<\/p>\n
Scroll down for the PDF file.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The Bulletin can be found in the Â鶹APP Information System\u00a0<\/em>on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL) on the Internet at:<\/em>\u00a0https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/data-collection\/monthly-bulletin\/<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n Disclaimer: The texts cited in this Monthly Bulletin have been\u00a0reproduced in their original form<\/u>. The Division for Palestinian Rights is consequently not responsible for the views, positions or discrepancies contained in these texts.<\/em><\/p>\n February 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n Volume L, Bulletin No. XIV<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Contents<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n On 2 February, Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food; Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority rights; Attiya Waris, Independent Expert on foreign debt, other international financial obligations and human rights; Livingstone Sewanyana, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Ashwini K.P. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Barbara G. Reynolds (Chair), Dominique Day, Bina D\u2019Costa, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krsti\u0107, Haina Lu, and Laura Nyirinkindi (Vice-Chair), Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Pedro Arrojo-Agudo Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Carlos Salazar Couto (Chair-Rapporteur), Sorcha MacLeod, Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito, Chris M. A. Kwaja, Ravindran Daniel, Working Group on the use of mercenaries; Siobh\u00e1n Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; and Cl\u00e9ment Nyaletsossi Voule Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n UN human rights experts today expressed grave concern at the recent harmful decision by some 18 states to suspend funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).<\/p>\n Australia, Austria, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States have all announced suspension of funding for UNRWA, the experts said.<\/p>\n \u201cThese announcements come at an existential moment for over two million Palestinians in Gaza enduring catastrophic living conditions due to Israel\u2019s large-scale military attack that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) considers a plausible genocide,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n The decision follows Israel\u2019s allegations against several UNRWA employees of involvement in the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023.<\/p>\n The experts said: \u201cIn response to these allegations, and even before conducting its due process investigation, UNRWA announced its decision to terminate these employees\u2019 contracts \u2018in the interest of the agency.\u2019 This response reflects UNRWA\u2019s firm commitment to ensuring organisational neutrality, in line with UN principles and values rejecting incitement and all forms of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven if allegations against individuals are proven, based on an impartial and independent investigation, UNRWA as a whole, traditionally providing services to 1.7 million Palestinian refugees and offering employment to 13,000 locally recruited staff in Gaza, must not be blamed and punished collectively,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n They were dismayed by reports suggesting Israel intends to \u201cremove\u201d UNRWA from Gaza. \u201cWe condemn in the strongest possible terms any efforts to delegitimise UNRWA as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n Founded in 1949, UNRWA is the largest UN agency in Gaza and the primary provider of life-saving services and support to millions of Palestinians in Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, including food assistance, shelter, healthcare, education, water, sanitation and hygiene.<\/p>\n Approximately 1.7 million people displaced across Gaza\u2014some multiple times, injured and highly traumatised\u2014are currently seeking shelter in or near the vicinity of UNRWA facilities and receiving assistance from the Agency\u2014roughly half of them children.<\/p>\n \u201cWe recognise UNRWA\u2019s determination to implement its humanitarian mandate under unprecedented and enormous risks,\u201d the experts said. \u201cMore than 150 UNRWA staff have been killed in Israeli bombardments since 7 October 2023\u2014the highest number of UN staff killed in any conflict since the UN was founded in 1945.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMultiple UNRWA facilities have been targeted, besieged and demolished by the Israeli military, in apparent violation of the principle of the inviolability of UN premises,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n The experts request states to rally around the Agency and urge UNRWA\u2019s leading donors to maintain their support, especially in anticipation of the complex humanitarian challenges ahead. \u201cWe agree with the Principals of the\u00a0Inter-Agency Standing Committee\u00a0that no other entity has the capacity to deliver the scale and breadth of assistance that 2.2 million people in Gaza urgently need,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe grossly disproportionate decision to suspend funding by some of the largest donor states defies the basic principle of humanity, and goes against states\u2019 commitment to leave no one behind,\u201d they said. \u201cDenying basic human necessities, life-saving medical care, food, shelter, and antenatal care for pregnant women, is not just indefensible\u2014it is a hindrance to the already complex journey toward peace.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt this existential time for over two million people in Gaza, on the brink of famine, UN operations and facilities must be protected,\u201d the experts said, encouraging states to support UNRWA\u2019s mandate and protect it from interference.<\/p>\n With the ICJ alerting the international community to the risk of genocide in Gaza and ordering immediate and effective action to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians, states must do more, including to avoid legal consequences for aiding and abetting, or possible complicity in acts of genocide,\u201d they said. \u201cInstead of castigating the agency that provides critical support for millions of Palestinians in Gaza, states must exhaust all efforts to avert serious violations of international law, including genocide\u2014and this necessitates continued international support of UNRWA\u2019s vital humanitarian services.\u201d<\/p>\n On 5 February, Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres appointed an Independent Review Group, as reflected in the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em>The Secretary-General, in consultation with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, has appointed an independent Review Group to assess whether the Agency is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches when they are made.<\/p>\n The review will be led by Catherine Colonna, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, who will work with three research organizations: the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.<\/p>\n The Review Group will begin its work on 14 February 2024 and is expected to submit an interim report to the Secretary-General late March 2024, with a final report expected to be completed by late April 2024. The final report will be made public.<\/p>\n This review is in response to a request made by UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini earlier this year.<\/p>\n The Review Group\u2019s terms of reference are:<\/p>\n The Secretary-General notes that these accusations come at a time when UNRWA, the largest UN organization in the region, is working under extremely challenging conditions to deliver life-saving assistance to the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip who depend on it for their survival amidst one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world.<\/p>\n This independent external review will take place in parallel with an investigation currently underway by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into allegations of the involvement of 12 UNRWA personnel in the 7 October attacks. The cooperation of the Israeli authorities, who made these allegations, will be critical to the success of the investigation.<\/p>\n On 7 February, Martin Griffiths, Â鶹APP Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n With the Gaza hostilities entering their fifth month, hope is dwindling for the millions of people affected and the humanitarians striving to assist them.<\/p>\n More than half of Gaza\u2019s population is now crammed in Rafah, a town of originally 250,000 people right on Egypt\u2019s doorstep. Their living conditions are abysmal \u2014 they lack the basic necessities to survive, stalked by hunger, disease and death.<\/p>\n As the war encroaches further into Rafah, I am extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of families which have endured the unthinkable in search of safety.<\/p>\n More than 27,500 people in Gaza have already been killed over the past four months, according to Gaza\u2019s Ministry of Health. Further fighting in Rafah risks claiming the lives of even more people. It also risks further hampering a humanitarian operation already limited by insecurity, damaged infrastructure and access restrictions.<\/p>\n To put it simply: This war must stop.<\/p>\n On 8 February, Â鶹APP High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are reportedly destroying all buildings within the Gaza Strip that are within a kilometre of the Israel-Gaza fence, clearing the area with the objective of creating a \u201cbuffer zone\u201d. I stress to the Israeli authorities that Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits destruction by the Occupying Power of property belonging to private persons \u201cexcept where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations\u201d.<\/p>\n Destructions carried out to create a \u201cbuffer zone\u201d for general security purposes do not appear consistent with the narrow \u201cmilitary operations\u201d exception set out in international humanitarian law. Further, extensive destruction of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, amounts to a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and a war crime.<\/p>\n Since late October 2023, my Office has recorded widespread destruction and demolition by the IDF of civilian and other infrastructure, including residential buildings, schools and universities in areas in which fighting is not or no longer taking place. Such demolitions have also occurred in Beit Hanoun in North Gaza, As Shujaiyeh in Gaza City, and An Nuseirat Camp in Middle Gaza. Demolitions have been reported from other areas as well, with reports of destruction of many residential buildings and blocks taking place in Khan Younis in recent weeks.<\/p>\n Israel has not provided cogent reasons for such extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure. Such destruction of homes and other essential civilian infrastructure also entrenches the displacement of communities that were living in these areas prior to the escalation in hostilities, and appears to be aimed at or has the effect of rendering the return of civilians to these areas impossible. I remind the authorities that forcible transfer of civilians may constitute a war crime.<\/p>\n On 8 February, Chair of the Â鶹APP Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Ann Skelton delivered the following <\/em>press<\/strong> statement<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n No child should grow up in fear, pain and hunger. Yet, today, no child in Gaza is free from fear, pain and hunger. In fact, they will be considered lucky if they can even survive this war and have the chance to grow up.<\/p>\n According to the latest UN figures, 27,585 Palestinians have been killed and 66,978 injured since the 7th<\/sup>\u00a0of October last year. More than 7,000 are estimated to be buried under rubble, raising the total number of casualties to more than 100,000 people. Many of them are children.<\/p>\n Some of them have lost their lives, others have lost their limbs, their parents, siblings, and friends. All children living in the Gaza Strip have lost their childhood. They are traumatized, and will forever live with a permanent impact on their mental health.<\/p>\n More than ten children per day, on average, have lost one or both legs in Gaza since the conflict erupted four months ago, according to Save the Children. UNICEF, the UN Children\u2019s Fund, estimates that at least 17,000 children are unaccompanied or separated from their parents, and almost all of Gaza\u2019s 1.2 million children are in need of mental health and psychosocial support.<\/p>\n These children also need attention and action from the international community.<\/p>\n The ruling of the International Court of Justice on 26 January 2024 found that South Africa\u2019s claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza to be \u201cplausible,\u201d and ordered Israel to \u201ctake all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of article II of the Convention\u201d , including killing members of the group; to \u201cprevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide\u201d; and to \u201cenable the provision of\u2026 humanitarian assistance\u201d.<\/p>\n The Committee \u2013 again \u2013 urgently appeals for an immediate ceasefire, the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid and the immediate release of all hostages, in particular children and their caregivers. In this regard, we echo the \u201cgrave concern about the fate of the hostages\u201d expressed by the International Court of Justice, and we echo also its call for their \u201cimmediate and unconditional release.\u201d<\/p>\n In view of the colossal humanitarian needs faced by more than two million people in the Gaza enclave, the Committee urges all donor States who have suspended their funding or future funding to UNRWA, to reconsider their decision immediately and provide sufficient funds to ensure that all urgent aid can be provided to all, to each and every child.<\/p>\n Furthermore, we call for massive psycho-social support to children and families to relieve the traumatic and long-lasting effects of the war, including Israeli children that were victims of or witnesses to the attacks and those whose family members have been taken hostage.<\/p>\n We also emphasise our grave concern about the situation of children living in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, who are facing arbitrary arrests, extra-judicial killing, and violence committed by occupying forces and settlers.<\/p>\n We call upon the State of Israel to immediately comply with the ruling of the International Court of Justice. We also call on all States to take action to end the conflict by establishing an immediate ceasefire, resuming peace negotiations and restoring funding to UNWRA without delay.<\/p>\n The State of Israel was on the list of States to be reviewed during this session, the CRC was to have reviewed Israel, but unfortunately the Israeli Government decided to postpone its participation.<\/p>\n The Committee deeply regrets that it has not had the opportunity to review Israel when time is of the essence. The rights of children living under the State of Israel\u2019s effective control are being gravely violated at a level that has rarely been seen in recent history.<\/p>\n We look forward to an interactive dialogue with the State delegation from Israel, which is now scheduled for the Committee\u2019s September session. In the meantime, the Committee will send Israel an additional list of issues on the situation of children in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 7 October 2023.<\/p>\n Below is the <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong> by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell issued on 8 February.<\/em><\/p>\n UNICEF is urgently calling on the parties to refrain from military escalation in Rafah Governorate in Gaza where over 600,000 children and their families have been displaced \u2013 many of them more than once.<\/p>\n An escalation of the fighting in Rafah, which is already straining under the extraordinary number of people who have been displaced from other parts of Gaza, will mark another devastating turn in a war that has reportedly killed over 27,000 people \u2013 most of them women and children.<\/p>\n Thousands more could die in the violence or by lack of essential services, and further disruption of humanitarian assistance. We need Gaza\u2019s last remaining hospitals, shelters, markets and water systems to stay functional. Without them, hunger and disease will skyrocket, taking more child lives.<\/p>\n I appeal to all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law. That includes taking the utmost care to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure, to meet civilians\u2019 essential needs and facilitate rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access. Military operations in densely populated residential areas can have indiscriminate effects.<\/p>\n We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and the safe and immediate release of all hostages \u2013 especially children \u2013 who have suffered so much.<\/p>\n A humanitarian ceasefire will save lives. It will allow for the expansion of the humanitarian response, and help provide the best protection for children whose lives and futures are hanging in the balance.\u201d<\/p>\n On 9 February, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Â鶹APP Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The Â鶹APP Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, reiterates that she remains horrified at the situation in the Middle East and at the unbearable loss of life in the region, with allegations of violations of international law.<\/p>\n Special Adviser Wairimu Nderitu reiterates her 15 October statement and early warning call \u2013 reiterated in several other public engagements \u2013 for a humanitarian ceasefire, full compliance with international law and prioritization of protection of civilians and for the intensification of diplomatic efforts to put an end to this crisis. She emphasizes that \u201ccivilians should never pay the price of a conflict for which they bear no responsibility. Their most basic rights must be protected and preserved, and their humanitarian needs must be met\u201d.<\/p>\n The Special Adviser echoes the 26 January statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General taking note of the Order of the International Court of Justice of 26 January 2024 indicating provisional measures in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), in which the Court ordered Israel, inter alia, in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, \u201cto take all measures within its power\u201d in relation to Palestinians in Gaza to prevent the commission of acts within the scope of Article II of the Convention, including killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group\u2019s destruction and imposing measures intended to prevent births, as well as to \u201censure with immediate effect that its military forces do Echoing the words of the Secretary-General, the Special Adviser reiterates that violations of international humanitarian law can never justify the collective punishment of the people in Gaza. \u201cCivilians must be protected at all times on both sides,\u201d Special Adviser Wairimu Nderitu reminded. The Special Adviser also calls all relevant actors to strengthen their resolve to find solutions to end this conflict. This requires first and foremost ensuring the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructures in accordance with international law. And includes the safe return of all hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza as well investigating acts of sexual violence reportedly committed in the context of the attacks of 7 October 2023 and their aftermath.<\/p>\n The Special Adviser also echoes the Secretary-General\u2019s concern over the spillover effects seen in the West Bank and across the region and urges the immediate de-escalation of tensions. \u201cInflammatory remarks, dehumanizing rhetoric and hate speech can only contribute to ignite further violence and reduce the space for ending the conflict. Political leaders have a special responsibility to refrain from using such hateful narratives and implement all possible measures to defuse ongoing tensions.\u201d<\/p>\n The Special Adviser also reiterates her concern at the impact this conflict continues to have across the world. \u201cIt is essential that all efforts are put in place for communities to co-exist peacefully and for all grievances to be addressed constructively and peacefully, as much in the region itself as in all the countries and regions where the ongoing hostilities continue having an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n On 12 February, the Â鶹APP High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker T\u00fcrk, issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n A potential full-fledged military incursion into Rafah \u2013 where some 1.5 million Palestinians are packed against the Egyptian border with nowhere further to flee \u2013 is terrifying, given the prospect that an extremely high number of civilians, again mostly children and women, will likely be killed and injured.<\/p>\n Not so long ago, I had flagged the unimaginable suffering faced by Palestinians in Gaza. Today, sadly, given the carnage wrought so far in Gaza it is wholly imaginable what would lie ahead in Rafah. Beyond the pain and suffering of the bombs and bullets, this incursion into Rafah may also mean the end of the meager humanitarian aid that has been entering and distributed with huge implications for all of Gaza, including the hundreds of thousands at grave risk of starvation and famine in the north. My Office has repeatedly warned against actions that violate the laws of war. The prospect of such an operation into Rafah, as circumstances stand, risks further atrocity crimes.<\/p>\n Israel must comply with the legally binding orders issued by the International Court of Justice, and with the full span of international humanitarian law. Those who defy international law have been put on notice. Accountability must follow.<\/p>\n The world must not allow this to happen. Those with influence must restrain rather than enable. There must be an immediate ceasefire. All remaining hostages must be released. And there must be renewed collective resolve to reach a political solution.<\/p>\n On 13 February, Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n The scenario we have long dreaded is unraveling at alarming speed.<\/p>\n More than half of Gaza\u2019s population \u2013 well over 1 million people \u2013 are crammed in Rafah, staring death in the face: They have little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, nowhere to sleep, nowhere safe to go.<\/p>\n They, like the entire population of Gaza, are the victims of an assault that is unparalleled in its intensity, brutality and scope.\u00a0More than 28,000 people \u2013 mostly women and children \u2013 have been killed across Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health.<\/p>\n For more than four months, humanitarian workers have been doing the near-impossible to assist people in need, despite the risks they themselves were facing and the traumas they were enduring.\u00a0But no amount of dedication and goodwill is enough to keep millions of people alive, fed and protected \u2013 while the bombs are falling and the aid is choked off.<\/p>\n Add to this the widespread despair, the breakdown of law and order, and the defunding of UNRWA. The consequences are humanitarian workers who are shot at, held at gunpoint, attacked and killed. I have said for weeks now that our humanitarian response is in tatters.<\/p>\n Today, I\u2019m sounding the alarm once again: Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza. They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death\u2019s door.<\/p>\n We lack the safety guarantees, the aid supplies and the staff capacity to keep this operation afloat.<\/p>\n The international community has been warning against the dangerous consequences of any ground invasion in Rafah. The Government of Israel cannot continue to ignore these calls.<\/p>\n History will not be kind.\u00a0This war must end.<\/p>\n On 14 February, the Bureau of the Â鶹APP Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n The Bureau of the Committee strongly condemns the threats of an Israeli invasion into the city of Rafah, the last refuge of about 1.5 million forcibly displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are staring death in the face without access to food, medical care, and safe shelter. The Bureau reiterates its calls for an immediate ceasefire and a halt to any plans for a military incursion into Rafah, which will endanger the lives of countless civilians, many of whom are women and an estimated 600,000 children who have already been displaced multiple times.<\/p>\n Rafah is a crucial lifeline for humanitarian operations in Gaza. An Israeli offensive will halt the provision of humanitarian aid to besieged Palestinian civilians, who, after months facing bombings, disease, and hunger now confront the fear and terror of a looming military onslaught. This is the latest threat to Palestinian civilians in war of collective punishment, potentially involving acts of genocide.<\/p>\n The Bureau fully supports South Africa\u2019s urgent follow-up request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for further provisional measures to avert an Israeli military offensive in Rafah, which would violate the ICJ\u2019s Order of 26 January 2024 issued in the context of the Genocide Convention. It calls on Israel to comply with and prevent further breaches of the Court Order.<\/p>\n The UN system and the international community must persist in preventing further mass atrocities, harm, deprivation, forced displacement of Palestinian civilians and further destruction in Gaza and Rafah specifically. Prompt action by all concerned must counteract Israel\u2019s amply documented violations of international humanitarian law, including efforts to ensure protection of the Palestinian civilian population, in accordance with international law and the relevant UN resolutions.<\/p>\n The Bureau once again makes an urgent call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a halt to the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, unhindered access to humanitarian aid and the unconditional release of all hostages in Gaza and all Palestinian prisoners arbitrarily detained in Israel.<\/p>\n The Committee Bureau reaffirms its longstanding call for a just and peaceful resolution to the question of Palestine in accordance with international law and relevant Â鶹APP resolutions to end the Israeli occupation, realize the rights of the Palestinian people, including self-determination and return, and achieve the two-State solution on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.<\/p>\n On 15 February, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n Since Israel\u2019s 2008 detention and deportation of then UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk, the State of Israel has prevented the entry of all UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. Israel\u2019s recent announcement to \u2018officially ban\u2019 my entry is therefore symbolic and misleading.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s announcement must not serve as a diversion from the situation in Gaza, which Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has qualified as \u2018an assault that is unparalleled in its intensity, brutality and scope\u2019 and that the International Court of Justice has said plausibly constitutes genocide. In just over four months, the Israeli army has killed over 28,500 Palestinians in Gaza, 70% of them women and children, while some 10,000 people are missing, presumed dead under the rubble. Nearly 70,000 are injured, many maimed for life, and some 1.7 million people\u201375% of the population\u2014have been displaced, while the entire civilian population is at risk of starvation. Daily, relentless massacres, the latest ones inflicted in the non-existent \u201csafe zones\u201d in Rafah, where over 1.4 million Palestinians are struggling to survive, are being committed in flagrant defiance of the\u00a0provisional measures<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/u>ordered by the International Court of Justice.<\/p>\n Israel claims that the ban follows my comments concerning the context in which Hamas\u2019 attacks on 7 October took place. My comments were prompted by the French President\u2019s description of the attacks as \u2018the largest anti-Semitic massacre of our century\u2019. I have strongly and consistently condemned these heinous attacks as war crimes, which cannot be justified in any way, and for the fear and distress they have spread among Israelis. I continue to express my sorrow and solidarity with the victims, including the hostages still held captive, and with Jewish communities worldwide. I also call for accountability for these crimes.<\/p>\n While my condemnation of the attacks is unequivocal, I also felt compelled to challenge a persistent misinterpretation of the root causes of the 7 October attacks, particularly in Western countries: that the attacks were primarily motivated by anti-Semitism. As prominent Holocaust and anti-Semitism scholars have\u00a0warned, this assumption is both false and dangerous as it evades the critical underpinnings of the conflict and disavows the role of Israel in fuelling it. These scholars have recently argued that \u2018appealing to the memory of the Holocaust obscures our understanding of the antisemitism Jews face today, and dangerously misrepresents the causes of violence in Israel-Palestine.\u2019\u00a0So, while anti-Semitism could have played a role in the attacks at an individual level for some, their main determinants are to be found elsewhere.<\/p>\n Context does matter. As UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres stated: \u2018It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation\u2019.<\/p>\n Fundamentally, no crime ever justifies another crime. There is no justification for the horrific attacks of 7 October. However, the \u201856 years of suffocating occupation\u2019 referred to by the Secretary-General is the very context that fuels the hatred and violence that endangers Israelis and Palestinians alike. This context is obscured by the framing of 7 October as primarily driven by anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n In line with the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders, since the early days of my mandate, I have sought to establish formal relations with the State of Israel that would enable me to fulfil the task entrusted to me by the Human Rights Council. Unfortunately, Israel has responded with hostility and slander that is often amplified by politically aligned organisations and media.<\/p>\n As a Member State of the Â鶹APP, Israel is obligated to respect international law and uphold the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Charter, which enshrine rights and freedoms for all human beings. Regrettably, the Israeli government consistently undermines the leading promoters and defenders of the rule of law, humanitarian protection and human rights, including the UN Secretary-General, the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms and independent experts, UNRWA, OCHA and the International Court of Justice.<\/p>\n The primacy of the rule of law forms the foundation of the Â鶹APP\u2019 existence and mission\u2014and Israel, like any other State, is called upon to abide by these standards. This includes the facilitation of my access to the territory it has occupied for 56 years.<\/p>\n Although a long and challenging endeavour, respecting international law and ending the system of apartheid that Israel imposes on the Palestinians is the only way to achieve lasting peace, human security and regional stability\u2014for no one can be safe until everyone is safe.<\/p>\n On 15 February, the spokesperson of the Office of the Â鶹APP High Commissioner for Human Rights delivered the following press <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n We are deeply worried by the reports that Israeli forces have today raided the Nasser Medical Complex in the south of the occupied Gaza Strip, less than a week after they raided Al Amal Hospital in western Khan Younis.<\/p>\n The raid comes after a week-long siege which cut off medical, food and fuel supplies.<\/p>\n Israeli forces reportedly ordered the transfer of all patients, including those in intensive care and nursery units, to a different building, exposing patients to grave risks, including the risk of death for the most vulnerable. There are unconfirmed reports of detention as well as targeting of those trying to leave the hospital.<\/p>\n The raid appears to be part of a pattern of attacks by Israeli forces striking essential life-saving civilian infrastructure in Gaza, especially hospitals. Our Office has documented similar raids in Gaza City, North Gaza, Middle Gaza and in Khan Younis, with serious consequences for the safety of patients, medical and other staff, as well as civilians sheltering in these facilities.<\/p>\n With nearly 70,000 people reportedly injured during this conflict, and a nearly collapsed health system due to attacks on facilities and restrictions on essential humanitarian supplies, the impact on civilians is appalling.<\/p>\n Medical facilities are protected infrastructure under international humanitarian law. They are entitled to special protection and must not be the object of attack nor be used outside their humanitarian function for acts harmful to the enemy. Even if Israel contends that a medical facility has lost its protection as a result of being used for acts harmful to the Israeli forces, it must nevertheless comply with the principles of precautions and proportionality. Furthermore, Israel, as the occupying power, has the duty to ensure and maintain medical facilities and services in all of the occupied territory, including the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n On 16 February, the International Court of Justice issued a decision reflected in the following <\/em>press release<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n In the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), the Court, having duly considered South Africa\u2019s letter dated\u00a012 February 2024<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and Israel\u2019s observations thereon received on 15 February 2024, took the following decision, which was communicated to the Parties today by a letter from the Registrar:<\/p>\n \u201cThe Court notes that the most recent developments in the Gaza Strip, and in Rafah in particular, \u2018would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences\u2019, as stated by the Â鶹APP Secretary-General (Remarks to the General Assembly on priorities for 2024 (7 Feb. 2024)).<\/p>\n This perilous situation demands immediate and effective implementation of the provisional measures indicated by the Court in its\u00a0Order of 26 January 2024<\/em><\/a>, which are applicable throughout the Gaza Strip, including in Rafah, and does not demand the indication of additional provisional measures.<\/p>\n The Court emphasizes that the State of Israel remains bound to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention and with the said Order, including by ensuring the safety and security of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.\u201d<\/p>\n \/\u2026<\/p>\n On 16 February, the Â鶹APP Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n On this 125th<\/sup>\u00a0day of the war in Gaza, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (the Committee) appeals for an immediate and sustained ceasefire to halt violence and loss of lives, and destruction of infrastructure and property and a return to a constructive peace dialogue to agree on actions to bring about lasting peace and security that involves the leadership and decision-making of both Israeli and Palestinian women.<\/p>\n The Committee deplores the high toll of victims and calls upon all parties to the conflict to abide by the rule of law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law and reaffirm their commitment to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (the Convention) and its preamble, General Recommendation No. 30 (2013) on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations of the Committee, as well as Security Council resolution 1325 and subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security.<\/p>\n The Committee is deeply concerned about the plight of the more than one million Palestinian women and girls who have been forcibly displaced multiple times. As of 12 February 2024, UN Women reports that at least 28,340 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, and 70 per cent of those killed are said to be women and children. 67,984 Palestinians have been injured. The Convention\u2019s very principles are challenged when mothers are put in a situation of burying at least 7,729 children. As stated by UNFPA, an estimated 5,500 women are due to give birth within the next month, more than 180 delivering every day, and an estimated 840 women may experience pregnancy- or birth-related complications. The Committee condemns the inexorable march of death, disease, and destruction in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n The Committee calls on Israel to comply with the order<\/em><\/a> of provisional measures of the International Court of Justice to \u201ctake all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts\u201d of violence, \u201cprevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide\u201d, and \u201cto enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance\u201d.<\/p>\n The Committee calls upon Israel to allow the provision of medical personnel, medicines, water, food, fuel, shelter, and clothes to all civilians and provide a special focus on women\u2019s and girls\u2019 special needs, such as sexual and reproductive health services and sanitary and hygiene products. The clock is ticking fast towards famine and an outbreak of epidemics. The lives and health, physical and mental, of the women and girls of Gaza are severely compromised.<\/p>\n The Committee deplores that women are among the first victims of conflict-related violence and stresses that they are leading forces for peace. It reaffirms its profound commitment to women\u2019s leadership and decision-making at this moment of conflict and in all evolving processes in peace-building. The Committee strongly calls for reforms in the security architecture of all parties to guarantee parity with a starting minimum quota of 30 per cent for women\u2019s representation at decision-making levels around the negotiation table and in the entire peace-building continuum. Women must stop paying for the cost of war.<\/p>\n The Committee recognizes that the continuing war and siege cause grievous harm to all women and girls, including pregnant women and women with disabilities. This constitutes a major humanitarian, human rights and public health crisis and a stain on our collective conscience.<\/p>\n The Committee calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas. It also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Palestinians, including women and girls, who are arbitrarily arrested and detained by Israeli forces.<\/p>\n The Committee warns against any pending and potential military offenses and incursions into the already limited land space of Rafah where hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced persons, predominantly women and children, are seeking refuge.<\/p>\n The Committee appeals to the Security Council to claim an immediate and total cessation of the war in Gaza to ensure lasting peace and security in the region.<\/p>\n On 20 February, the Security Council met to consider agenda item \u201cThe situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.\u201d\u00a0A draft resolution reproduced below contained in document <\/em>S\/2024\/173<\/em><\/a> was not adopted, owing to the negative vote of a permanent member of the Council. The meeting record is available <\/em>here<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n Algeria: draft resolution<\/strong><\/p>\n The Security Council<\/em>,<\/p>\n Reaffirming<\/em> the purposes and principles of the Charter of the Â鶹APP,<\/p>\n Recalling<\/em> all its relevant resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,<\/p>\n Recalling<\/em> also the Order delivered on 26 January 2024 by the International Court of Justice indicating provisional measures to Israel in the case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (South Africa v. Israel) in relation to the right of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip to be protected from all acts within the scope of Article II and Article\u00a0III of the Convention,<\/p>\n Recalling<\/em> further the letter dated 6 December 2023 of the Secretary-General, under Article 99 of the Charter of the Â鶹APP, addressed to the President of the Security Council (S\/2023\/962<\/em><\/a>),<\/p>\n Reiterating<\/em> its demand that all parties to the conflict comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in particular with regard to the conduct of hostilities and the protection of civilians and civilian objects, and recalling the obligation to respect and protect humanitarian relief and medical personnel as well as medical infrastructure, medical transports and the wounded and sick, and to refrain from depriving the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of essential goods and services indispensable to their survival and humanitarian assistance, consistent with international humanitarian law and international human rights law,<\/p>\n Reaffirming<\/em> the obligations of all parties regarding the provision of humanitarian assistance, and its demand that they allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, full, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip,<\/p>\n Welcoming<\/em> the appointment of Ms. Sigrid Kaag, as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to its resolution 2720, underscoring the need to provide her team with the resources and support necessary to fulfil her mandate, and emphasizing the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip,<\/p>\n Reaffirming<\/em> its strong concern for the disproportionate and grave effect that the conflict is having on the civilian population, with particular impact on the lives and well-being of children, women, and persons with disabilities as well as other civilians in vulnerable situations,<\/p>\n Expressing<\/em> grave concern over the dire and urgently deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the adverse conditions of life for and suffering of the Palestinian civilian population,<\/p>\n Expressing<\/em> also grave concern over the impact of the situation in Gaza on regional and international peace and security,<\/p>\n Emphasizing<\/em> the imperative of accountability for all violations of international law,<\/p>\n Stressing<\/em> that the Gaza Strip constitutes an integral part of the territory occupied in 1967, and reiterating the vision of the two-state solution, with the Gaza Strip as part of the Palestinian State,<\/p>\n\n
<\/a>I. 30 UN human rights experts call on States to reinstate and strengthen support for UNRWA<\/h2>\n
<\/a>II. UN Secretary-General appoints an independent UNRWA Review Group<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>III. OCHA Chief warns against further fighting in Rafah<\/h2>\n
<\/a>IV. UN Human Rights High Commissioner warns Israeli extensive destruction near Gaza border \u201cgrave breach\u201d of Geneva conventions, possible war crime<\/h2>\n
<\/a>V. No child in Gaza is free from fear, pain and hunger, says the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child<\/h2>\n
<\/a>VI. UNICEF calls on the parties to refrain from military escalation in Rafah<\/h2>\n
<\/a>VII. UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide horrified at the situation in\u00a0Middle East<\/h2>\n
\nnot commit any of the above-described acts\u201d. Furthermore, the Court indicated \u201cthat Israel must 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\u201d. In this connection, neither the Secretary-General nor the Special Adviser take a position in relation to ongoing judicial proceedings before the Court.<\/p>\n<\/a>VIII. UN Human Rights High Commissioner says the world must not allow a full-fledged military incursion into Rafah<\/h2>\n
<\/a>IX.\u00a0 OCHA Chief warns military operations in Rafah could lead to slaughter, end fragile humanitarian operation<\/h2>\n
<\/a>X. UN Palestinian Rights Committee Bureau warns against Rafah operation<\/h2>\n
<\/a>XI.\u00a0 Israel\u2019s symbolic entry \u201cban\u201d must not distract from atrocity crimes in Gaza says a UN human rights expert<\/h2>\n
<\/a>XII.\u00a0 OHCHR is concerned by the pattern of Israeli raids on Gaza medical facilities<\/h2>\n
<\/a>XIII. ICJ denies South Africa\u2019s request for additional provisional measures<\/h2>\n
<\/a>XIV.\u00a0 When mothers have to bury at least 7,700 children, very basic principles are challenged, CEDAW says<\/h2>\n
<\/a>XV.\u00a0 US vetoes Algerian Security Council resolution demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza<\/h2>\n
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