![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/MBLOGO-300x90.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nPrintable PDF Version<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n June 2021 Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n On 1 June, the<\/em> UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues,<\/em> Mr. Fernand de Varennes, issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a>, which was endorsed by the\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and association, Mr. Cl\u00e9ment Nyaletsossi Voule, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, Mr. S. Michael Lynk<\/em>:<\/p>\n A UN human rights expert condemned attacks on Israel\u2019s Palestinian minority by extreme right-wing and vigilante groups, including settlers \u2013 at times with the reported backing of security forces \u2013 and urged Israel to fully and equally protect all of its citizens without discrimination.<\/p>\n Palestinians citizens of Israel, including the Bedouin, constitute an Arab minority representing about 1.5 million people or 20 percent of the population of Israel and face discrimination in many areas.<\/p>\n \u201cReports of extreme right-wing violence and disproportional use of force by law enforcement officials during protests in recent weeks, including in Sheikh Jarrah, Damascus Gate and the Al-Aqsa mosque, have led to some of the worst cases of violence against Palestinian citizens of Israel,\u201d said Fernand de Varennes, the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues.<\/p>\n \u201cThese attacks have been shared on social media and such platforms appear to have been used by extreme right wing groups to advocate hatred that constitutes incitement to violence with impunity to gather people to bring their weapons and attack Palestinians.\u201d<\/p>\n The UN expert said the decades-long exclusion and discrimination, including of segregation between Arab and Jewish citizens and lack of equal treatment in terms of rights and privileges, has taken a heavy toll on the Palestinian minority. The absence of protection and bomb shelters in the Bedouin villages in the Naqab has also increased insecurity of the Bedouin minority, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven the urgency of the situation, I call on the Government of Israel to firmly condemn all acts of violence, hatred and discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel,\u201d said de Varennes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe authorities must ensure its citizens immediately stop these attacks and that everyone is fully and equally protected without any form of discrimination. Police accused of failing to protect all residents and citizens of Israel without discrimination must be investigated.\u201d<\/p>\n On 2 June, the UN Relief Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near-East (UNRWA) issued the following <\/em>press release<\/em><\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n Today, Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini and Director of West Bank Operations Gwyn Lewis, visited the eight Palestine refugee families at the center of the dispossession campaign by Israeli settler organizations in the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.<\/p>\n The refugee families threatened with imminent eviction, their second displacement in living memory, are part of a community of 28 families who have called the neighourhood home since 1954, following their forced displacement from and dispossession of their homes and lands in 1948.<\/p>\n The families reiterated the harassment they face from settler families in the presence of Israeli Security Forces. Further, entry to the neighbourhood has been blockaded by concrete barriers, restricting movement and prohibiting entry to anyone without registered residence within neighbourhood boundaries.<\/p>\n \u201cThe families I met in Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem today live in the constant fear of being forcibly displaced and losing their homes,\u201d said the UNRWA Commissioner-General. \u201cThey are also traumatized by the increased violence by settlers in the presence of the Israeli Security Forces. To prevent further escalations of tensions in West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, forced displacement and administrative demolitions, contrary to international law, should end.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n On 11 June,<\/em> UNRWA issued the following <\/em>press release<\/em><\/a> on the Commissioner-General\u2019s visit to Russia:<\/em><\/p>\n The Commissioner-General of the Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, visited Moscow on 9 June for a series of high-level meetings to strengthen the Agency\u2019s strategic relationship with the Russian Federation.<\/p>\n During his first official visit to Moscow, Mr. Lazzarini met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Sergey Vershinin and with the chairman of the international affairs committee of Russia\u2019s upper house of parliament, Mr. Konstantin Kosachev. In both meetings, discussions included a briefing by UNRWA about the latest developments in Gaza after the conflict of last month. Russian officials also engaged the Commissioner-General on strategic issues related to the stabilizing role of UNRWA, including its role in contributing to an environment conducive to a resumption of peace discussions. In all his meetings, the UNRWA Commissioner-General reiterated the urgent need to ensure that the Agency remains financially steady and politically supported. He thanked Russia for its commitment towards UNRWA through a multiyear agreement and called on the Federation to renew it and strengthen it in 2022 as it expires at the end of this year.<\/p>\n \u201cRussia\u2019s political support to UNRWA is key to helping the Agency stay on the world agenda in fora like the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, BRICS and others, said the UNRWA Commissioner-General. It is very important to have such a partner in places where it can help the Agency mobilize further support, both political and financial.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Lazzarini described the efforts underway to position UNRWA as a key player in the reconstruction efforts in Gaza after the conflict. With its widescale architecture in Gaza, UNRWA can quickly rehabilitate its own facilities to receive and provide critical services to Palestine refugees. Across the region, health, education, social and other services contribute a sense of normality to the lives of refugees and help ease their distress and despair.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a region rife with crises, how do you minimize trauma, fear of the other and even hatred?\u201d asked Mr. Lazzarini. \u201cBy providing quality services, such as education and promoting values that help shape young minds and prepare them for the future, UNRWA can contribute to stability and can help counter hatred and discrimination,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n These meetings were an opportunity for Mr. Lazzarini to discuss the humanitarian and operational situation in the Agency\u2019s five fields of operations, specifically highlighting how the UNRWA continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Lazzarini also reminded his interlocutors of the Agency\u2019s precarious financial situation and the need for sufficient, sustainable and more predictable funding for its operations, and the need to diversify its sources.<\/p>\n \u201cUntil the plight of Palestine refugees is resolved through a just and lasting solution, the international community is responsible for their wellbeing and must continue to support them through UNRWA by sharing the financial price,\u201d said the Commissioner-General.<\/p>\n On 14 June, t<\/em>he Â鶹APP Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories issued the following <\/em>press statement<\/em><\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n The UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices* notes with deep concern the ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory \u2013 in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza \u2013 as a result of the recent escalation in violence, the decades-long Israeli occupation, and Israeli policies and practices.<\/p>\n For the second year in a row, the\u00a0Committee\u00a0was unable to conduct annual briefings with Member States in Geneva and undertake their annual mission to the region due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As an alternative measure, the Committee organised a series of virtual meetings with UN agencies, Palestinian ministries and institutions and civil society organisations. The Committee also sent requests for written submissions, including to Member States.<\/p>\n During their meetings with interlocutors, the Committee heard about the impact of the May 2021 escalation on Palestinians civilians in Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem. The Committee received briefings from human rights organisations which documented the killing of 256 Palestinians in Gaza including 66 children, the wounding of 1,291 people and the displacement of more than 60,000 as a result of Israeli attacks. The Committee is particularly concerned with information received on the damage to healthcare facilities in Gaza, noting that 38 health facilities were affected in 40 different incidents.<\/p>\n The Committee notes with concern the impact of the recent escalation on Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem, many of whom have already been displaced several times and face additional displacement now as a result of the recent escalation.<\/p>\n The Committee heard about the troubling situation in the West Bank where freedom of expression and peaceful association are continuously being curtailed by Israeli Security Forces.<\/p>\n Information provided by UN agencies indicates that clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians have risen, with a documented 50 percent increase in Israeli security operations in the West Bank this year, many of which resulted in injuries and loss of life.<\/p>\n It also heard about the extremely dire situation in East Jerusalem where numerous Palestinian families continue to be threatened with evictions by Israeli authorities and settlers including in the neighbourhoods of Batn Al-Hawa and Silwan. It received worrying information about the recent wave of arrests of journalists and activists particularly those supporting and covering events around the possible eviction of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah. The committee noted with concern information it received indicating that the Israeli judiciary supports in the majority of cases claims for ownership by settlers at the expense of Palestinians.<\/p>\n The Committee notes its concern with the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the continued demolitions of homes even during the height of the pandemic, and the risk of eviction of Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem neighbourhoods. Incidents of settler violence also appear to be on the rise, with strong evidence that Israel is not complying with its obligations under international law to protect the Palestinian population and many times actually cooperate with and provide protection to the settlers instead.<\/p>\n The Committee heard about specific concerns with regard to access to health for Palestinians, including prisoners, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Gaza, movement and exit restrictions related to COVID-19, the recent escalation which reportedly destroyed a number of health facilities and the long-standing permit requirement in order to travel for hospital referrals, continued to impede Palestinians\u2019 access to healthcare. The Committee notes with concern the impact of the recent military escalation on the health infrastructure in Gaza, which was already heavily overstretched due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n The Committee notes with heightened concern the ongoing lack of accountability on allegations for human rights violations by the Israeli Security Forces and settlers, which further aggravated the cycle of violence.<\/p>\n The Committee will dedicate part of their upcoming report to the General Assembly on the issue of right to health, presenting its next report during the General Assembly\u2019 s 76th\u00a0session in November 2021.<\/p>\n In this context of increased Israeli discriminatory practices against the Palestinians, and in order to cease the deterioration of the human rights situation in the Palestinians, members of the Committee stress the importance of the peace process and the two-State solution.<\/p>\n On 24 June, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, made the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a> to the Security Council. <\/em><\/p>\n I am devoting my regular briefing on the situation in the Middle East to the eighteenth report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334<\/a> (2016) (S\/2021\/584<\/a>). The written report members have already received covers the period between 23 March and 11 June.<\/p>\n Before turning to recent developments, I wish to reiterate that the cessation of hostilities reached last month between Israel and Hamas remains very fragile. The Â鶹APP works closely with all concerned parties and partners, including Egypt, to solidify a ceasefire, allow the entry of urgent humanitarian assistance and stabilize the situation in Gaza. I urge all sides to refrain from unilateral steps and provocations, take steps to reduce tensions and allow those efforts to succeed. All sides must do their part to facilitate ongoing discussions to stabilize the situation on the ground and avoid another devastating escalation in Gaza.<\/p>\n I also wish to acknowledge the new Israeli coalition Government, which was sworn in on 13 June, under the leadership of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. I congratulate the members of the new Government and look forward to working with them to advance the two-State solution and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.<\/p>\n I turn now to developments that have occurred since the submission of the written report.<\/p>\n In occupied East Jerusalem, 15 Palestinian households still face the imminent threat of eviction by the Israeli authorities from their homes in Shaykh Jarrah. The High Court has scheduled a hearing on 2 August to consider a leave to appeal request from some of the families. Separately, the Jerusalem District Court postponed until 8 July its decision on an appeal against an eviction order related to two residential buildings in the Batan Al-Hawa neighbourhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, violent incidents have continued on a daily basis throughout the occupied Palestinian territory since the submission of the written report. Clashes have repeatedly broken out in Beita village, near Nablus in the West Bank, in the context of protests against the construction of a new Israeli settlement outpost, Eviatar. Although a military order was issued on 9 June, designating the outpost a closed zone and ordering settlers to vacate, settler and significant Israeli security forces presence persisted, and Palestinian protests continued. On 11 June, Israeli security forces shot dead a 16-year-old Palestinian and on 17 June, another 16-year-old Palestinian succumbed to his wounds from shots sustained by Israeli security forces the previous night, after he reportedly threw an explosive device towards them. Since 3 May, five Palestinians have been killed and some 100 Palestinians have been injured by live ammunition in and around that area.<\/p>\n On 12 June, Israeli civilian security guards shot dead a Palestinian woman at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Jerusalem, after she reportedly ran towards them holding a knife. On 15 June, several thousand right-wing Israeli activists, including members of the Knesset, marched through Jerusalem\u2019s Old City, with many participants chanting racist slogans against Arabs and Muslims. The march, initially set for 10 May, was held amid a heavy Israeli police presence after having been rerouted by Israeli authorities from its planned trajectory throughout the Muslim quarter of the Old City. In protests and clashes that occurred in the context of the march, in East Jerusalem, as well as other parts of the West Bank, 66 Palestinians, including 12 children, were injured by rubber bullets, sound grenades and physical assaults.<\/p>\n On the same day, rallies were organized throughout the Gaza strip by national and Islamic forces, protests erupted at the fence and militants in Gaza released incendiary balloons towards Israel, starting dozens of fires. In response to the incendiary balloons, from 16 to 17 June, Israeli Defense Forces targeted what they said were five Hamas facilities on the strip, causing damage but no injuries.<\/p>\n On 16 June, a Palestinian woman was shot dead by Israeli security forces at the Hizma checkpoint near Jerusalem after reportedly attempting to carry out a ramming and stabbing attack against Israeli soldiers. Between 19 and 23 June, confrontations continued between Israeli civilians and Palestinian residents in Shaykh Jarrah.<\/p>\n On 23 June, Palestinian activist and parliamentary candidate Nizar Banat was pronounced dead, hours after being arrested by Palestinian Security Forces at a house in Hebron. According to the victim\u2019s family, the Forces aggressively beat and physically assaulted the victim during the arrest.<\/p>\n I will turn now to several observations concerning the implementation of resolution 2334 (2016) during the reporting period. I remain deeply troubled by continued Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. I am concerned in particular about the approval of a plan to expand the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem. If implemented, the plan would further consolidate the continuum of illegal settlements separating East Jerusalem from Bethlehem and other Palestinian communities in the southern part of the West Bank. I am also concerned by the continued establishment of settlement outposts, which are also illegal under Israeli law. As we have seen, the recent establishment of Eviatar has already led to protests and clashes with tragic outcomes.<\/p>\n I again underscore, in no uncertain terms, that Israeli settlements constitute a flagrant violation of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and international law. They are a major obstacle to the achievement of a two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. The advancement of all settlement activity must cease immediately.<\/p>\n The continued demolition and seizure of Palestinian structures, including humanitarian projects and schools, is also deeply concerning. I call on Israeli authorities to put an end to the demolition of Palestinian property and the displacement of Palestinians and to approve plans that would enable those communities to build legally and address their development needs.<\/p>\n The reporting period witnessed an alarming increase in the level of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, including hostilities between Israel and factions in Gaza at a scale and intensity not seen in years. I am especially concerned by the attempt to exploit the sensitive status of Jerusalem and to use it to justify a broader armed conflict. Those events have only deepened divisions between Israelis and Palestinians and are making progress towards peace an even greater challenge. The incitement and the violence must stop immediately.<\/p>\n The indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars towards Israeli civilian population centres from highly populated civilian neighbourhoods by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and others is prohibited by international humanitarian law. Palestinian militants must cease that practice immediately. The Israeli authorities must also abide by the rules of international humanitarian law governing armed conflict and take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations.<\/p>\n I am appalled that children continue to be victims of violence. Children should be afforded special protection from violence. They should never be the target of violence or put in harm\u2019s way, nor should they be encouraged to commit or participate in acts of incitement or violence.<\/p>\n I am also deeply concerned by the increased intensity of settler-related violence and by violent attacks between Israeli and Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank. I urge Israel to ensure the safety and security of the Palestinian population in line with its responsibilities under international law. The perpetrators of violence on all sides must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice.<\/p>\n I also note with concern reports of armed civilians carrying out attacks against Palestinians in proximity to the Israeli security forces. I reiterate that the security forces must exercise maximum restraint and may use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect lives. Israeli and Palestinian authorities must carry out thorough, independent, impartial and prompt investigations into all instances of possible excessive use of force.<\/p>\n On too many occasions during the reporting period, officials exacerbated tensions and violence with unacceptable rhetoric and provocative actions that contributed to the dangerous dynamics on the ground. Violence and incitement must be clearly condemned and unequivocally rejected by all. In that context, I commend initiatives by civil society organizations and other leaders calling for peace, reconciliation and the rejection of violence.<\/p>\n The fate of two Israeli civilians and the bodies of two Israeli soldiers held by Hamas in Gaza remains an important humanitarian concern. I call upon Hamas to release the full information on their status immediately, as required by international humanitarian law. I also remain concerned by the continued Israeli practice of withholding the bodies of killed Palestinians and call on Israel to return withheld bodies to their families, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law.<\/p>\n Turning back to Gaza, in the context of a fragile cessation of hostilities, the Â鶹APP is continuing to coordinate the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. I highlight the $95 million humanitarian flash appeal launched on 27 May and thank members for the pledges and contributions made so far. All parties must also facilitate unimpeded access for humanitarian relief. We are now moving quickly to ensure that there is a well-coordinated international response focused on the two million people in Gaza who have suffered for far too long.<\/p>\n I am particularly concerned that the Kerem Shalom crossing to Gaza from Israel has been effectively closed for over five weeks, with some narrow exceptions for food, animal feed and limited humanitarian items. Kerem Shalom should be open for regular, non-sensitive trade.<\/p>\n In the coming days, the Â鶹APP, the World Bank and the European Union will soon release a rapid damage needs assessment that will estimate the longer term reconstruction and recovery needs in Gaza.<\/p>\n In the first week of July, the donor group of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Coordination of the International Assistance to Palestinians will convene an emergency meeting at which it will discuss how to quickly mobilize donor support in a common effort with the Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n The $150-million shortfall in the programme budget of the Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East remains a major concern. I welcome the resumption of funding from the United States in April and call on Member States to ensure that the Agency has the resources needed to conduct its operations.<\/p>\n It is also critical that the Egyptian-led intra-Palestinian reconciliation efforts continue. The Â鶹APP stands firm in its support of Egypt in that regard, and I call upon all Palestinian factions to make serious efforts to ensure the reunification of Gaza and the occupied West Bank under a single, legitimate, democratic national Government. Gaza is and must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian State, as part of a two-State solution.<\/p>\n In that context, I note that the postponement of the Palestinian elections has compounded frustrations and undermined hope for the Palestinian national project. I commend the tireless efforts of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, which ensured that all technical aspects were effectively implemented.<\/p>\n I am deeply concerned by the news today of the death of political candidate and activist Nizar Banat, who died in the context a Palestinian security forces arrest operation. I call for an independent investigation into his death and for those responsible to be held accountable.<\/p>\n In conclusion, I would once again like to highlight the significant risks we face over the coming period as we confront the prospect of a renewed escalation. While immediate international efforts are rightly focused on solidifying the cessation of hostilities, providing humanitarian assistance and beginning the process of Gaza\u2019s reconstruction, recent events have also highlighted the urgent need to re-establish a political horizon and restore hope to Palestinians and Israelis.<\/p>\n The Â鶹APP remains committed to supporting the parties in resolving the conflict and ending the occupation in line with the relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements in pursuit of achieving the vision of two States \u2014 Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State \u2014 living side by side in peace and security within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.<\/p>\n Even as we focus on the pressing challenges in Gaza, I reiterate our determination to work with Israelis and Palestinians, fellow members of the Middle East Quartet and key regional and international partners to lay the groundwork for a return to meaningful negotiations towards a viable two-State solution.<\/p>\n On 27 June, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n Under the Â鶹APP framework, the Qatari funded fuel deliveries for the Gaza Power Plant will resume tomorrow, Monday, as per the previous agreement between the Â鶹APP Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the State of Qatar.<\/p>\n I welcome all steps taken to de-escalate the situation. UN will continue to work with all concerned parties and partners to solidify a ceasefire and help the people of Gaza.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Volume <\/strong>XLIV, Bulletin No. 6<\/strong><\/p>\nI. Special Rapporteurs: violence, hate speech, discrimination against Palestinian minority in Israel must stop<\/h3>\n
II.UNRWA Commissioner-General and Director of Operations West Bank visits Sheikh Jarrah refugee families<\/h3>\n
III. UNRWA Commissioner-General in Moscow to meet officials over Russian role<\/h3>\n
IV. UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices denounces violence as it concludes virtual mission to region<\/h3>\n
V. Special Coordinator Wennesland briefs Security Council on implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334<\/h3>\n
VI. UN Special Coordinator announces fuel deliveries to Gaza<\/h3>\n
VII. UNRWA Commissioner-General addresses Advisory Commission<\/h3>\n
I. SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS: VIOLENCE, HATE SPEECH, DISCRIMINATION
\nAGAINST PALESTINIAN MINORITY MUST STOP\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nII. UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL AND<\/strong> DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
\nWEST BANK VISIT SHEIKH JARRAH REFUGEE FAMILIES <\/strong><\/h3>\nIII. UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL IN MOSCOW
\nTO MEET OFFICIALS OVER RUSSIAN ROLE\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nIV. UN SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE ISRAELI PRACTICES
\nDENOUNCES VIOLENCE AS IT CONCLUDES VIRTUAL MISSION TO REGION<\/strong><\/h3>\nV. SPECIAL COORDINATOR WENNESLAND BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL
\nON IMPLEMENTATION OF SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 2334\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nVI. UN SPECIAL COORDINATOR ANNOUNCES FUEL DELIVERIES TO GAZA<\/strong><\/h3>\n
VII. UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL ADDRESSES ADVISORY COMMISSION\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n