the sick with mercy.”A brother in painIn another ward, Raed Abu Warda cares for his brother Hamid, whose cancer has worsened after long delays in treatment. What began as a small, benign illness has become a life-threatening condition.“He has been suffering from cancer for two years,” Raed explains. “He waited all this time for the crossing to open so he could be treated outside. His pain has increased, as you can see.”He gestures towards a wound that has opened beneath his brother’s chin. “The disease has created this wound, and his condition is getting worse every day. I stand watching my brother and mourning his condition because of the pain.”The number of patients seeking care at Gaza’s oncology departments continues to rise, even as hospitals face severe shortages of medicines, equipment and specialised staff. For newly diagnosed patients, the future is increasingly uncertain.Evacuations far short of needsWith the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, the World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the evacuation of patients and their companions from Gaza, focusing on ensuring safe transport. Yet the scale of need far outstrips what is currently possible.More than 18,000 patients – including around 4,000 children – are waiting to be evacuated abroad for medical treatment, according to WHO.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported last week that Gaza’s Ministry of Health had recorded more than 1,200 patient deaths while people were waiting for medical evacuation. Around 4,000 cancer patients remain on critical waiting lists, trapped between closed crossings and a health system pushed beyond its limits.For patients like Munther Abu Foul, time is running out. “We are dying,” he repeats. “All we ask for is a way to live.”

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Press Release

17 March 2026

Israel’s settlement expansion drives mass displacement in West Bank – UN report

The report, which covers the 12-month period up to 31 October 2025, documents 1,732 incidents of settler violence resulting in casualties or property damage, compared to 1,400 in the previous reporting period. This includes relentless harassment, intimidation, and destruction of homes and farmland.“Settler violence continued in a coordinated, strategic and largely unchallenged manner, with Israeli authorities playing the central role in directing, participating in or enabling this conduct,” the report says, making it difficult to distinguish between State and settler violence. Longstanding and pervasive impunity is “facilitating and encouraging violence against and harassment of Palestinians”, it adds.Last October, around the time of the olive harvest, the report documented 42 settler attacks leading to the injury of 131 Palestinians, including 14 women and a boy, the highest number recorded in a single month since 2006. Daily attacks by armed settlers, soldiers and “settler soldiers” – many of whom have been armed, equipped and trained by State authorities – along with the closure of more land to Palestinian landowners and harvesters made the 2025 season the worst in decades.In some cases, the report found acts of gender-based violence became the final trigger for displacement. Other attacks led to family separation in which women and children were forced to leave, while male family members remained to attempt to retain possession of lands and properties.“The displacement in the occupied West Bank, which coincides with the extensive displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, at the hands of the Israeli military, appears to indicate a concerted Israeli policy of mass forcible transfer throughout the occupied territory, aimed at permanent displacement, raising concerns of ethnic cleansing,” the report says.It pointed to the heightened risk of displacement faced by thousands of Palestinians from Bedouin communities located northeast of East Jerusalem due to the advancement of settlement plans, adding that the unlawful transfer of protected people is a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The report notes that such acts potentially incur the individual criminal responsibility of officials engaged in them, and under certain circumstances, may also amount to a crime against humanity.The report also concludes that the transfer of power from the Israeli military to civilian authorities, measures to confiscate Palestinian lands for settlement expansion, as well as other discriminatory policies and practices “amounted to an institutionalised regime of systematic discrimination, oppression and violence by Israel against Palestinians”, violating the international law prohibition of racial segregation and apartheid.The report points to the advancement or approval by Israeli authorities of 36,973 housing units in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and around 27,200 in the rest of the West Bank. An unprecedented 84 new outposts were also established during the reporting period. The report also notes the expansion of settlement activity into Area B of the occupied West Bank, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo agreements.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk calls on Israel to immediately and completely cease and reverse the establishment and expansion of settlements, for the evacuation all settlers, and an end to the occupation of the Palestinian territory. Israel must also enable the return of displaced Palestinians, and stop all practices of land confiscation, forced evictions and house demolitions.

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Press Release

16 March 2026

Alarm over pattern of unlawful killings with two Palestinian families killed and settlers terrorising communities

In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike reportedly struck one of the few houses still standing, in As Sawalha area in Az Zuwaida, Middle Gaza, and killed a man, his wife who was pregnant with twins, and their 10-year-old son, in addition to a 15-year-old boy in a nearby IDP tent. Later in the day, another attack by an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle struck a car, also in Az Zuwaida, and killed eight Palestinian police personnel.Since the announcement of the ceasefire in October 2025, 663 Palestinians were killed in Israeli military attacks both far from and in the vicinity of the redeployment line known as the “yellow line”, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.Killing entire families together in homes and shelters has been a fixed feature of Israeli military activity in Gaza since 7 October 2023, wiping out generations at a time and causing a high number of civilian victims including women and children.In the northern West Bank, Israeli security forces opened fire on car in Tammoun, south of Tubas, and killed a father, 37-year-old Ali Khalid Bani Odeh, a mother, 35-year-old Wa’ad Othman Bani Odeh, and their two youngest sons: 5-year-old Mohammad and 6-year-old Othman who also had visual and hearing impairment.The two older sons, aged 8 and 11, survived and later provided an account to the media saying the Israeli soldiers physically assaulted them after killing their parents and siblings and said: “we killed dogs.”The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that all four family members were shot in the head. The father was reportedly also shot in the chest, thigh, and arm.This brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank to 1071 since 7 October 2023, including 233 children.The violence has markedly intensified since the start of the regional war on 28 February, with movement restrictions keeping Palestinians in locked silos while armed Israeli settlers and security forces roam free, raiding and attacking Palestinian communities across the West Bank.On 14 March, Israeli settlers reportedly shot and killed 28-year-old Amir Odeh in an attack on Qusra, Nablus, and injured at least two more Palestinians including Odeh’s father.This is the sixth Palestinian to be killed by settlers since the onset of the armed conflict in the region on 28 February, and the seventh since the beginning of 2026 — an alarming increase in pace compared to at least eight Palestinians killed by settlers in all of 2025.In a separate attack on 13 March, residents of Khirbet Humsa in northern Jordan Valley reported to OHCHR OPT that settlers severely assaulted men and women in front of their children, stole livestock, and attacked two women international solidarity activists who were present to deter attacks.One of the residents said he was sexually assaulted when settlers forcibly stripped him, put zip ties around his genitals and dragged him by the zip ties for a long distance. Settlers also reportedly threatened residents they will be back to kill them if they do not leave the community.Unchecked settler violence has already driven away most of the Palestinian communities of the northern Jordan Valley.Taken together, these incidents reflect a pattern of utter disregard for Palestinian lives that OHCHR OPT has documented with alarm, with complete impunity.“Impunity is driving more killings, more displacement and dispossession, and more suffering for Palestinians across the occupied territory. Accountability for all violations of Palestinians’ rights is indispensable for any meaningful reversal of these disturbing patterns, not a luxury,” said Ajith Sunghay, Head of OHCHR OPT.

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Press Release

08 March 2026

On International Women’s Day 2026 – Joint Statement “We Survive, We Lead”

This year, UN Women, UNFPA, and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) are partnering to mark International Women’s Day under the theme “We Survive, We Lead.” The initiative highlights the steadfastness of Palestinian women and the critical leadership role they continue to play in supporting families, sustaining communities, and responding to unprecedented challenges. The initiative is supported by the Government of Finland through Finland’s Representative Office in Ramallah.Across the OPT, women are navigating the devastating impacts of war, displacement, economic hardship, and insecurity. Many have become heads of households, community organizers, and frontline responders, while continuing to advocate for dignity, justice, and equal rights. Meanwhile, the crisis continues to endanger women’s health: in Gaza alone, an estimated 50,000 pregnant women need care, with more than 180 births occurring daily in severely constrained conditions.Across Palestine, women-led organizations and grassroots initiatives remain essential pillars of support, delivering critical frontline services, including psychosocial support, safe spaces, and protection services for survivors of gender-based violence, often operating under extremely constrained and insecure conditions.Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stated:“Palestinian women continue to demonstrate extraordinary steadfastness and leadership in the face of immense hardship. On this International Women’s Day, we recognize not only their strength in surviving crisis, but also their vital role in leading recovery, supporting communities, and shaping a more just and inclusive future.”H.E. Ambassador Tarja Kangaskorte, Head of the Representative Office of Finland in Ramallah, stated:“We survive. We lead. Palestinian women embody these words every day. Across all sectors, they contribute to their communities with steadfast commitment, courage, and expertise. They are agents of change — strengthening community resilience, advancing human dignity, and sustaining hope for future generations. Their leadership is indispensable to peace, stability, and inclusive development. That is why Palestinian women in all their diversity must have a seat at every table where decisions are made. For Finland, advancing women’s and girls’ rights is at the core of our cooperation in Palestine.”Caitlin Chittenden, Deputy Special Representative, UN Women Palestine, emphasized:“Palestinian women are not only survivors of conflict; they are leaders, advocates, and drivers of change within their communities. Supporting women’s leadership and amplifying the voices of women-led organizations is essential for building a just and inclusive recovery.”The crisis has also heightened risks faced by women and girls, including displacement, poverty, and the breakdown of protection systems.Nestor Owomuhangi, UNFPA Representative in Palestine, noted:“Palestinian women are not only enduring this crisis, they are leading their communities through it. Supporting women’s health, protection, and leadership, including the work of women-led organizations, is essential to ensuring dignity, resilience, and recovery.”Ajith Sunghay, Head of Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), said:“Palestinian women have rights beyond mere survival. They have the right to safety and security, to a dignified living, to education and healthcare, and to organize and freely express their opinion. Like all Palestinians, they also have the right to shape their own futures.”Ensuring that women and girls can access protection, sexual and reproductive health services, and opportunities to lead recovery efforts is critical for safeguarding rights and building a more just and resilient future for Palestine.Supporting women’s leadership today is essential for rebuilding communities tomorrow.

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Press Release

19 February 2026

Ethnic cleansing concerns in Gaza and West Bank amid intensified violence and forcible transfers by Israel – UN report

During the reporting period, from 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025 “intensified attacks, the methodical destruction of entire neighbourhoods and the denial of humanitarian assistance appeared to aim at a permanent demographic shift in Gaza”, says the report. “This, together with forcible transfers, which appear to aim at a permanent displacement, raise concerns over ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank.” In the Gaza strip, the report details the continued killing and maiming of unprecedented numbers of civilians over the course of the reporting period by Israeli forces, the spread of famine, and the destruction of the remaining civilian infrastructure — imposing on Palestinians conditions of life increasingly incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza as a group.The report also says the patterns of deadly attacks witnessed in Gaza raised grave concerns that Israeli forces intentionally targeted civilians and civilian objects, and launched attacks knowing civilian harm would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage. Such acts would constitute war crimes, the report underlined.It details the deaths of at least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, from starvation in the Gaza strip. The situation of famine and malnutrition, the report notes, was a direct result of actions taken by the Israeli Government, such as the blocking of entry and distribution of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Any use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of war constitutes a war crime, it states, adding that such conduct may also constitute crimes against humanity if committed as part of a systematic or widespread attack against a civilian population, and, if carried out with intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group in whole or in part, may also constitute genocide.In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the report details the systematic unlawful use of force by Israeli security forces, the widespread arbitrary detention and torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinians in detention, and the extensive unlawful demolition of Palestinian homes. This is “used to systematically discriminate, oppress, control and dominate the Palestinian people”, the report says. The report also points to concerning incidents of unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by the Palestinian Authority.During the reporting period, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continued to hold Israeli and foreign hostages seized on 7 October 2023 — along with the bodies of those who died or were killed in captivity — as bargaining tools, says the report. It refers to public testimonies from released hostages describing sexual and gender-based violence, torture, beatings, prolonged underground confinement, and deprivation of food, water and sanitation. The report also documents the death of 79 Palestinians in Israeli detention during the reporting period and highlights that Palestinians detained from Gaza remained particularly vulnerable to torture and other ill-treatment. The report details a “pervasive climate of impunity” for gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law by the Israeli authorities in the occupied Palestinian territory, and highlights that no meaningful steps have been taken by Israel’s justice system in relation to accountability for such violations. Among other recommendations, the report urges all States “to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel facilitating violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the occupied Palestinian territory”.“While efforts were underway, by the end of the reporting period, to advance the United States-led ‘Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict’ that went into effect on 9 October 2025, the absence of any steps to ensure accountability for violations of international law since 7 October 2023 represented a critical gap,” the report states.“Justice for victims must lay the foundation for the reconstruction of Gaza,” the report says, calling on States to ensure Palestinians’ immediate participation in governance structures to determine and shape the reconstruction of Gaza.“Impunity is not abstract – it kills. Accountability is indispensable. It is the prerequisite for a just and durable peace in Palestine and Israel,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

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Press Release

18 February 2026

Killing of a child by Palestinian security forces may amount to unlawful killing

Bani Odeh and his wife and children were reportedly driving at the Tammun-Tubas junction when undercover PSF members opened fire on the car, immediately killing 15-year-old Ali, and shooting 5-year-old Ronza in the head, who remains in critical condition. An eyewitness told the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OHCHR OPT) that there was no warning before the shots were fired. The third child, 17-year-old Yazen, was also injured with shrapnel. Beni Odeh himself was reportedly shot in the leg before he was detained and taken away by PSF. Beni Odeh is also wanted by Israeli security forces which had arrested his wife multiple times in an apparent effort to force him to surrender, according to OHCHR OPT monitoring. The incident recalls PSF’s security operation in the northern West Bank between December 2024 and January 2025 which preceded the Israeli security forces’ clearing of the Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps in the area. At the time, PSF killed nine Palestinians including four boys, with four others were killed by either PSF or armed Palestinians. Despite PSF’s repeated statements at the time vowing to initiate investigations into killings and to hold perpetrators to account, there has been no available outcome of these reported investigations to date. Following the incident of 15 February, PSF again issued a statement declaring that an investigation is initiated. PSF are bound by international human rights law which strictly limits the use of potentially lethal force in law enforcement to situations where it is necessary to protect life or prevent injury from an imminent threat. Palestinian authorities have an obligation to conduct prompt, thorough and transparent investigations into any use of lethal force by PSF, and, in the case of violations, hold perpetrators accountable.

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