NEW YORK CITY
\nA top UN official on Friday condemned ongoing violence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, urged all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rights laws, and called for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza.
\nDuring a meeting of the Security Council, the third this week on events in the region, the UN\u2019s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Sigrid Kaag, also condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, and warned that continuing violations of Security Council Resolution 2334 are damaging the prospects for a two-state solution.
\nAdopted in 2016, Resolution 2334 calls for \u201cimmediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction,\u201d along with the reversal of \u201cnegative trends on the ground that are imperiling the two-state solution.\u201d
\nIn a report presented to the council, Kaag said Israeli authorities have approved about 10,600 new housing units in settlements, including 4,920 in East Jerusalem, despite the resolution\u2019s demand for a halt to such activities.
\nHer report also highlighted a sharp increase in seizures and demolitions of Palestinian-owned properties. It said that during the reporting period, from Dec. 7, 2024, to March 13, 2025, at least 460 structures were destroyed, displacing 576 Palestinians, including nearly 300 children.
\nSuch actions have been strongly criticized by the UN as a violation of international law, and Kaag reiterated that they undermine hopes for a viable Palestinian state.
\n\u201cUnfortunately, the high number of fatal incidents across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel precludes me from detailing all,\u201d she continued.
\nThe situation in Gaza continues to be dire, Kaag said, with the UN confirming that at least 3,860 Palestinians were killed during the reporting period, and about 6,000 injured. The humanitarian crisis in the war-battered enclave remains \u201ccatastrophic,\u201d as Israeli authorities have halted the entry of essential goods and supplies. Access to clean water is restricted for more than half a million people there, and the already fragile health infrastructure has been severely affected.
\nKaag reiterated that the provision of humanitarian aid \u201cis not negotiable\u201d and deliveries must be allowed to reach those in need. She strongly condemned the blocking of aid to Gaza by Israeli authorities, as well as \u201cthe widespread killing\u201d and wounding of civilians, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
\n\u201cNothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,\u201d she said.
\nKaag also condemned \u201cindiscriminate attacks and the use of human shields\u201d by Hamas, and stressed that all parties involved must \u201crespect their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.\u201d
\nShe called for the immediate release of the 59 remaining Israeli hostages taken by Hamas and other Palestinian groups during the attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, 24 of whom are alive and 35 dead.
\n\u201cPalestinian armed groups continued to hold hostages in horrific conditions, and fired rockets indiscriminately towards Israel,\u201d said Kaag. \u201cHostages must be released immediately and unconditionally.
\n\u201cI strongly condemn the reported ill-treatment of hostages. I remain appalled that there are reasonable grounds to believe that hostages may be subjected to sexual violence and abuse. I also reiterate my condemnation of Hamas\u2019s abhorrent public displays accompanying the release of living and deceased hostages.\u201d
\nKaag also condemned the reported ill-treatment, including sexual abuse, of Palestinians held in Israeli detention facilities and said that when detainees are released, this must also be carried out in a dignified way.
\nViolence in the West Bank continues to escalate, with Israeli military operations and settler-related violence contributing to rising casualty figures. At least 123 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed. Meanwhile, 10 Israelis, including children, have lost their lives in attacks by Palestinians. Rising tensions within Palestinian refugee camps, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarem, have resulted in the widespread displacement of occupants and the demolition of homes.
\n\u201cThe escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank is deeply troubling,\u201d Kaag said. \u201cAlongside the rising death toll, Palestinian refugee camps in the northern West Bank are being emptied and sustaining massive infrastructure damage during Israeli operations.\u201d
\nKaag rejected any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians from the occupied territories, warning that such action amounts to \u201ca grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.\u201d
\nShe condemned violence on both sides of the conflict and called for a policy of \u201cmaximum restraint\u201d from the security forces. Lethal force must only be used when \u201cstrictly unavoidable to protect life,\u201d she added.
\nKaag also expressed alarm over ongoing attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers, some of which have occurred with the support of Israeli security forces.
\nIn addition, she voiced concern about the ongoing Israeli efforts to undermine the UN Relief and Works Agency, which provides vital aid and services to Palestinian refugees.
\nIn her closing remarks, she emphasized the need for a political process within which to resolve the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.
\n\u201cWe must work collectively to establish a political framework that outlines tangible, irreversible and time-bound steps,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cA viable two-state solution \u2014 Israel and Palestine, of which Gaza is an integral part, living side-by-side in peace and security \u2014 is long overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK CITY A top UN official on Friday condemned ongoing violence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, urged all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rights laws, and called for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza. During a meeting of the Security Council, the third this week […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":468673,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-468651","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n