Palestinian rights matter, says UNRWA chief

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on social media on Friday that "the people of Gaza have been systematically dehumanised since the beginning of the war". He stressed that "Palestinians matter, including those in Gaza. Their rights, lives and future matter" and noted that "human rights cannot be applied selectively". His comments come in the wake of US President Donald Trump's suggestion earlier this week that the US should take control of Gaza and permanently displace the entire Palestinian population - which the UN Secretary-General said would be an act of "ethnic cleansing".

The Two-State Solution
In his statement, Lazzarini quoted UN chief António Guterres, who stressed that "peace requires an end to the occupation and the creation of an independent Palestinian state, of which Gaza will be an integral part; a viable and sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel". The UNRWA chief said his agency's teams "are committed to continuing to provide critical assistance to the Palestinian refugees who need us most until strengthened Palestinian institutions become a sustainable and viable alternative."

UNRWA continues to face major challenges in carrying out its work. Last month, two Israeli laws came into force that prohibit UNRWA's activities within its borders and prohibit Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency. UNRWA has been ordered to vacate its premises in East Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank and international staff have not been granted visa extensions. The teams are still providing assistance to communities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and also in Gaza, where a ceasefire is still in place after 15 months of war.

Humanitarian chief meets with displaced families
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Tom Fletcher continued his week-long visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. On Friday, he visited a UNRWA-run shelter in Deir al-Balah, Gaza City, before heading to Jerusalem via the Kerem Shalom border crossing. Mr Fletcher met with displaced families who spoke of the hardships they have endured over the past 16 months. He also heard from the staff who run the shelter about the ongoing response and the challenges they face in providing critical support.

This UNRWA site is one of many schools in Gaza that have been converted into shelters. The UN humanitarian chief met with children who are deprived of education and stressed the need to reopen schools in Gaza as soon as possible. In Jerusalem, Mr. Fletcher met with the heads of UN humanitarian agencies and other aid workers to discuss how to keep the flow of aid flowing into Gaza and support operations in the West Bank.

Medical evacuation and food aid
UN agencies continue to provide updates on their work in the Gaza Strip. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on social media that its team supported the medical evacuation of 178 patients, including 115 children, to Egypt this month. However, another 12,000 to 14,000 people still need to be evacuated. For its part, the World Food Programme (WFP) has sent more than 15,000 tons of food to Gaza since the ceasefire began, reaching more than 525,000 people with food parcels, hot meals and cash. UN children's rights agency UNICEF added that more than 10,000 infants have been reached with ready-to-feed meals in Gaza since the ceasefire began.

Insufficient shelter
This week, UN partners are assessing the impact of the winter storm on shelters in various locations across the enclave. Partners in the north are also preparing to distribute 1,500 tents to returnees in Gaza and North Gaza governorates. Humanitarian workers note that even as shelter support is expanding, nearly one million displaced people are living in inadequate tents or makeshift dwellings - some families resort to stitching together old rice sacks to provide at least basic shelter.

West Bank repression continues
The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also provided an update on the situation in the West Bank. Ongoing operations by Israeli forces in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas continue to displace Palestinians, severely limit their access to basic services and cause widespread destruction. Humanitarian workers estimate that 82 % displaced families in the northern West Bank are currently living in rented accommodation.

Significant increase in child deaths in the West Bank
Meanwhile, nearly half of all Palestinian child deaths in the West Bank over the past two decades have occurred in the last two years, the UN's aid coordination office OCHA said in a humanitarian update released Thursday. Since January 2023, 224 children (218 boys and six girls) have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, nearly half of the 468 child casualties the agency has documented since early 2005.

They include 11 children killed since January this year, all by Israeli forces, including six killed in airstrikes, and 10 children killed in the northern West Bank governorates. "This is generally consistent with trends observed over the past two years," OCHA said.

Concerned about the use of force
The agency noted that in 2023 and 2024, there were 64 % Palestinian child casualties in the West Bank's northern governorates. Most of them, 82 per cent, were shot with live ammunition and 18 per cent were killed in airstrikes. In addition, more than 2,500 Palestinian children were wounded in the same period, 28 per cent of them by live ammunition. So far this year, 89 Palestinian children have been reported injured by Israeli forces or settlers, 48 per cent of them with live ammunition.

"The significant number of children killed and injured by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces or in airstrikes raises concerns about the unnecessary and excessive use of force against children by Israeli forces during operations in the West Bank," OCHA said.

un.org / gnews.cz-jav