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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21 November 2024

‘We are at the point where diplomacy has failed’, warns outgoing Middle East envoy

according to the senior envoy who has been at the forefront of these efforts since 2021.More than a year into the conflict, “we are at the point where diplomacy has failed in the situation where the geopolitics is superbly difficult,” Tor Wennesland said in an exclusive interview with UN News earlier this week.Stepping downThe veteran Norwegian diplomat is stepping down from his role as UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, after spending decades trying to improve relations across the region.He was Adviser in Norway’s foreign ministry during the process that led to the 1995 Oslo II Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza Strip and served as the country’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority as well as Ambassador to Egypt and Libya.“I have abused the patience of my family for more than 15 to 20 years on this file, and at a certain point in time you have to take a decision on how long you’re going to continue,” he said.Hope remains highMr. Wennesland continues to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and humanitarians access to people on the ground.He believes that peace is still possible between Israelis and Palestinians, and the two-State solution, in line with UN Security Council resolutions, remains viable despite attempts to undermine it.He also expressed hope of progress towards ending the war, saying “you need to come to a time where you can properly sit down and think clearly on how you get out of it. That's where we are now approaching.”He began the interview by describing developments since the onset of the war in Gaza following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel.The interview has been edited for length and clarity.Tor Wennesland: All we had done before under different circumstances - and I've been working on this file since Oslo II was signed - we had difficulties, we had bad times, but this time it was like an avalanche and it was hitting everybody by surprise.But it was hitting us at a time where there were no clear dynamics around this issue politically at all. So, we were very quickly into territory where the events of an armed conflict immediately escalated and actually in the West Bank also continuing a trend that had lasted for a while.So, I think honestly everybody who was involved in this was scrambling. I mean, everybody. And nobody had really any kind of clear sense on how to deal with it, whether that was the parties themselves, the regional actors, and also the UN.I mean, this was the biggest stress test the UN has been exposed to on this file ever, so we needed to patch up our capacity and see what to do and see how to move forward.But I can assure you, given what has been mobilized to stop this war over the last 14 months without any degree of success because we are still in the middle of it, I mean we are at the point where diplomacy has failed in the situation where the geopolitics is superbly difficult. And it has been reflected also in the work of the Council, and it definitely put big restraints on the UN and the ability of the UN to conduct its work on the ground.UN News: After all of this, do you think that the peace process, including the two-State solution, can still be revived? And is this still the basis for your discussions and talks?Tor Wennesland: Absolutely. And there is nobody - and I have had a huge outreach in my job here now - there is nobody who is defining it differently except from those who would like to kill it, and we have that happening as we speak.And my biggest concern is that we are losing the parameters we have been operating under here since back to ’67 and ’73 with the formative resolutions of the Council. But now we have an outright drive to dismantle the institutional structures of what was to become a Palestinian State, and it's happening with a speed and a drive that I haven't seen before.And the problem with that is that we would have it in our face, if the forces that would like to undermine a two-State solution would be succeeding. Obviously for the UN system, they are struggling with the systemic impacts of that for agencies and the UN as a whole; extremely difficult.But we should not forget that it is the undermining of the Palestinian capacity to - with support from the international community - strengthen their own ability to run Palestine.That is really under pressure, and even more so than the UN system, and the ones that are suffering are the Palestinian population. And I can assure you Gaza is absolutely a nightmare and it's in a way terrifying to go in there and see the exposure of the population to what's going on. But there is a fear factor [in] the West Bank as well because they see that the structures are crumbling.UN News: You're saying there are these forces, and it seemed like influential forces, that will undermine or are undermining the Palestinian State and the two-State solution. But what can be done right now from the UN and from the international community to fix this situation, the bleak situation?Tor Wennesland: Well, there is no quick fix on this but there has to be a resolve and a drive to do it. I have a very close dialogue with the regional countries. They are the ones who have most to gain from a regional stability situation, in addition to both ordinary Israelis and Palestinians.We should not forget that Israel is crumbling as well as a result of this. The Israeli economy is going down and there are tensions in Israel that I have never seen in all my period of work here that are now playing out in front of our eyes.The whole system, both in Palestine and in Israel, is out of balance and to reset it will take a lot of effort.We need to stick to two things. First of all, we need to stick to normal international principles and international law and not give that away for a second because then we give it away in a way that can be used negatively in other places.Secondly, we have to do whatever the UN can to provide humanitarian support to ordinary people on the ground, and we are doing that under massive constraints and with UN staff exposing themselves in a way that we have huge losses of staff as a result of this. And then we need to re-mobilize all we can to address the politics of a way forward.UN News: You mentioned to the Security Council that the current events will have impacts for generations and will shape the region in ways we cannot fully comprehend. What are the consequences you're most worried and concerned about?Tor Wennesland: The Palestinian population is a very young population. If we cannot offer any way out, there are others that will start recruiting. And we should not forget that a crisis like this will have negative effects across the board in the neighbouring countries and in the region in particular, but also other places because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is something that is reflecting globally in the streets of the capitals of Europe, in US, in Australia, and definitely in the region.We are playing a poker game with a young generation that without any perspective on solutions, can find other ways to get an outlet for their frustration. That is very dangerous, and it's dangerous for all. And it's not only here. It is dangerous. UN News: I'll quote something else you mentioned to the Security Council. You mentioned that if the parties cannot find a way out, the international community must define the path forward. How do you see this right now with new developments around the world, with maybe new governments, new administrations, changes?Tor Wennesland: Well, the world is like it is. I mean, the point of departure is that we need to take the realities as given because this is the only way to do proper realpolitik.But what I said is that some of the really key principles that have been guiding the work on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Israeli-Arab conflict are now under pressure. And the only place where it is relevant to reset a way forward for the international community is based on decisions taken in the Security Council.You can have seminars and conferences all over the place, but then we need to anchor that. We need to anchor any path forward by decisions in the Council. And I think we don't have any time to lose on that.UN News: But what will encourage the countries with influence to push because the Security Council is divided, as we all know, for more than a year now?Tor Wennesland: Well, I mean, the Security Council is not divided on the issue of a two-State solution. It hasn't been for even one of the more than 50 to 60 meetings I have had in this Council for the period I've been here – so that principle is standing.There is a broad consensus internationally around these principles, but they are undermined, and we need to look at that reality very straight on. When the Council had its last political decision eight years back just before Christmas on (resolution) 2334, the Gaza situation was very different.The change in the Gaza situation has never been properly addressed by the Security Council in order to redress the territorial issue, the border issues, the occupation issues - the Council has never had a position on that. And it's not very difficult to apply the same principles that we have been upholding both in the UN Security Council resolution or in the agreements that has been formulated after the Oslo Accords.They need to be reapplied and there needs to be a Palestinian governance structure in the middle if we're going to get to a Palestinian State. And there is a consensus on that as well internationally, so we have to build on what we have, and that's a common understanding on how we apply the principles. But as long as it's not properly formulated, we don't have the framework we need in the aftermath of the conflict that is still unresolved.UN News: Supporters of both sides - Israelis and Palestinians - some of them, they say that the UN is not doing enough, especially on the political side. What would you like to clarify to them about the work of the UN and your own role and work?Tor Wennesland: Well, as I said in the beginning, the scale of this conflict has never been seen before and definitely not seen after the State of Israel was established.We have never had a conflict that has lasted for 14 months. We have never had any conflict of this intensity and with the losses and destruction we are seeing now.For sure we have been working to avoid the escalation we are now seeing in Lebanon and other places in the region, so we have never seen this before in the region or on the ground.So, in the first week of this conflict, that was my focus. Then it's a question of finding a way out of it and forward at the same time as you have very dynamic and intensive warfare ongoing.So, you need to come to a time where you can properly sit down and think clearly on how you get out of it. That's where we are now approaching. We couldn't get that done in November, where we were ready to be a part of the hostage evacuation.We couldn't do it as the war was scaling back and forth, and people were driven around the corners in Gaza. But we are coming to that phase now. So, we always need to get out of a conflict by the realm of diplomacy and decision-making that has a bearing that takes us forward.And, obviously, we need a ceasefire, we need the hostages out, we need a lasting ceasefire, and we need safety. I mean, we need safety for the Palestinians and for the Israelis.I have been in Gaza when we had a temporary lull because of a vaccination campaign conducted by the UN inside and it gave a short breathing space for people massively traumatized.We don't have that ceasefire in place, and we need to then canvass the international community and the regional partners to cement that framework and effort.UN News: Am I right to understand that you're giving the impression that there is some progress right now? We're moving into something?Tor Wennesland: I'm not going to go into details on what is going on and what is not going on. I would have liked to see that we would have had the chance to address some core principles and some ways forward way earlier.That was not possible. But when you work as a diplomat with these things, you have to be patient enough to wait for the time to come and we are getting into that time, but we have to use it smart and fast because otherwise we risk that this is slipping between our fingers.UN News: Before leaving your position, what is the one advice you can give Israelis and Palestinians for one thing they should do to ensure their own safety, security and peace?Tor Wennesland: We have everybody on the ground being massively traumatized, and it will take years, if ever, to sort that out by those who have been exposed. And here is why I'm saying that the international community needs to take a lead, because we are not the ones that have been exposed to the traumas. We need to take a step to the side, understand what's going on, and try to kind of formulate something the parties can somehow accept. And the compromises will always be grey.

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15 November 2024

Israeli war tactics condemned as aid still blocked from reaching north

An update from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said that in the last two days alone, “six attempts to deliver lifesaving assistance to besieged areas in North Gaza governorate were blocked”.The missions on Tuesday and Wednesday had aimed to bring food and water to Jabalia, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, along with protection and psychosocial support for children deeply traumatised by 13 months of bombardment.“People are trapped in residential buildings, they are hiding from the ongoing military operations around them, they are running out of food,” said Louise Wateridge, senior emergency officer with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.In comments to the media, Ms. Wateridge relayed testimonies from staff and people in the north who described seeing dead bodies in the streets and a near total absence of emergency healthcare provision which had forced people to use donkey carts to reach barely functioning hospitals.Almost all of Gaza forced to moveAccording to OCHA, approximately 79 per cent of the Gaza Strip remains under active evacuation orders. “Palestinians continue to be directed to areas in and around Al Mawasi, in southern Gaza, that lack basic infrastructure and essential services,” the UN aid agency said.Latest data from the Gazan health authorities indicated that at least 43,736 people have been killed and 103,370 wounded in Israeli military attacks since 7 October 2023, with 24 Palestinians killed and 112 wounded in the last 24 hours.Equivalent to two nuclear bombsThe development came as a UN General Assembly special panel condemned the Israeli military’s tactics in Gaza since war erupted, following the “horrific” Hamas-led terror attacks on 7 October on multiple Israeli targets that killed some 1,250 people and left more than 250 taken hostage.Covering the period from October 2023 to July this year, a report from the panel maintained that Gaza had been hit by some 25,000 tonnes of explosives - equivalent to two nuclear bombs - by early 2024.The massive destruction that has been the result - along with the collapse of water and sanitation systems, agricultural devastation and toxic pollution - are “consistent with the characteristics of genocide” and will have an impact on the health of Gazans for generations, insisted the report’s authors.“The Israeli military’s use of AI-assisted targeting, with minimal human oversight, combined with heavy bombs, underscores Israel’s disregard of its obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants and take adequate safeguards to prevent civilian deaths,” said the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories.‘Starvation as a method of war’“Through its siege over Gaza, obstruction of humanitarian aid, alongside targeted attacks and killing of civilians and aid workers, despite repeated UN appeals, binding orders from the International Court of Justice and resolutions of the Security Council, Israel is intentionally causing death, starvation and serious injury, using starvation as a method of war and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population,” the Committee maintained.Palestinian women mocked and shamedOn the ground in Gaza, Israeli soldiers were also found to have engaged in “dehumanising, cruel and humiliating behaviour towards Palestinians, including women and children”, the committee said, alleging that troops had shared photos on social media of Palestinian women “aimed at mocking, shaming and humiliating them”.The panel was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1968 to examine the human rights situation in the occupied Syrian Golan, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.The Committee’s Member States - Malaysia, Senegal and Sri Lanka - called on Israel and Palestinian armed groups “to urgently agree to a lasting ceasefire, release all hostages as well as detainees held arbitrarily”. provide unfettered ICRC access to those in detention and open all border crossings to allow life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza at scale.End ‘smear campaign’ against UNRWAThe panel also condemned the “ongoing smear campaign” against the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and expressed concern at the “deliberate silencing of reporting” on the conflict in Gaza. It said that “escalating media censorship” by Israel and the “suppression of dissent and targeting of journalists” were “deliberate efforts to block global access to information”.The Committee also insisted that social media companies had “disproportionately removed ‘pro-Palestinian content’, in comparison with posts inciting violence against Palestinians”. Its report will be presented to the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly on 18 November 2024.

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14 November 2024

UNRWA chief: Agency enduring ‘darkest moment’, as Israeli laws threaten operations

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday, pointing to a trifecta of legislative, operational and security challenges.Speaking at a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, he detailed the implications of the recent laws passed by the Israeli Knesset, which aim to dismantle UNRWA activities across the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza and the West Bank.“The intention is to undermine the agency,” he said, emphasizing that these measures are politically motivated.Since the onset of the war in Gaza on 7 October 2023, 243 UNRWA staff members have lost their lives. Around 190 buildings and installations have been damaged or destroyed, and lifesaving aid operations severely restricted.Disinformation campaign“In addition to that there has been [an] intense and aggressive disinformation campaign, [including] reaching out to donor capitals to delegitimize the agency,” Mr. Lazzarini said.He reiterated that despite operating in an environment fraught with risk, UNRWA upholds a “zero tolerance” policy toward breaches of neutrality, emphasizing that the agency is a “soft target” for anyone which perceives its presence or activities as a threat.This includes Hamas, which over many years has accused the agency of “colluding” with Israel, given UNRWA’s programmes on education, gender equality, or arts, culture and sport. At the same time, Israel has accused UNRWA of colluding with and being infiltrated by Hamas.“So, this morning [at the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly] I also wanted also to clean the record on this,” Mr. Lazzarini said, refuting the allegations and referring to his annual briefing to UN Member States at the General Assembly’s main Special Political and Decolonization Committee.Staff targetedIn addition to legislative and financial hurdles, UNRWA staff have faced intensified security risks, he said, recounting a recent incident involving a female staff member in northern West Bank who was detained, interrogated and forced to provide access to sensitive information after being accused of working for a “terrorist organization.”Such events, he highlighted, reflects the heightened risks for staff in an increasingly hostile environment.UNRWA is irreplaceableUNRWA is irreplaceable he said – a position that has been frequently reiterated by the UN Secretary-General in recent weeks and multiple UN humanitarian agencies on the ground.The agency had been providing education to hundreds of thousands of girls and boys in the Gaza Strip for decades. He said only UNRWA could continue with the necessary educational services once a ceasefire is in place.Likewise, it steers all critical public health services, providing thousands of consultations daily.If UNRWA ceases to operate, Mr. Lazzarini warned, “the only alternative is that the onus and the responsibility goes back to the occupying power, meaning that Israel will be responsible to provide these critical services.”Prevent UNRWA’s collapseMr. Lazzarini reiterated his call on UN Member States to act to prevent the implementation of the newly adopted laws, and to ensure continued financial and political backing for UNRWA.Alongside, it is vital that the question of UNRWA be addressed within a political framework and that any political pathway leading to the two-State solution should clearly define its continuing role.In conclusion, he stressed that attacks on UNRWA “are attacks on the United Nations” itself. Israel’s assault defies the General Assembly and the Security Council, and undermines the rule-based international order established after World War Two, he added.Mr. Lazzarini urged the dozens of countries who support its work to “deploy all political and legal capital to prevent this from happening.”Our operation continuesResponding to a question from a journalist, Mr. Lazzarini said agency operations will continue in Gaza, “but our operational space is very, very narrow.”“Gaza is one of the most dangerous places to operate. You have also been regularly briefed on how harrowing the situation is there,” he said, describing the scale of death and destruction, immense humanitarian needs and severe limitations on aid.Answering another query on how long UNRWA could continue to operate in Gaza, Mr. Lazzarini said that the “simple and short answer is we will be operating until the day we cannot operate anymore”.“We will deliver the services until we are forced to stop the services,” he said.

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13 November 2024

‘People losing hope’ as aid access is refused to north, warns UNRWA

Briefing reporters in Geneva from central Gaza, UNRWA senior emergency officer Louise Wateridge warned that amid looming famine in the Gaza Strip and as winter approaches, those forcibly displaced are sleeping on the floor in makeshift shelters surrounded by sewage.“We are extremely concerned when the rains come to the Gaza Strip, what will happen to 500,000 people who are in areas of flooding?” she said.Ms. Wateridge stressed that the volume of aid currently entering the war-torn enclave is “the lowest in months”, with an average in October of only 37 trucks per day for the entire 2.2 million population.According to UNRWA, this represents only around six per cent of the commercial and humanitarian supplies allowed in before the war.US aid deadline expiringAsked about a Tuesday deadline set last month by the United States for Israel to improve the aid situation in the enclave by 12 November, the UNRWA official said that instead, “aid supplies have lessened”.The UN continues to be denied access to northern Gaza where people are “begging for pieces of bread, for water”, Ms. Wateridge said, noting that 1.7 million people in the enclave - a full 80 per cent of the population - did not receive their food rations in October.Last Friday, food security experts from the UN-partnered Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee issued an alert over imminent famine in areas within the northern Gaza Strip.As suffering continues to worsen, “people are losing hope”, Ms. Wateridge said.Just this week, two missions to northern Gaza which she was due to take part in were denied; the aim had been to deliver chlorine tablets and assess the facilities for those sheltering.“No one from UNRWA has been able to access the besieged north in over a month,” she insisted.Every hour countsThe UNRWA official spoke of “pleas and testimonies” from UN colleagues and from doctors in the hospitals in the north, which have been bombed. “The doctors inform us that they have run out of blood supplies. They have run out of medicine… There are bodies in the streets,” she said, adding that ambulances have “stopped functioning” and that people can only get to hospital by themselves, on donkey carts.“Colleagues are trapped in residential buildings,” unable to leave, Ms. Wateridge said, while the eight UNRWA-run water wells in northern Gaza’s Jabalia have all ceased operations, leaving people without clean water.The UNRWA senior emergency officer reiterated the agency’s call to the Israeli authorities for access to the besieged areas, which is “more and more critical each hour now”.Only a ceasefire will end the sufferingLate last month, the Israeli Parliament voted to ban UNRWA from operating in the country and prohibit officials from having any contact with the agency. The laws are set to come into force 90 days from their adoption.Asked about any message that UNRWA may have for Hamas, Ms. Wateridge said: “Our call for Hamas as well as the Israeli forces is a ceasefire.” She underscored that the Palestinian militant group initiated “horrific attacks against Israeli civilians on 7 October”, adding that it was unacceptable that the war continued and civilians suffered.“We have seen horrific suffering of Israeli civilians, the 7 October attacks, followed by horrific suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip. There needs to be a ceasefire, a release and return of the hostages home and finally some respite to all the civilians, not just in the Gaza Strip, but the surrounding region,” she concluded.

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11 November 2024

‘Looming catastrophe’: Experts warn of high risk of famine in northern Gaza

The warning comes in an alert issued by the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC), which underscored that the humanitarian situation in the enclave is extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating.“Immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict, or who have influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation,” it said. ‘The unacceptable is confirmed’Commenting on the alert, the head of the World Food Programme (WFP) stated that “the unacceptable is confirmed.”Cindy McCain stressed in a post on X that “immediate steps MUST BE TAKEN to allow safe, rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies to prevent an all-out catastrophe. NOW.”Speaking earlier to UN News, WFP's Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis, Jean-Martin Bauer, said the situation was the result of large-scale population displacement, the reduction of commercial and humanitarian inflows into the Gaza Strip, and the destruction of infrastructure and health facilities.There has been “a drastic reduction in the number of trucks entering Gaza,” he said.“In late October, we were down to 58 trucks a day, compared to about 200 during the summer and most of the trucks that did come in…were bringing humanitarian assistance.” Food costs risingFurthermore, as a result of the reduced inflows food prices have risen in the north, essentially doubling in recent weeks.“They're now about 10 times higher than they were before the conflict occurred. So, this alert is a reminder that the eyes of the world need to be on Gaza and that action is needed now,” he said.Avert ‘humanitarian catastrophe’The FRC called for “immediate action by all stakeholders with potential influence to reverse this humanitarian catastrophe.”The Committee particularly urged all parties directly taking part in the conflict, or who have influence, to immediately allow food, water, medical and nutritional supplies, and other essential items, to enter Gaza.Other recommendations include ending the Israeli siege in northern areas, as well as attacks on health facilities and other civilian infrastructure, and allowing health facilities to be re-supplied and health workers to be released from detention.“Failure to respond to these calls within the next few days will result in a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and additional, avoidable, civilian deaths,” it said.“If no effective action is taken by stakeholders with influence, the scale of this looming catastrophe is likely to dwarf anything we have seen so far in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023.”

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19 November 2024

Lazzarini: Annexation of Gaza won’t create lasting Middle East peace

amid a near-total breakdown in law and order and harassment of the agency’s staff by Israeli soldiers.“More than 100 trucks have been looted, primarily [carrying goods for] UNRWA and the WFP, basically, 80-90 per cent of the convoy on that day,” said Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General.“What does it show? We [began] warning a long time ago about the total breakdown of civil order; until four or five months ago, we still had local capacity, people who were escorting the convoy. This has completely gone.”According to UNRWA, the incident happened on Saturday and involved a 109-truck convoy. “The vast majority of the trucks, 97 in total, were lost and drivers were forced at gunpoint to unload aid,” it said in an online post on X.Israel’s humanitarian responsibility“The Israeli authorities continue to disregard their legal obligations under international law to ensure the population's basic needs are met and to facilitate the safe delivery of aid,” the UN agency insisted.“Such responsibilities continue when trucks enter the Gaza Strip, until people are reached with essential assistance.”In addition to ongoing deadly Israeli bombardment – including of a residential building in northern Beit Lahia at the weekend which left dozens dead, prompting strong condemnation – UNRWA said that critical shortages of flour had forced all eight UN-supported bakeries in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis to operate “at diminished capacity for weeks. Many have been forced to shut down entirely. Without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over two million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive.”No viable alternative to UNRWASpeaking in Geneva on the sidelines of a meeting of the Advisory Committee which is tasked with advising and assisting UNRWA in carrying out its mandate, Mr. Lazzarini reiterated his warning – echoed widely by the international community – that Israeli efforts to dismantle the agency would have terrible consequences on Gazans who rely on it for education, healthcare and livelihoods, unless a viable alternative were put in place.“I keep being asked why is the agency irreplaceable? In fact, it is replaceable by a functioning state…if we do this and we do not have a viable alternative in place, we will create a vacuum. We will also deprive hundreds of thousands of children to the right of education, but by doing this we will also sow the seeds for more extremism, more hate in the future.”Spanish solidarityEchoing that message, Antón Leis, Secretary General and Executive Director of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development who chairs the Meeting of the Advisory Committee insisted that UNRWA was “irreplaceable and indispensable…for six million Palestine refugees in the Middle East - not just in Gaza - in the entire Middle East”.Mr. Leis underscored the disinformation campaign targeting UNRWA and stressed the need to explain the agency’s crucial grassroots work across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.“It is important also to set the record straight and explain what UNRWA does and what UNRWA does differently from other UN agencies and why - and this is a reality on the ground - why UNRWA is indispensable and irreplaceable.”Search ordealMr. Lazzarini noted that the diplomatic and political campaign against UNRWA was impacting staff on the ground, too: “We had already last week an incident where a female staff member was searched at her home by [an Israel Defense Forces] soldier and when they realized that she's working for UNRWA, basically they told her, ‘How come you work for a terrorist organization?’”Asked what the election of Donald Trump might change, the UNRWA chief maintained the need to listen to the aspirations of Palestinians.“We keep hearing that promoting a lasting peace is a priority and I do not see how you can promote lasting peace without addressing the question of the Palestinians in the region. So, of course, people are extremely worried that it might go in the direction of an annexation, but annexation wouldn't mean a lasting peace in the region if you haven’t addressed the question of the Palestinians.”

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11 November 2024

Gaza: Possible atrocity crimes unfold, new UN report warns

the UN human rights chief said on Friday following the release of a new report outlining actions taken by Israeli forces during the ongoing war with Hamas.The report details the horrific reality faced by both the people of Israel and Gaza since 7 October 2023, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressing the imperative for Israel to fully and immediately comply with its obligations under international law and the rules of war.“It is essential that there is due reckoning with respect to the allegations of serious violations of international law through credible and impartial judicial bodies and that, in the meantime, all relevant information and evidence are collected and preserved,” he said.The UN High Commissioner said this is even more critical and urgent, given the totality of conduct set out in the report and taking into account most recent events, including Israel’s ongoing operations in northern Gaza and its adoption of legislation affecting the activities of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA.Possible genocide, crimes against humanityThe detailed analysis of violations covers the six-month period from November 2023 to April 2024, and broadly examines the killing of civilians and breaches of international law that in many instances could amount to war crimes.If committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population, further to a State or organizational policy, these violations may constitute crimes against humanity, according to the report.The report warned that if those violations were committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, they may also constitute genocide.“The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its series of orders on provisional measures, underscored the international obligations of Israel to prevent, protect against and punish acts of genocide and associated prohibited conduct,” according to the report.Crimes by armed groupsPalestinian armed groups have also conducted hostilities in ways that have likely contributed to harm to civilians, according to the report.On 7 October 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian militants committed serious violations of international law on a wide scale, the report stated, including attacks directed against Israeli and foreign civilians, killing and mistreatment of civilians, sexual violence, destruction of civilian objects and taking of hostages.These acts could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the report, which noted that following 7 October, Hamas and other armed groups celebrated those attacks and violations, which was both “deeply troubling and totally unacceptable”.States must prevent atrocitiesMr. Türk recalled States’s obligations to act to prevent atrocity crimes, urging them to support the work of accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the current conflict.The report also pointed to repeated statements from Israeli officials positing the end of the conflict as contingent upon Gaza’s entire destruction and the exodus of the Palestinian people.In addition, it documented efforts to rationalise discrimination, hostility and violence towards, and even the elimination of, Palestinians.Most deaths are among childrenThe report showed how civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks, including through the initial “complete siege” of Gaza by Israeli forces, as well as the Israel Government’s continuing unlawful failures to allow, facilitate and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid, destruction of civilian infrastructure and repeated mass displacement.This conduct by Israeli forces has caused unprecedented levels of killings, death, injury, starvation, illness and disease, the report stated.The UN rights office, OHCHR, has been verifying the personal details of those killed in Gaza by strikes, shelling and other conduct of hostilities, finding close to 70 per cent to be children and women, which indicated a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, including distinction and proportionality.The continuation of these attacks, killing evenly across the population, “demonstrates an apparent indifference to the death of civilians and the impact of the means and methods of warfare selected”, the report stated.The most represented of verified fatalities are children.

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08 November 2024

How has the war in Gaza affected UNRWA’s ability to support Palestinians?

also provides a range of crucial services. In Gaza, the year-long war has severely threatened their ability to deliver.Emergency relief: Drastically hitBefore the war:Over one million Palestine refugees were estimated to be living in absolute poverty, which means they cannot meet their most basic food needs.Those living in Gaza have been struggling to cope with life under Israel’s 15-year air, land and sea blockade.To alleviate the conditions, UNRWA has assisted with food and medical assistance, and cash-based transfers.Since the war:UNRWA’s ability to provide any kind of aid has been drastically hit. This is not due to a lack of available aid, but rather access restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities, which prevent UNRWA from distributing supplies.The head of the agency, Philippe Lazzarini, announced in October of this year that some 30 humanitarian trucks were getting into Gaza every day – just six per cent of the amount of commercial and humanitarian supplies allowed in before the war.According to the UN office for humanitarian affairs, OCHA, nearly half the population lacks the minimum 15 litres of water per person per day for drinking, cooking and hygiene.Healthcare: Hanging by a threadBefore the war:UNRWA has been delivering comprehensive primary healthcare to Palestine refugees for over 60 years.22 healthcare centres were in Gaza, with clinic and laboratory facilities, personalised maternal health care and family planning services.Psychosocial counsellors were in several Gazan schools and special education needs clinics in a number of health centres to help children to cope with anxiety, distress and depression.Since the war:Hospitals have, on several occasions since 7 October, been targeted by the Israeli military. In recent days, the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza has become a “besieged war zone”, in the words of Adele Khodr, a senior UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official. “Vulnerable newborns and sick and wounded children in need of intensive care are being killed in tents, in incubators and in the arms of their parents,” she said on Tuesday. “That this hasn’t galvanised enough political will to end the war represents a fundamental crisis of our humanity.”The agency has been a key part of an inter-agency polio vaccination campaign, inoculating around 560,000 children across the Strip during the first round, and around 545,000 during the second round.Thousands remain out of reach, though, and Israel’s constant displacement orders and bombings have presented serious delays and obstacles.UNRWA has, nevertheless, been able to keep eight of its health centres operational, and despite the extremely hazardous conditions in which they have to operate – there have been over 500 attacks on health workers, patients, hospitals and other medical infrastructure – UNRWA’s medical teams still managed to provide around 6.2 million primary healthcare consultations over the last year, up from almost 2.6 million the year before.Education: A year lostBefore the war:The UNRWA education programme in Gaza was the largest of those run by the agency, with 284 schools operating in 183 education premises in the Strip, staffed by more than 10,500 education personnel, serving around 300,000 registered students.Although UNRWA has no mandate to alter curricula or textbooks (these are a matter of national sovereignty), the agency is committed to ensuring that what is being taught in the schools it runs adheres to UN values and principles.Since the war:UNRWA considers that children in the Strip have no safe space to learn but, in spite of the dangers, the agency remains committed to providing educational opportunities, and in August, launched a programme to provide “learning spaces” to provide basic support, including recreational and learning activities. Around 9,500 children, 60 per cent of them girls, have benefited these initiatives in 36 dedicated shelters across Gaza.Nearly 85 per cent of the agency’s schools have been hit or damaged during the war, some several times. Some have been flattened, and many have been severely damaged. Most were being used as shelters for displaced people, among them many children, when they were hit.As a result, children in Gaza only completed six weeks of the 38-week long 2023-2024 school year. They have essentially lost a year of education.Economic development: ‘Back to 1955 levels’Before the war:Over several years, UNRWA has run programmes to boost economic development by supporting entrepreneurs, helping women to enter the workforce and empowering people with disabilities.The agency’s department of microfinance gives poor or marginalised people the ability to build sustainable ways of generating income, extending credit to those who would otherwise not have access to loans.In 2020, UNRWA set up the IT Service Centre to address unemployment, help Palestine refugees access opportunities in the digital sector and kickstart their careers.Since the war:These and other initiatives have been badly affected by the war in Gaza. According to a UN report released in late October, economic development in Gaza and the West Bank has been set back by almost 70 years (equivalent to June 1955 levels).“Our assessments serve to sound the alarm over the millions of lives that are being shattered and the decades of development efforts that are being wiped out,” declared Rola Dashti, Executive Director of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA).Refugee camps: Under attackBefore the war:UNRWA programmes designed to improve the living conditions of Palestine refugees have existed for many years, leading to the construction of hundreds of housing units as well as the development of sewage and drainage facilities.Since the war:Over the past year, military operations, fighting and escalating violence have damaged or destroyed an estimated 66 per cent of all buildings in Gaza and devastated densely populated refugee camps. A total of 227,591 housing units have been affected, according to UN figures.Jabalia refugee camp, for example, has been hit several times by strikes. In June, UNRWA reported “horrific” scenes of devastation in the camp, and in November of this year, over 50 children were reportedly killed in strikes that levelled two residential buildings sheltering hundreds of people.Sewage and waste systems are at a breaking point. Speaking during a visit to Gaza City on 5 November, Muhannad Hadi, the UN Resident Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described seeing hundreds of people with no access to toilets and streets covered in garbage and sewage.

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06 November 2024

Intolerable conditions in northern Gaza ‘beyond imagination’

During his first visit to the area since Israel launched its latest military operation in the north a month ago. Muhannad Hadi spoke to UN News from the Al-Mamouniya School in Gaza City run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugee, UNRWA.Like the rest of UNRWA’s schools that are still standing as war continues, it now serves as a shelter for displaced people seeking safety in the besieged enclave where nowhere is safe.An ‘unbearable’ situation“This is not a place for humans to survive,” he said. “This must end. This misery must end. This war must end. This is beyond imagination.”Mr. Hadi stated that what he saw was “very different” from what he saw in northern Gaza in September.“At this school, I have seen families and people living on top of each other. It is unbearable here. I can't imagine how those people are surviving,” he said.“There were 500 people in this school in September, and now there are more than 1,500 people. There is no access to bathroom. There are shortages of food. The situation is unbearable. Sewage water is everywhere. Waste is everywhere. The place has garbage everywhere.” ‘Just water and lentils’From a window on the second floor of the damaged school, mountains of garbage can be seen piling up in the yard – a symbol of the immense health hazards and harsh conditions that the people inside face. Critical supplies including food are scarce in northern Gaza. As Mr. Hadi walked around the school, whose structure had been damaged by the bombing, he met a man who was preparing lentil soup for his family.Mr. Hadi was told that the lentils had been provided by UNRWA and that the small pot the man carried was supposed to feed 12 people. "It's just water and lentils; no garlic or onions,” he remarked, noting that “one chili pepper pod costs 10 shekels today."‘We want to have fun’The senior UN official also visited a temporary learning space called Al-Nayzak on Al-Jalaa Street. Tents have been set up on the destroyed thoroughfare to provide a minimum education and a safe place for local children to deal with the horrors they have endured since the war erupted last October.At the temporary school, 11 teachers - men and women - provide courses in Arabic, English, maths, science and psychosocial support to 510 students.Mr. Hadi played with young children, aged between three and five years old. Many were supposed to be in kindergarten, but the war has deprived them of the opportunity to learn in real classrooms. He met a girl who said she lost her parents and home in the war, and now lives with her cousins who have also become orphans. Her school used to be located near the Al-Nayzak learning space, but like most schools in Gaza it was destroyed by shelling.The girl told him that they cook rice at home when given the opportunity, but often rely on humanitarian organizations to provide them with meals. When Mr. Hadi asked her what she wanted to do when the war ended, she replied, "We want to have fun and enjoy ourselves, and go where we want to go."The top UN humanitarian official also visited the headquarters of the Atfaluna Association for Deaf Children, where students taught him sign language.The association provides lessons in English, Arabic, maths, science, physical education and the arts to 35 children, some of whom are learning how to deal with their new disability after losing their hearing due to heavy shelling.Stop the warMr. Hadi told UN News that he had heard horrific stories from people he met in northern Gaza and stressed the need to stop the war. “What people are going through here, no one can tolerate. Those are the victims of this war. Those are the ones who are paying the price for this war - those children around me here, the women, elderly,” he said.The heads of 15 UN and international humanitarian organizations recently affirmed that “the entire Palestinian population in North Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence.”The officials said humanitarian workers were not safe to do their work, and that Israeli forces and insecurity prevented them from reaching those in need.Since the war began in October 2023, more than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed and 100,000 injured, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health. The UN estimates that more than 1.9 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes within the enclave, many of whom have fled from one unsafe place to another multiple times.

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05 November 2024

Aid restrictions and dismantling UNRWA will compound Gazans’ suffering

highlighting the continued need for its lifesaving work even as Israel moves to end its activities. The Israeli Parliament, known as the Knesset, recently approved two laws banning UNRWA from operating in its territory and prohibiting officials from having any contact with the agency. Israel has officially informed the President of the UN General Assembly of the adoption of the new legislation. The letter says all cooperation with the agency will cease after 90 days. Record low aidUNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday that last month, Israel allowed a daily average of 30 humanitarian trucks into Gaza, which is only six per cent of the commercial and humanitarian supplies allowed in before the war.“This is the lowest in a long time, bringing the assistance back to the level of the beginning of the war,” he wrote on the social media platform X.“This cannot meet the needs of over two million people, many of whom are starving, sick and in desperate conditions.”A lifeline for millionsHe said that “meanwhile, UNRWA continues to distribute whatever is allowed in.”Staff have provided food aid to more than 1.9 million Gazans since the war erupted last October, while hundreds of thousands in and around its shelters have received basic supplies.The UN agency is also the largest primary healthcare provider in the enclave, and its teams have provided over six million medical consultations.Mr. Lazzarini stressed that much more aid must be allowed into Gaza, including through UNRWA, the largest humanitarian organization and service provider there.“Restricting humanitarian access and at the same time dismantling UNRWA will add an additional layer of suffering to already unspeakable suffering. Only political will can put an end to a politically made situation,” he said.‘No alternative’ to UNRWAIn an earlier tweet, Mr. Lazzarini focused on how UNRWA also educates scores of young Palestinians.He said children and their education are not featured in discussions by “experts” or politicians as debate intensifies on replacing the agency.“Why? Because in the absence of a functioning State, there is no alternative,” he said.Until last October, over 300,000 boys and girls in Gaza – half of all schoolchildren there – attended UNRWA schools, and they are now losing out on a second year of studies.Nearly 50,000 children in the West Bank also go to UNRWA schools.Potential dire consequencesMr. Lazzarini explained that UNRWA is the only UN agency that directly provides education in UN schools. The agency runs the only system in the region that includes a human rights programme following UN standards and values.“Dismantling UNRWA in the absence of a viable alternative will deprive Palestinian children of learning in the foreseeable future,” he said.“Without learning, children slip into hopelessness, poverty and radicalization. Without learning, children fall prey into exploitation including joining armed groups. Without learning, this region will remain unstable and volatile,” he warned.He said that instead of focusing on banning UNRWA or finding alternatives, attention should be on reaching an agreement to end the conflict.Deadly weekend for childrenIn the interim, the fighting continues to exact a heavy toll on young lives across the Gaza Strip.UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Saturday that more than 50 boys and girls were killed in strikes in Jabalya, North Gaza, over the previous two days.The personal vehicle of one of its staff members working on the mass campaign to vaccinate young children against polio also came under fire while she was driving, causing damage.Additionally, at least three children were reportedly injured by another attack in the proximity of a vaccination clinic in Sheikh Radwan, while a polio vaccination campaign was underway.Risks in the northUNICEF chief Catherine Russell said these attacks are yet further examples of the grave consequences of the indiscriminate strikes on civilians in Gaza.“Attacks on civilians, including humanitarian workers, and what remains of Gaza’s civilian facilities and infrastructure must stop,” she said. Moreover, she warned that “the entire Palestinian population in North Gaza, especially children, is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine, and the ongoing bombardments.”

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Press Release

21 October 2024

UN Human Rights Office is concerned over the potential destruction of the Palestinian population in north Gaza

For two weeks since 6 October, the Israeli military has taken measures that make life in North Gaza impossible for Palestinians while repeatedly ordering the displacement of the entire governorate. Israeli authorities prevented the entry of all essential supplies to North Gaza between 1 and 14 October, exacerbating the already dire situation under which food and fuel supplies to the north were dwindling, and many were facing starvation. After 15 October, a token amount of aid seems to have entered the North, but this does not commensurate with the needs of the population.While the Israeli military has demanded that all civilians leave North Gaza, it has continued to relentlessly bomb and attack the area, especially in and around Jabalya Camp. These attacks have made it extremely dangerous for civilians to flee, and the UN Human Rights Office has received reports over the last weeks of Palestinians targeted while fleeing. Many Palestinians in the North have also expressed fears that should they flee; they will never be allowed to return to their homes in North Gaza. Israeli troops have also destroyed residential buildings and attacked schools serving as shelters, resulting in numerous civilian casualties and further limiting available shelter as winter approaches. One strike on a residential block in Beit Lahiya on 19 October killed at least 87 Palestinians according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Keeping with the trend in this escalation, many of the casualties appear to be children and women.The Israeli military’s resumed attacks on two of the three main hospitals in North Gaza put even more pressure on the civilian population. All three hospitals, already damaged in previous IDF attacks, are also struggling with shortages of supplies and fuel. Rescue teams and medics continue to report restrictions and direct and indirect attacks by the Israeli military, hindering lifesaving operations, including the recovery of Palestinians trapped under rubble. Internet services in North Gaza have been disrupted since 19 October, and at least 3 Palestinian journalists were killed in the last 2 weeks, limiting the available information about the conditions of life in North Gaza.Reports also indicate that tens of Palestinian men are being taken into custody by the IDF, raising fears that they may be subjected to arbitrary detention as well as torture and other ill-treatment, especially considering previous violations documented by the UN Human Rights Office. Israel must promptly announce the identity of all those taken into custody and ensure their access to their lawyers and families.We reiterate that all parties must respect and protect civilians. Palestinian armed groups must refrain from deliberately co-locating military objectives and civilians or civilian objects and must take all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population and civilian objects under their control against the effects of attacks. Even where Palestinian armed groups have failed to comply with these norms of IHL, Israeli forces retain their obligations to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack.The UN Human Rights Office reminds the State of Israel of the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice on 26 January 2024 that it take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to Palestinians in Gaza. It also reminds Israel that, as the occupying power, it must ensure the provision of food, medical supplies and shelter for the population of Gaza, as also ordered by the International Court of Justice.

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Press Release

09 September 2024

Defending the Right to Learn: Education in the Face of War

According to UN data, the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip has left 625,000 students completely deprived of their access to education, and 23,000 teachers deprived of the ability to deliver learning adequately. Following 7 October all UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip were closed. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are now using these schools as shelters. About 93 per cent of school buildings are estimated to have sustained some level of damage. At least 84.6 per cent of schools in Gaza will either need full reconstruction or major rehabilitation work to be functional again.Since the beginning of the war, around 9,000 students and 400 teachers have been killed in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the total number killed is around 76 students and two teachers.Movement restrictions, military operations, and violence have exacerbated a pre-existing education crisis to unprecedented levels, affecting at least 782,000 students across the West Bank. The threats to the right to education for Palestinian students have never been so serious.Attacks on education have serious, long-term physical and psychological repercussions for students and teachers. Formal teaching and learning have been suspended for over an entire school year now, with no indication as to when they may resume, which may lead to a significant increase in dropout rates. Military use and destruction of schools and other educational institutions remain a constant threat, creating significant barriers to learning, and impacting access to quality, equitable, inclusive, and safe education - which is a human right of all children. António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations highlighted “This important day reminds us of the damage of war on young learners’ bodies, minds, and spirits. From injuries and loss of life to abduction, forced displacement, sexual violence, recruitment to the fighting, and lost opportunities, the risks are enormous”.It is crucial to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment. We must stand united in safeguarding our educational institutions, promoting peace, and fostering a culture of respect and understanding to provide consistent, safe, and high-quality education to all Palestinian children.We also echo once again the Secretary-General's call for ‘an immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustained ceasefire in Gaza’ and the ‘immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,’ some of whom are also students.

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Press Release

12 August 2024

International Youth Day: Resilience and Humanitarian Action of Palestinian Youth in Times of War

Relentless airstrikes in densely populated areas, forced displacement and staggering deprivation have resulted in the death of almost 40,000 Palestinians- around a quarter of whom are reported to be youth, brutally disrupting the futures of Palestinian youth in Gaza. While 85% of Gaza's schools have incurred various degrees of damage, all universities have been destroyed. As a result, eighty eight thousand university students in Gaza are unable to continue their education. The extensive damage to educational, social, and cultural institutions will have severe, long-term impacts on the future prospects of youth.Despite high levels of educational attainment, youth unemployment rates are high across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In Gaza, the war has significantly worsened Gaza’s already severe poverty and pervasive unemployment. ILO warns that unemployment rates will continue to rise, limiting the future potential of Palestinian youth.Centering youth in the humanitarian response and building peace in PalestineDespite the risks, youth are taking action as part of the humanitarian response in Palestine. 23-year-old Atta from Gaza, a member of the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) says: “I amplified my voice as a survivor of the war to spread awareness about the innocent civilians living in Gaza, sharing their eagerness for just peace and self-determination.” Palestinian youth contribute to humanitarian action by supporting first-response efforts and delivering food and emergency supplies to displaced people. Youth also provide mental health and psychosocial support to displaced people in shelters. Numerous young Gazan journalists are covering events on the ground, with other young Palestinian influencers raising international awareness online.The UN in Palestine actively supports the meaningful youth engagement. Youth should participate not only as beneficiaries but also as leaders and partners in humanitarian response and peacebuilding. Their visions for a brighter, peaceful, and prosperous future are crucial for rebuilding Gaza, and ultimately achieving lasting peace across the region.This year’s International Youth Day theme, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” marks the innovative spirit of young individuals who leverage digital technologies for humanitarian action and sustainable development. In Gaza, the electricity and connectivity issues mean that youth can hardly access such pathways. For those youth, and their peers in the West Bank, the UN in Palestine will continue to amplify their voices as they continue to strive to pave the way toward a more sustainable world.

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Press Release

31 July 2024

Israel must immediately end practices of forced eviction that threaten to displace more than eighty Palestinian families from their homes in Batn al-Hawa, Silwan, East Jerusalem.

Overall, around 87 Palestinian families, totalling approximately 600-680 individuals, are facing legal proceedings initiated by settlers to evict them from their homes in Batn al-Hawa. On 9 and 10 July, the Jerusalem District Court rejected the appeals of the Gheith, Abu Nab and Al-Rajabi families against eviction rulings in lawsuits submitted by Jewish Israeli settlers demanding the families' eviction. These families live in nine residential units accommodating over 80 Palestinians, including children, women, elders, and residents with special needs.In one example of particular concern, authorities are escalating steps towards the forced eviction of the Shehadeh family - consisting of 15 people, including 8 children – following the Israeli High Court's rejection of a petition appealing a Supreme Court decision of 11 April 2024 that had ordered the Shehadeh family to vacate their four-story home in Batn al-Hawa, Silwan, East Jerusalem, in favour of Jewish Israeli settlers. On 14 July, the family received an eviction notice demanding that they vacate their home within 20 days, at the expiry of which the settlers could have the eviction order enforced.These cases are examples of an ongoing systematic settlers' campaign and application of a range of laws discriminatorily (some dating to the Ottoman and British Mandate periods), including Israel's Absentees' Property Law and the 1970 Legal and Administrative Matters Law, to uproot Palestinians from their homes, take over their property and implant Israeli settlers in the heart of Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem. International humanitarian law prohibits Israel from imposing its own laws in occupied territory, which includes the application of Israeli laws to evict Palestinians from their homes. Furthermore, the laws in themselves are inherently discriminatory against Palestinians, in violation of Israel's international human rights obligations.

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