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:

Learn more

Story

20 August 2026

Raising alarm over new illegal Israeli outposts, UN condemns attacks, incitement against Palestinians

While the UN rights office called on Israel to condemn its national security minister’s words that incite “violence amounting to atrocity crimes” against Palestinians.Key pointsIsraeli operation traps around 40,000 Palestinians in West BankIsraeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s comments “encourage further unlawful mass killings of Palestinians”UN chief António Guterres calls on Israel to halt settlement plans, in line with International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion“The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the reports of new illegal Israeli settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, including new tenders, including for the E1 area,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Wednesday.The controversial E1 settlement plan approved last year includes a tender for more than 1,200 new housing units issued by the Israeli Government this week. It would effectively sever the connection between occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank and bisect north and south, triggering severe consequences for the territorial integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and present an existential threat to the two-State solution.The Secretary-General called on Israel to refrain from taking any further steps in this regard and to act in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and in line with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 which said Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank including East Jerusalem “is unlawful”.West Bank siegeRoughly 40,000 people, including children, are currently under curfew and not permitted to leave their homes in Dahiriya in Hebron after Israeli forces launched an operation on Wednesday.Israeli forces imposed a curfew, deployed snipers on rooftop, blocked roads with earth mounds, made arrests and used at least seven Palestinian homes as interrogation centres, according to UN humanitarian partners that are providing support to residents.“This is having an immediate humanitarian impact because people cannot replenish supplies, access essential services or just get to their workplaces,” the UN Spokesperson said. “Homes and families must be protected, and any security operation must be conducted in a manner that respects international law, including the protection and dignity of civilians.”Israel continues Gaza attacksNear daily deadly Israeli attacks, gunfire, missile launches and airstrikes continue despite the October 2025 provisional ceasefire plan that ended the two-year Israel-Hamas war. UN partners leading on security and safety reported Israeli military activities on areas located to the west of the so-called “Yellow Line”, a series of painted cement blocks Israel installed following the ceasefire.According to initial local reports, an Israeli airstrike killed at least seven people and injured others in a Gaza seaport on Tuesday, with fresh attacks reported on Wednesday.“Such incidents put civilians at risk and will restrict their ability to seek safety, medical care and humanitarian assistance,” Mr. Dujarric said.‘Beyond bounds of humanity’On the heels of comments on Palestinians by Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, that incite “violence amounting to atrocity crimes”, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory issued a terse statement on Wednesday.“The latest comments by Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, advocating and inciting violence amounting to atrocity crimes, are yet another example of the utter contempt for international humanitarian law, international human rights law and the basic tenets of humanity displayed by senior Israeli Government officials,” OHCHR said.“It is beyond the bounds of humanity.”These “dehumanising remarks” follow the devastating human toll of 73,400 Palestinians killed and 174,312 injured in Gaza since 7 October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, alongside 1,123 Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank,” OHCHR said.Israel must condemn incitementThe UN rights office pointed out that in January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down binding provisional measures requiring Israel to “take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip” following South Africa’s case against Israel.“Today, in the wake of the utter destruction of Gaza and unrelenting Israeli settler attacks and forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank, statements from senior Israeli officials to justify and encourage further unlawful mass killings of Palestinians continue unabated,” OHCHR said.OHCHR called on the Israeli Government to unequivocally condemn and investigate instances of incitement against Palestinians.

1 of 5

Story

19 August 2026

Gaza: Only three per cent of cropland available to grow food

Amid ongoing deadly hostilities in Gaza, the enclave’s farmers face the increasingly difficult challenge of finding safe land to grow their crops.Satellite images published on Tuesday in news analysis from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNOSAT, the UN Satellite Centre, indicate that just three per cent (448 hectares) of the shattered enclave’s farmland remains usable. In October 2025, only 601 hectares were accessible and undamaged.“This latest assessment paints a stark picture of the continued deterioration of Gaza’s agriculture sector,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience. “Without urgent action to restore safe access and provide farmers with the support they need, opportunities to restore local food production will continue to diminish.”Bombed outFor cucumber and tomato grower Taysir Dahdouh, the war between Hamas fighters and Israel sparked by Hamas’s deadly attacks in October 2023 has been marked by overwhelming loss.“I had a good income before the war,” he said. “Suddenly, we were left with nothing…Even the steel frames of the greenhouses disappeared, along with our homes, belongings, and irrigation pipes. Nothing was left.”After returning from displacement, Mr. Dahdouh tried to restore the land using basic tools, working with his family. “We managed to rehabilitate about one dunum (about one-tenth of a hectare) of our land to bring it back to life,” he explained.Another Gaza farmer, Wajiha Dahdouh, highlighted other equally serious problems: “We came back to support ourselves and return to farming so we could survive. Unfortunately, there is not enough water, there are no fertilizers, no seeds, and none of the basic necessities that would allow people to continue their lives.”Squeezed outThe reduced growing space for Gaza’s farmers today is mainly the result of a lack of access, rather than additional damage from the war, which was already massive.In June 2026, just over 4,000 hectares of cropland in Gaza – or 27 per cent – could be reached, but approximately 3,600 hectares of this was unfit for planting.Farmers in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis have seen the largest reductions in available land, FAO said. This is primarily because of the “westward expansion” of the so-called ‘Yellow Line’ that separates the ceasefire zone from the Israel Defense Forces’ military-controlled area.Rafah in the far south of Gaza has the highest levels of inaccessible cropland and greenhouse growing areas, at 97.2 per cent and 98.4 per cent respectively.“The most extensive physical damage remains concentrated in North Gaza and Gaza governorates,” the agency noted. Most damage is in North Gaza and Gaza, satellite images show.The situation for Gazans remains dire. Just this weekend, UN partners reported multiple air strikes and incidents of shelling, gunfire and naval fire, primarily west of the Yellow Line, where most of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are now confined to an area less than half the size of the enclave.

1 of 5

Story

18 August 2026

Aid reaches trapped Palestinian families in northern West Bank

The UN said on Monday, as officials warned that the standoff must not become "the new normal."UN teams on the ground reached the families after they were confined to their homes following the establishment of an Israeli settlement outpost nearby and the imposition of tighter access restrictions, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the daily noon briefing.Some reliefA UNICEF team delivered water, food, medicines, hygiene items and recreational kits for children. As of Monday, however, the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) reported that three Palestinian families in the village remained surrounded by a heavy presence of Israeli forces and settlers.Separately, municipal workers managed to repair water and electricity connections that had been damaged over the past week, though only after facing serious impediments – Israeli settlers attacked the workers, and Israeli forces detained some of them, Mr. Dujarric said. Israeli forces also reportedly ordered a nearby Palestinian factory to suspend operations, affecting local livelihoods.Elsewhere in the West Bank, multiple people were injured over the weekend, including by live ammunition, in two separate incidents in Hebron governorate involving Israeli forces, settlers and Palestinians.Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov, who is also the humanitarian coordinator, said recent developments in the West Bank underscore the urgent need to protect civilians, safeguard homes and property, and ensure access to essential services.The update follows an appeal from the UN rights office (OHCHR) last Thursday, after three Palestinian families – around 15 people, including at least two children – were left confined to their homes "in a state of terror" in Qusra's Ras al Ein area, with settlers accused of cutting off their power and water. The attacks are part of a pattern of escalating settler violence in Qusra since a nearby outpost was established in November 2025, OHCHR said.Gaza: Strikes and shelter shortagesIn Gaza, humanitarian partners remain concerned about the impact of continued Israeli strikes on civilians, Mr. Dujarric told correspondents in New York. Over the weekend, UN partners reported multiple air strikes and incidents of shelling, gunfire and naval fire, primarily west of the so-called Yellow Line, where most of Gaza's 2.1 million people are now confined to an area covering less than half of the enclave’s former land mass. Civilians were reported among the casualties.Humanitarian partners also warned that preparations for the coming rainy season are facing funding shortfalls and other constraints, even as the need for them becomes more urgent. Tents barred from entryAhead of winter, the UN and its partners have managed to purchase fewer than 30,000 tents – most of which remain stuck outside Gaza – against an estimated need of between 80,000 and 130,000, depending on whether more durable shelter materials are allowed in. Such materials still cannot be brought into the Gaza Strip.Less than 40 per cent of the $4 billion required for humanitarian support across Gaza and the West Bank has been secured so far this year.

1 of 5

Story

17 August 2026

900 obstacles and counting: West Bank families trapped as aid access shrinks

Humanitarians continue to provide life-saving assistance to people across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the United Nations said. In the West Bank, aid partners warn that their work “is being delayed and limited by a network of over 900 physical obstacles – including checkpoints, gates, roadblocks and other restrictions,” UN Associate Spokesperson Daniela Gross told journalists in New York. On Friday, humanitarian and municipal workers were struggling to secure access to three Palestinian families in Qusra village near Nablus who have been trapped since Tuesday following the establishment of a settlement next to their homes and the tightening of access restrictions in the area. Serve and protect The UN human rights office, OHCHR, previously warned that “time is running out” before the families are forcibly displaced. Ms. Gross said UN partners and municipal workers had been trying to deliver food, water, milk formula, medicines and hygiene items to them, without success. “Our colleagues warn that efforts to protect Palestinians have been ineffective, with settlers reportedly reinstalling a tent that Israeli forces had dismantled yesterday,” she said. Dire situation in the north She added that the humanitarian situation in the northern West Bank “remains particularly severe”. Since January, UN partners have provided psychosocial support, case management, and services for children with disabilities, and other vital assistance.Nearly 30,000 children and 15,000 adults have been served during this period. Support in Gaza Meanwhile, humanitarians in the Gaza Strip continue to provide vital aid to the population despite persistent insecurity and restrictions.  Last week, the UN and partners mobilized rapid support for people who had lost their shelters or were displaced again due to attacks, domestic fires and other incidents. More than a dozen reported incidents linked to attacks affected nearly 290 households, while two households were affected by domestic fires — a recurring danger in overcrowded shelters where families lack proper energy sources to cook their meals.Another five households were affected by the placement of new yellow cement blocks, which often signal expanded areas where access is restricted and can trigger further displacement. Most of the appeals for help last week came from northern Gaza and Deir al Balah, with teams tailoring response to meet families’ specific needs. Summer school In other developments, as of last week more than 300,000 children in Gaza continued to participate in summer learning programmes supported by UN partners.These organizations have also installed shade structures in 10 temporary learning spaces to address the extreme heat in the Strip.

1 of 5

Story

21 April 2026

Gaza: Human development set back 77 years as recovery costs rise to $71 billion

with $71.4 billion needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction.That’s according to the final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), jointly conducted with the UN-partnered World Bank.The assessment says $26.3 billion will be needed in the first 18 months to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support economic recovery.Since full-scale war erupted in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023, the physical damage in the Strip is estimated at $35.2 billion, with a further $22.7 billion in economic and social losses.Entire sectors have been devastated, including housing, health, education, commerce, and agriculture. Over 371,888 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, more than 50 per cent of hospitals are non-functional, and nearly all schools have been destroyed or damaged. The economy has contracted by 84 per cent.Devastating human toll The impact on the lives of Gazans is just as devastating: more than 60 per cent of the population having lost their homes and 1.9 million people displaced, often multiple times. Women, children, persons with disabilities, and those with pre-existing vulnerabilities bear the greatest burden.Over two years of conflict has resulted in more than 71,000 Palestinian fatalities and over 171,000 injured, according to local authorities, with many still missing under the rubble. Framework for reconstructionThe report provides the foundation for early recovery planning and reconstruction, stressing it must must run in parallel with humanitarian action to ensure an effective transition from emergency relief toward reconstruction at scale in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank.The assessment is framed in line with Security Council adopted resolution 2803 (2025) of the US-backed Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, which welcomed establishment of the Board of Peace led by President Trump as a transitional administration to set the framework for redevelopment and authorised the mechanism to set up a temporary International Stabilisation Force (ISF). The EU and UN emphasise that recovery and reconstruction should be Palestinian-led and should support the transition of governance to the Palestinian Authority, while advancing a durable political settlement based on the two-State solution.Planning and implementation should be inclusive, transparent, and accountable, with particular attention to the needs of women, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities.Conditions neededThe assessment recognises that a set of enabling conditions are essential for recovery, reconstruction, and implementation of the broader political framework:A sustained ceasefire and adequate securityUnimpeded humanitarian access and immediate restoration of essential servicesFree movement of people, goods, and reconstruction materials, within and between Gaza and the West Bank, and a functional, transparent financial systemClear, accountable governance, including defined mandates and establishment of conditions for the transitional administrative bodies in coordination with the Palestinian Authority (PA)A credible pathway for the PA’s future governance across the entire Occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, is essentialDebris clearance, explosive ordnance management, and resolution of housing, land, and property rights are prerequisites for reconstruction.The international community must mobilise resources in a targeted, sequenced, coordinated mannerAll obstacles to the deployment of expertise and equipment must be removed rapidly

1 of 5

Story

12 August 2026

Alakbarov: The West Bank is at the breaking point, and settler violence has reached unprecedented levels

“The West Bank is at the breaking point,” Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov warned.As of 10 August, he said, 76 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in 2026, as had three Israelis - including one civilian and two Israeli security force members.In 2026 alone, 3,800 Palestinians - nearly half of them children - have been displaced due to settler violence, demolitions and evictions. “Settler violence has reached unprecedented levels,” he stressed, noting that the UN has documented more than 1,430 incidents this year, affecting some 260 Palestinian communities.“The pattern is clear”, he said: Palestinians are being forcibly displaced across the West Bank before settlers seize the vacated land.Settler attacks, previously concentrated in Area C, are increasingly reported in Area B and even Area A.Resolution 2803 (2025)“The situation in the West Bank must be treated as an emergency requiring urgent action,” Mr. Alakbarov implored.The interconnected steps being taken are reshaping the West Bank, weakening Palestinian governance and advancing de facto annexation.If the situation continues to unravel, it will undermine implementation of resolution 2803 (2025) and erode the prospects for realizing a negotiated Israeli-Palestinian peace based on the two-State solution.He called for implementing resolution 2803 (2025) "immediately and in full", together with the New York Declaration.After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire in October 2025, the Security Council adopted resolution 2803 (2025), which endorses a peace plan for Gaza put forward by United States President Donald Trump and a temporary international force in the enclave following two years of war.By a vote of 13 in favour to none against, with permanent members China and the Russian Federation abstaining, the text endorses the Comprehensive Plan announced by the United States President on 29 September.The first phase of the 20-point plan led to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel days later.Child killed every week in West BankUnited Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Executive Director Hannan Sulieman told the story of a grandmother in the West Bank who was afraid to leave her home after a grenade was thrown into her kitchen while her grandchildren were inside."The fundamental spaces of childhood – the home, the classroom, the street, the community – are becoming increasingly unsafe," she warned.Between January 2024 and July 2026, 174 Palestinian children were verified killed by the UN in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - “more than one child every week”, she said, offering context.More than 1,500 children were injured – nearly half of them by live ammunition. Over the same period, 3 Israeli children were killed and 15 injured.As well, she voiced that 355 Palestinian children from the West Bank are being held in Israeli military detention – “the highest number in eight years”.She pressed the Council to protect children, end the forced displacement of Palestinian families, protect access to education and healthcare and safeguard humanitarian operations.“Children in the West Bank have the same rights as children everywhere,” she said: To live, to learn, to be protected and to imagine a future beyond violence and fear.UN: West Bank settler violence hits ‘all-time high’Violence in the occupied West Bank is worsening as the Israeli Government continues to approve new settlements while settlers and Israeli security forces have “often” acted together to attack local Palestinian communities, the UN’s human rights office, OHCHR, warned.There were about 190 settler attacks per month in the first four months of 2026, putting the West Bank on a trajectory to reach more than 2,000 attacks by the end of the year.Alongside security forces, Israeli settlers in the West Bank, with financial incentives from the Government, frequently attack families, burn mosques and destroy and confiscate property, OHCHR reported.Movement restrictions preventing Palestinians from accessing essential services are now tighter than ever, the office added.

1 of 5

Story

07 August 2026

Gaza: 300 children killed in 300 days of Israeli-Hamas ‘ceasefire’

To suspend military operations between Hamas fighters and the Israel Defense Forces, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.Why it mattersChildren are still being killed despite ceasefire More babies born premature to hungry mothers Aid agencies say much greater aid access needed A generation of children lack education and other basic servicesAmid reports of a new United States-led peace plan for the war-torn enclave and a recent spike in Israeli airstrikes on alleged Hamas targets in Gaza, UNICEF stressed that families are now confined to approximately one third of the Strip, sheltering among destroyed buildings, rubble and uncleared waste. “A ceasefire that leaves an average of one child dead each and every day is failing children,” said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder. “With hundreds more children injured, many severely, children in Gaza are still waiting for the end to the violence they were promised.”Responding to the reports about the mooted Gaza peace plan, the senior UN official welcomed recent announcements suggesting “steps towards ending hostilities” and scaled-up deliveries of humanitarian relief.“For children in Gaza, the test is simple. Does the killing stop? Does aid reach them at scale? Do hospitals reopen and water flow? Will children return to school safely in September?” Mr. Beigbeder said. “Children have heard promises before. This time, agreements must translate into action.”Suffering on a huge scaleDeadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza have caused an ongoing humanitarian crisis on an epic scale.In common with many other UN agencies and partners, UNICEF warned once again that across the Strip, children continue to face acute malnutrition, disease, unsafe water and damaged sanitation systems.For the duration of the hostilities, the UN has not stopped working to help the people of Gaza.And yet despite repeated calls to flood the enclave with aid – and for the killing to stop – UNICEF health workers describe how exhausted and hungry mothers continue to arrive at health centres carrying their severely malnourished children. Another consequence of this chronic lack of assistance is a worrying increase in premature births, along with more newborns in a critical condition. “There’s not enough incubators and in some cases [health workers are] saying they see two or even three babies sharing a single machine,” explained UNICEF spokesperson Louise Wateridge. “In Gaza, children only days old are already fighting to stay alive, born into partially functioning hospitals lacking equipment and medicine.”Ms. Wateridge added: “This is what the world has chosen to tolerate. The killing must stop, aid has to enter at scale and children must be protected.”Burying children“The world calls it a ceasefire but families in Gaza are still burying their children,” the UNICEF spokesperson continued.In its latest update on Gaza, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted that airstrikes in Gaza had reportedly resulted in civilian casualties and damage to critical medical supplies and civilian infrastructure. “Ongoing military operations near the so-called ‘Yellow Line’ – coupled with strikes reported in other parts of the Strip – are disrupting civilian life, damaging shelters, driving renewed displacement, and restricting access to life-saving services,” the agency said, in reference to the line of separation consisting of concrete blocks erected by Israeli soldiers.Citing the Gazan health authorities, OCHA said that the overall casualty toll since the announcement of a ceasefire agreement on 10 October 2025 is 1,209 people killed and 3,943 injured. After attacks on a medical storage facility next to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah last weekend, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said that essential medical supplies had been destroyed, including some delivered by the agency.Assistance continuesAmid the violence, the UN and its partners continue to respond “wherever and whenever they can”, OCHA said. This included work to improve 3,000 makeshift shelters in Gaza City last week and the distribution of emergency shelter and essential items to 9,000 households, including kitchen sets, tarpaulins, blankets, mattresses, solar lights and clothes.“To scale up assistance and carry out further upgrades of makeshift shelters, it is critical that timber, ropes, more solar lights and tools are allowed to enter Gaza in a timely manner,” OCHA insisted. On Tuesday, UNICEF delivered more than 600 pallets of recreational kits, school bags and soap into Gaza. The supplies will be distributed ahead of the new school year, expected to begin in about two weeks.Other partners working on education continue to provide support, too. More than 250,000 pre-school and school-aged children are participating in summer learning activities, helping to provide a sense of routine and stability, while helping students recover some of the learning lost during the hostilities.

1 of 5

Story

04 August 2026

Israel kills over two dozen in Gaza in weekend strikes

UN agencies and peacekeepers said on Monday.UN aid agencies also reported that needs remain high, even though food insecurity has eased a little following the October Israel-Hamas ceasefire that ended a two-year-long war which left much of Gaza destroyed and most Palestinians displaced.Last Friday, The US-led Board of Peace backed by the Security Council and established under the 20-point peace plan announced an agreement to move to disarmament and the next stage of the ceasefire, with Hamas declaring it was accepting the roadmap. The Israeli Government reportedly said Sunday it had “serious security concerns” over the proposal and would not withdraw from Gaza ahead of full disarmament.What you need to knowIsraeli airstrikes, shelling and shooting continued across the Gaza Strip over the weekend, the UN relief agency, OCHA, said, killing over 25, according to news reportsAn Israeli attack near a Gaza hospital on Saturday destroyed critical medical supplies as UN agencies reported shortages of key medicines and essential items amid soaring food pricesIn the occupied West Bank, an intensifying pattern of settler violence meant that July stands alongside March this year as the deadliest month for Palestinians in settler attacks since the war erupted in October 2023, according to OCHA updatesFresh Israeli strikes in GazaThe Gaza Ministry of Health reported that more than 150 fatalities, including dozens of civilians, were documented in July, the highest reported monthly death toll since the beginning of the year, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Monday.Most strikes targeted western Gaza, “within the less than half of the Strip”, where virtually all 2.1 million of the enclave’s residents are now concentrated, he said.Fresh Israeli attacks also hit the area of Al-Aqsa Hospital on Saturday, damaging an adjacent medical storage facility and destroying essential medical supplies, including some delivered by the World Health Organization (WHO), Mr. Haq said.Severe medicine shortagesIn addition to airstrikes destroying critical supplies, OCHA highlighted already critical shortages of key medicines to treat chronic diseases, including insulin and materials needed for cardiac treatment, dialysis supplies and critical diagnostic and monitoring equipment.“More supplies required to prevent and control infections are pending Israeli approval to bring into Gaza,” the UN Deputy Spokesperson said.Right now, alcohol-based disinfectants, which are essential for hygiene and routine infection prevention, are largely unavailable, he added.Priced outEven with an increased number of commercial and humanitarian trucks reaching Gaza, high market prices are making basic food items unaffordable for four in 10 households, according to a World Food Programme (WFP) survey of families in the war-torn Strip.Nearly one in two households said that they had completely run out of food at home, with 22 per cent experiencing this more than 10 times in the month preceding the survey.A severe cooking gas shortage has left families waiting weeks for an eight kilo canister that lasts barely half a month, with black market prices beyond reach for most, and forcing thousands to burn hazardous waste or firewood if they want to make a hot meal, WFP warned.Learn more about UN efforts in Occupied Palestinian Territory here.

1 of 5

Story

30 July 2026

UN warns West Bank settler violence hits ‘all-time high’ as calls grow to end occupation

While settlers and Israeli security forces have “often” acted together to attack local Palestinian communities, the UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) warned on Wednesday.As of 24 July, the agency reports that 76 Palestinians and one Israeli have died this year in settler attacks. Since Friday, eight Palestinians, including a boy, and two members of the Israeli military have also been killed in the region.The number of settler attacks has increased each year since 2023 following the brutal Hamas attacks on southern Israeli communities, rising to 1,835 last year, according to the UN’s humanitarian aid office (OCHA). There were about 190 attacks per month in the first four months of 2026, putting the West Bank on a trajectory to reach more than 2,000 attacks by the end of the year.Alongside security forces, Israeli settlers in the West Bank, with financial incentives from the government, frequently attack families, burn mosques and destroy and confiscate property, OHCHR reported.Movement restrictions preventing Palestinians from accessing essential services are now tighter than ever, the office added.“We are alarmed by the Israeli Government’s announcement to further increase the number of settlements and outposts and open calls by Israeli leaders for revenge and collective punishment against Palestinian communities, accompanied by threats to turn the West Bank into another Gaza,” OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said.Two-State solution must remainSpeaking from Jerusalem on Friday, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov called the continued loss of life in the West Bank “deeply alarming”, urging Israel to hold perpetrators accountable and all actors to pursue a two-state solution.“There is no military or violent solution to this conflict,” Mr. Alakbarov said.In September, the General Assembly endorsed the New York Declaration, calling for a two-State solution, though Israel and the US voted against it.The escalating violence in the West Bank comes two years after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in an advisory opinion that Israel’s occupation of Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank since 1967 is illegal and that countries should not recognise Israel’s actions related to the occupation. Israel quickly condemned the ruling.Briefing the Security Council in New York on Tuesday, Mr. Alakbarov noted that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently announced the approval of several new settlements, which the peace coordinator called “illegal under international law”.“I call upon all parties to take urgent steps to reverse the dangerous trajectory in the West Bank,” he said.On Monday, Israeli troops forcibly entered a UN facility in East Jerusalem where hundreds of Palestinian refugees receive free vocational training each year. The UN and its partners in the occupied territories condemned the action, which violates international law.Call to end occupationOHCHR’s Ms. Shamdasani reiterated on Wednesday the UN’s call for countries to work together to “bring an end to the Israeli occupation” of the West Bank.“With attacks by Israeli settlers, and the creation of settlements and outposts hitting an all-time high, third States must act urgently and in unison to halt the continuing killing and dispossession of the Palestinian people,” she said.

1 of 5

Story

28 July 2026

Guterres: Fast-tracking West Bank outposts is a ‘flagrant violation’ of international law

On Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over Israel’s recent announcement of a series of measures in response to recent attacks. These include accelerating the process to legalise farm outposts in the West Bank and establish new ones. Settlements are illegal The Secretary-General reiterated that all settlements, including outposts, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law. Moreover, they remain a major obstacle to achieving the two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians, and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.The UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA voiced alarm over the escalating violence across the West Bank in recent days. Death, destruction and restrictions Since Thursday, at least eight Palestinians - including a child - as well as two Israelis, have been killed and many others have been injured.  Homes, mosques, trees and agriculture structures have been set ablaze or otherwise vandalized and, in some cases, destroyed. At least 10 Palestinian families have been displaced.“In parallel, Israeli forces have tightened their restrictions on Palestinian movements and access across many areas of the West Bank, preventing thousands of people from reaching essential services, such as emergency medical care and the sources of their livelihoods,” OCHA said. Since January, the agency has documented more than 1,330 incidents involving Israeli settlers that resulted in casualties, property damage or both.As of Saturday, Israeli forces or settlers have killed 77 Palestinians this year, including 18 children.  During the same period, three Israelis were killed by Palestinians. Meanwhile, the UN and partners continue to call for the urgent protection of civilians and strict respect for both international humanitarian law and international human rights law, underscoring that perpetrators must be held to account.

1 of 5

View all

Press Release

13 August 2026

Settler encroachments and attacks on Palestinian homes are beyond a boiling point

Since the establishment of an Israeli settler outpost near Qusra, a Palestinian town located in Nablus Governorate in Area B of the occupied West Bank in November 2025, Israeli settlers have reportedly taken control of the area west of the town, located in Area B. During this time, Palestinians living in Qusra have endured increasingly frequent attacks by settlers, including home invasions, physical assaults, acts of vandalism, theft and arson, including against a local mosque.In an emblematic case of settler violence, in July, Israeli settlers from an outpost located in the Ras al Ein area of Qusra cut the water and electricity supply to three Palestinian homes located nearby. Then, on 9 August, the settlers closed all the gates and entrances leading to these Palestinian homes and set up a tent between the houses, refusing to allow anyone to enter or leave the area. This has resulted in three Palestinian households, comprising some 15 people including at least two children, being trapped inside their homes in a state of terror, unable to attend to their basic needs and without access to water or electricity.The families reported that they requested Israeli security forces present at the site to intervene, but to no avail. Instead, Israeli security forces seem to have blocked medics, solidarity activists and journalists from reaching the families. In a sign that could indicate collusion between the ISF and settlers, video footage shows soldiers praying together with settlers at the location. On 12 August, soldiers eventually dismantled the settlers’ tent without removing the settlers who, as of 13 August, are still surrounding the homes. These criminal actions by the settlers, supported or acquiesced to by Israel, the Occupying Power, are making life unbearable for these Palestinian families, and are clearly aimed at forcing them to leave their homes and land. Time is running out for these three families before they are forcibly displaced.The International Court of Justice is clear that all Israeli settlements are illegal and that Israel is obligated to cease all settlement activities, evacuate all settlers, including those terrorizing Qusra and Jalud, and bring to an end its unlawful presence in the West Bank. In the meantime, Israel must comply with its obligations under the laws of occupation to ensure the security of the local Palestinian population, which includes preventing attacks by Israeli settlers unlawfully present in the occupied West Bank, investigating such attacks and ensuring accountability of those found responsible for conducting, supporting or tolerating these attacks, including through the imposition of sentences commensurate to the abuses and violations.

1 of 5

Press Release

13 August 2026

UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) concerned over Israel’s ill-treatment, violence and confiscation of belongings from Gaza returnees

Between 7 July and 4 August 2026, hundreds of returnees described prolonged and exhausting journeys. In just one day, in July, 54 of 92 returnees reported that some or all of their personal belongings had been confiscated, including medicines and assistive devices.In early August, an older man reported that, after objecting to money being missing from his belongings, Israel soldiers beat and handcuffed him, dragged him along the ground, detained him in a small room, and then transferred him to a bus.In another instance, there were reports of unnecessary intrusive searches and degrading treatment. Two women returning together reported that they were taken separately into closed areas and subjected to an intrusive body search by a female Israeli soldier, being required to remove their clothes while being filmed by a surveillance camera, after a metal necklace worn by one of them had triggered a security alarm.These reports are consistent with concerns documented during earlier crossings, where returnees described verbal abuse, intimidation, interrogations, violent handling and theft from their luggage.Children face additional vulnerabilities. A four-year-old girl arrived in Gaza alone after her father was prevented from returning to Gaza. Upon her arrival, humanitarian partners had to initiate family tracing to help reunite her with her mother and uncle.“These violations we are seeing against Palestinians returning to Gaza are part of a broader pattern of violations and dehumanization, and are discouraging people from returning,” said Ajith Sunghay, Head of UN Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “These are vulnerable people returning to their occupied land that has been devastated by years of Israeli bombardment and starved of life’s basic essentials. And now they are having to endure this on their return? It is simply abhorrent.”

1 of 5

Press Release

12 August 2026

Statement by Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Acting United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) On International Youth Day

In Gaza, young people have borne the devastating consequences of the ongoing conflict, including persistent violence, the loss of loved ones, repeated displacement, and the widespread destruction of homes, schools and universities. The collapse of essential services, disruption of education and loss of livelihoods threaten the future of an entire generation. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, youth continue to face escalating violence, expanding settler presence, severe restrictions on movement and access, and shrinking economic opportunities.Yet, Palestinian youth continue to demonstrate remarkable initiative, creativity and resilience. Across communities, young women and men are supporting their families and communities, creating new ways to learn and work, and using technology and innovation to address the challenges around them. They are not only recipients of support, they are essential partners in humanitarian response, recovery and rebuilding. Their resilience, however, must never become a substitute for their rights.The United Nations remains steadfast in its commitment to the youth of Palestine. We will continue to work alongside young people, advocating for their rights and supporting access to education, health, including sexual and reproductive health, decent work, meaningful participation and pathways to economic and social recovery.To the young people of Palestine: Your aspirations must be at the heart of building a better future. Your voices matter, your rights must be upheld, and your potential must have the space to flourish. You deserve a future defined not by conflict and survival, but by peace, opportunity, and the freedom and opportunity to shape your own lives.

1 of 5

Press Release

23 July 2026

Palestinian authorities must stop practices of arbitrary detention, torture, and ill-treatment

Palestinian authorities continue to arbitrarily or unlawfully deprive dozens of Palestinians of liberty — many are reportedly detained under a law that was declared unconstitutional by the Palestinian Supreme Constitutional Court. UN Human Rights – OPT has also gathered information on several male prisoners, including children, who continued to be detained by Palestinian security forces despite courts having ordered their release.Some detainees in Palestinian detention facilities have reported torture and other forms of ill-treatment, including painful stress positions, severe beatings and whippings, and prolonged solitary confinement. Detainees who reported torture and ill-treatment frequently referred to experiencing suspension in a position known in Arabic as “shabeh”, where their hands are shackled behind their backs, and they are suspended from the ceiling by their wrists for days at a time.Over the years, the Palestinian authorities have worked closely with our Office and made some advancements, including legal reforms and increased engagement with the UN Committee Against Torture. However, much more needs to be done to guarantee the rights and dignity of Palestinian detainees.The Palestinian authorities must immediately stop all forms of torture and other ill-treatment of detainees and all arbitrary or unlawful detention. Those deprived of liberty must be treated with humanity and respect for their dignity. Among others, they must be provided with regular outdoor access, sufficient living space to prevent overcrowding, and adequate food, medical care, clothing, and sanitation facilities and hygiene conditions. They must also be entitled to challenge the lawfulness of their detention before a court.Palestinian authorities must also conduct prompt, thorough, independent, impartial and effective investigations into all reports of torture and ill-treatment of detainees and hold perpetrators to account. To prevent recurrence, we call upon the Government of the State of Palestine to operationalize commitments taken within the National Commission against Torture, and under the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and establish a National Preventive Mechanism with a mandate to regularly inspect places of detention.

1 of 5

View all