UN partner BLDA distributes tents to Gaza families after the ceasefire began on 10 October. The enclave remains in the grip of a catastrophic humanitarian emergency.
This article is published in association with United Nations.
In Gaza, as airstrikes, shelling and gunfire continued to kill and maim Palestinians, UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Wednesday rejected suggestions by the Israeli military that the so-called “Yellow Line” of concrete blocks it has erected inside the enclave represented a new border.
“The Security Council resolution is very clear about not calling anything a border or anything else, it is about a territory that needs to be respected in its entirety,” he said, referencing a resolution adopted by the Council on 17 November in support of a comprehensive plan to end the conflict.
“We call on all parties to respect the ceasefire and to ensure that we can indeed move to the next phase [of the peace plan],” the High Commissioner told journalists in Geneva. Gaza “remains a place of unimaginable suffering, loss and fear. While the bloodshed has reduced, it has not stopped,” he insisted.
Resolution 2803 (2025) received 13 votes in favour and none against, with permanent members China and Russia abstaining.
The text welcomed the Comprehensive Plan announced by President Trump on 29 September. The first phase of the 20-point plan led to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel days later.
Shifting ‘Yellow Line’
Most of the violence in the past week has been reported near the “Yellow Line” whose large painted concrete blocks have shifted in the past week, prompting “new waves” of displacement, according to the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA.
In a scheduled update, the agency cited data from the Gazan health authorities indicating that 360 Palestinians have been killed and 922 injured since the fragile ceasefire agreement came into effect in late October. An additional 617 bodies have been retrieved from under the rubble since then, too.
Echoing those concerns, Mr. Türk said that his Office had documented more than 350 attacks since the ceasefire began. The dead included seven women and 13 children.
“Attacks by Israel continue, including on individuals approaching the so-called Yellow Line, residential buildings and [internally displaced persons] IDP tents and shelters, as well as other civilian objects,” he told reporters.
In addition to the humanitarian emergency still unfolding in Gaza, the High Commissioner stressed how generalized psychological trauma affecting the enclave’s people is “the most serious mental health crisis that one can imagine…Basically everyone is traumatised and especially children.”
Meanwhile, at a press conference marking Human Rights Day, Mr. Türk also expressed deep concern at “unprecedented levels of attack by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinians” and their land in the occupied West Bank.
“This is a time to intensify pressure and advocacy – not to sink into complacency”, he insisted.
A world of trouble
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Turning to the long-running emergency in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the High Commissioner expressed deep concern at overnight reports of thousands fleeing the South Kivu city of Uvira, amid clashes between M23 rebel fighters and DRC armed forces, backed by Wazalendo militia.
“This comes just days after the DRC and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment to implement the June 2025 Washington Peace Agreement,” Mr. Türk said, warning that the risk of a broader regional confrontation was increasing.
The High Commissioner also issued a stark warning that war crimes and potential crimes against humanity may be happening in Sudan, where the war shows no signs of letting up.
The emergency erupted in April 2023 when a transition to civilian rule broke down and today the Sudanese Armed Forces continues to clash with paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Recently, the RSF overran the city of El Fasher after laying siege to it for 18 months, leading to widespread reports of grave rights abuses.
“From Darfur and the Kordofans to Khartoum and Omdurman and beyond, no Sudanese civilian has been left untouched by the cruel and senseless violence,” Mr. Türk said. “We are talking about thousands of people that have been killed. There were summary executions, there were people who were trying to leave us for sure, who were killed when they tried to leave…There were witness statements about rape and gang rape, including in front of family members…So yes, we are talking about very serious atrocity crimes. War crimes for sure. Potentially also crimes against humanity.”
Ukraine appeal
In Ukraine, the High Commissioner noted that civilian harm has risen sharply. Civilian casualties so far this year are 24 per cent higher than the same period last year, he said, largely owing to Russia’s increased use of powerful long-range weapons in large numbers and its continuing efforts “to capture further Ukrainian territory by armed force”.
Urgent steps need to be taken to alleviate suffering, Mr. Türk continued “including the return of transferred children [allegedly taken to Russia], the exchange of all prisoners of war, and the unconditional release of civilian detainees held by Russian authorities”.
War on drugs
Asked to comment on deadly strikes by the US military on alleged drug-smuggler boats in the Caribbean, the High Commissioner reiterated his position that these represented a violation of international law and human rights law and required “prompt, independent investigations”.
Reports indicate that more than 80 people have been killed in more than 20 attacks since September. On 2 September, two survivors of an initial strike were allegedly killed in a second attack.
Mr. Türk noted that as US lawmakers continue to call for further information about these strikes, “I hope that they will lead to a prompt, serious investigation that is independent so that we can get to the bottom of what has happened there.”
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