Occupied Palestinian Territory: Security Council hears of ongoing violence, ‘relentless’ Israeli settlement expansion

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The United Nations continues to voice major concern over hostilities and Israeli settlement expansion in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), the Security Council heard on Wednesday. 

Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General in the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), presented the latest quarterly report on the implementation of Council resolution 2334 (2016).

It calls for Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the OPT, including East Jerusalem, and for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians.

Ongoing hostilities in Gaza

Mr. Khiari said that hostilities and violence have continued throughout the OPT since the report’s submission.

Among the incidents was the reported killing of at least 69 Palestinians from 14 to 15 December in four Israeli airstrikes on schools in Gaza sheltering displaced persons.  This includes 20 people killed at a school run by UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis.

More than 250 Palestinians have been killed in such strikes over the past week, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The authorities said that the death toll from the war has surpassed 45,000, while Israeli sources report that over 1,700 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed.

West Bank unrest

Meanwhile, an Israeli boy was killed in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank on 12 December.  Israeli forces reportedly killed a Palestinian man in an exchange of fire in a refugee camp that same day.

“Serious clashes have also taken place between Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank and Palestinian security forces since the written report, particularly in Jenin camp following a Palestinian arrest operation and the seizure of Palestinian Authority vehicles by militants,” he said.

He added that over several days, Palestinian security forces have killed an unarmed 19-year-old and detained numerous Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants, while the clashes have caused significant damage to the camp.

Hamas attacks condemned

Mr. Khiari highlighted some of the observations in the report.

He again strongly condemned the horrific 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on Israel and the continued holding of more than 100 hostages in Gaza. 

Nothing can justify these acts of terror, he said, reiterating that all remaining hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally, while a ceasefire in Gaza is long overdue.

Devastation, death and humanitarian restrictions

He also drew attention to the widespread devastation and deprivation resulting from Israel’s military operations in the north, and condemned its use of explosive weapons with wide area affects in densely populated areas across the Gaza Strip, which has caused massive casualties and damage, including to UN premises.

He mourned the UN personnel killed in Gaza and strongly condemned the killing of health workers, humanitarians and journalists, as well as the looting of aid in the context of a breakdown of law and order. 

He further noted that continued restrictions imposed by Israel, looting and overall insecurity mean that aid entering Gaza is insufficient to meet the overwhelming needs.

Against settlement expansion

“I remain deeply alarmed by the relentless Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, that is fueling tensions, impeding access by Palestinians to their land and threatening the viability of a future independent, democratic, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian State,” he said.

He expressed deep concern that Israel has continued to systematically promote policies that have strengthened involvement of civilian officials in control over the occupied West Bank, which includes transferring of some security functions.  Some Israeli Government officials also have called for annexing areas of the territory.

In this regard, he noted the recent findings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its Advisory Opinion on 19 July, which declared that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible.

Support Palestinian government

Mr. Khiari said it is vital that the international community provide immediate support to the Palestinian Government so that it can address fiscal challenges, strengthen governance capacity, and prepare to reassume responsibilities in Gaza.

“We must establish political and security frameworks that can address the humanitarian catastrophe, start early recovery, rebuild Gaza, and lay the groundwork for a political process to end the occupation and establish a viable two-State solution as soon as possible,” he said.

He stressed that these frameworks must facilitate a legitimate Palestinian Government that can re-unify Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem – politically, economically and administratively, while also reversing the steadily deteriorating dynamics throughout the OPT.

“Any attempt to establish settlements in Gaza must be firmly rejected. There must be no attempt to reduce or annex the territory of Gaza in whole or in part,” he said.

Lay the foundation

Amid the conflict in Gaza and tensions in the West Bank, the UN continues to call for a two-State solution between Palestinians and Israelis.

“The devastation and misery of the past year have reinforced once again a simple truth: Palestinians and Israelis can no longer wait to establish a viable political horizon,” he said.

“Now is the time to lay the foundations for a better future for Palestinians, Israelis and the broader region,”.

Mr. Khiari upheld the UN’s commitment to support Palestinians and Israelis in ending the occupation and resolving the conflict in line with international law, relevant UN resolutions and bilateral agreements in pursuit of achieving the two-State solution.