The Bulletin can be found in the United Nations Information System\u00a0<\/em>on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL) at\u00a0<\/em>https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/data-collection\/monthly-bulletin\/<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n August 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n Volume XLVII, Bulletin No. VIII<\/strong><\/p>\n On 2 August, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n In recent days, I have engaged in critical discussions with the relevant parties and member states in the region, including Lebanon, Egypt and Qatar, in support of regional de-escalation.<\/p>\n I underscored the urgency of addressing the growing risk of a serious escalation, which poses a substantial threat to regional stability. We examined the ongoing efforts to mediate and de-escalate the situation and explored ways to prevent a spillover of the conflict.<\/p>\n I reaffirmed the necessity of urgent, coordinated action to prevent further deterioration of the situation.<\/p>\n It is crucial that we act decisively and collectively to address the immediate threats and lay the groundwork for a lasting peace.<\/p>\n I will continue my active engagement with all the relevant parties to support peace and stability in the region<\/p>\n On <\/em>5 August, the UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini <\/em>acknowledged<\/em><\/a><\/strong> the completion of the investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into the allegations that 19 UNRWA staff members in Gaza had been involved in the 7 October attacks. <\/em><\/p>\n I acknowledge the completion of the investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into the serious allegations that 19 area UNRWA staff members in Gaza were involved in the abhorrent attacks of 7 October on southern Israel.<\/p>\n The allegations were brought to the Agency\u2019s attention in January. \u00a0In close consultation with the United Nations\u00a0Secretary-General (SG), I immediately terminated the contracts of\u00a0the\u00a0staff\u00a0in question, in the interest\u00a0of the Agency, while the SG tasked OIOS to launch\u00a0an investigation.\u00a0\u00a0Additional allegations were brought to our attention in March and April\u00a0and the concerned staff were added to the OIOS investigation.<\/p>\n The\u00a0OIOS\u00a0investigation\u2019s outcomes\u00a0are the following:<\/p>\n In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member\u2019s involvement. That\u00a0staff member has rejoined the Agency.<\/p>\n In\u00a0nine\u00a0other cases,\u00a0the evidence\u00a0obtained by OIOS\u00a0was insufficient to support\u00a0the staff members\u2019 involvement\u00a0and the OIOS investigation of them is now closed.<\/p>\n For\u00a0the\u00a0remaining nine cases,\u00a0the evidence\u00a0\u2013\u00a0if\u00a0authenticated and corroborated\u00a0\u2013\u00a0could\u00a0indicate that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the\u00a0attacks of\u00a07 October.<\/p>\n I have decided\u00a0that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA. \u00a0All\u00a0contracts of these staff members\u00a0will be\u00a0terminated\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0interest\u00a0of the\u00a0Agency.<\/p>\n The Agency\u2019s priority\u00a0is\u00a0to continue\u00a0lifesaving and critical services\u00a0for Palestine Refugees\u00a0in Gaza\u00a0and\u00a0across\u00a0the region, especially in the face of the ongoing war,\u00a0the instability and risk of regional escalation.<\/p>\n UNRWA\u00a0is committed to\u00a0continue\u00a0upholding\u00a0the\u00a0fundamental\u00a0principles and\u00a0values\u00a0of the United Nations,\u00a0including\u00a0the humanitarian principle of\u00a0neutrality, and to\u00a0ensure\u00a0that\u00a0all\u00a0its staff\u00a0abide by\u00a0the Agency\u2019s policy on\u00a0outside and political activities.<\/p>\n In April, an independent Agency-wide review by three reputable research centres under the\u00a0leadership\u00a0of former French Foreign\u00a0Minister\u00a0Catherine Colonna\u00a0concluded that UNRWA\u00a0\u2018possesses a more developed approach to neutrality than other similar UN or NGO\u00a0entities\u2019.\u00a0The Agency has started implementing the recommendations of the review\u201d\u00a0and is fully committed to them.<\/p>\n Finally, I\u00a0reiterate\u00a0UNRWA\u2019s\u00a0condemnation\u00a0of the 7 October attack\u00a0in the strongest possible terms. I\u00a0call\u00a0\u2013 once again\u00a0\u2013\u00a0for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and their safe return to their families.<\/p>\n On <\/em>5 August, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n The UN Human Rights Office is horrified by the unfolding pattern of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) strikes on schools in Gaza killing internally displaced Palestinians seeking shelter there. Strikes on at least 17 schools just in the last month reportedly killed at least 163 Palestinians, including children and women \u2013 suggesting a failure to comply with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in carrying out these attacks.<\/p>\n Such attacks are escalating. In the span of the last eight days, at least seven schools were targeted. On 27 July, Khadija School and the adjacent Ahmad Al Kurd School in Deir al Balah were struck, killing at least 30 Palestinians, reportedly including 15 children and 8 women. On 1 August, Dalal Moghrabi public school in Ash Shujaiyeh neighborhood in eastern Gaza City was struck killing 15 Palestinians, including children, followed on 3 August, by an attack on Hamama School and the adjacent Huda School in Shake Radwan in Gaza City, with initial reports indicating at least 16 Palestinians were killed, including children and women. On 4 August, Hassan Salame and Nasser Schools in An Nassr area in western Gaza City were attacked almost simultaneously, with initial reports suggesting at least 25 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed. All seven schools were reportedly serving as shelters for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) while Khadija school was also serving as a field hospital. The Israeli military claims that Khadjia, Dala Moghrabi, Hamama, Hassan Salame and Nasser schools were being used by \u201cHamas operatives\u201d. Meanwhile, in the last four weeks, the UN Human Rights Office has recorded another 10 strikes on schools across Gaza.<\/p>\n While the collocation by armed groups of military objectives with civilians or the use of the presence of civilians with the objective of shielding a military objective from attack constitute violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) it does not negate Israel\u2019s obligation to comply strictly with International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of proportionality, distinction and precaution when carrying out military operations. Israel, as the occupying power, is also obliged to provide the evacuated populations with basic humanitarian needs, including safe shelter.<\/p>\n The UN Human Rights Office calls once more for an immediate cease-fire.<\/p>\n The Office is also extremely concerned by Israeli security forces\u2019 (ISF) use of lethal force in the West Bank as it reportedly killed nine Palestinians on 3 August, five of which appeared to have been planned extra-judicial executions. According to information gathered by the UN Human Rights Office, including statements by Israeli authorities, ISF raided western areas of Tulkarem in the early morning of 3 August 2024, withdrawing after about two hours. At around 06:20 am, ISF targeted a Palestinian vehicle on a road in Tulkarem with two consecutive airstrikes and killed five Palestinian men inside the vehicle, claiming that they were on the way to carry out a \u201cterrorist attack\u201d. At around 12:30 pm, after a raid by the ISF in south-western Tulkarem, ISF and four Palestinian armed men on a side road in Tulkarem engaged in an exchange of fire. The ISF then launched an airstrike against the four men, killed them.<\/p>\n The planned killing of individuals who do not represent an imminent threat to life as well as the regular recourse to military tactics and weapons of war in law enforcement operations in the occupied West Bank raises concerns of unnecessary or disproportionate, and unlawful, use of force.<\/p>\n On 4 August, in another disturbing incident, a Palestinian man from Salfit, occupied West Bank, reportedly stabbed and killed two Israelis and injured two others in Holon, Tel Aviv, after irregularly crossing into Israel. ISF reportedly shot and killed the assailant on the spot.<\/p>\n On 5 August, Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krsti\u0107, and Haina Lu; Working group on discrimination against women and girls, issued the following<\/em> statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Reports of alleged torture and sexual violence in Israel\u2019s Sde Teiman prison are grossly illegal and revolting, but they only represent the tip of the iceberg, independent human rights experts* warned today.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael\u2019s widespread and systemic abuse of Palestinians in detention and arbitrary arrest practices over decades, coupled with the absence of any restraints by the Israeli State since 7 October 2023, paint a shocking picture enabled by absolute impunity,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n Around 9,500 Palestinians, including hundreds of children and women, are currently imprisoned\u2014around one-third without charge or trial. Another unknown number are arbitrarily being held in detention facilities and ad hoc camps following a wave of arrest and abduction campaigns across Palestinian territory that targeted men, women and children particularly following 7 October.<\/p>\n The experts received substantiated reports of widespread abuse, torture, sexual assault and rape, amid atrocious inhumane conditions, with at least 53 Palestinians apparently dying as a result in 10 months.<\/p>\n Countless testimonies by men and women speak of detainees in cage-like enclosures, tied to beds blindfolded and in diapers, stripped naked, deprived of adequate healthcare, food, water and sleep, electrocutions including on their genitals, blackmail and cigarette burns. In addition, victims spoke of loud music played until their ears bled, attacks by dogs, waterboarding, suspension from ceilings and severe sexual and gender-based violence.<\/p>\n \u201cAllegations of gang-rape of a Palestinian detainee, now shockingly supported by voices in the Israeli political establishment and society, provide irrefutable evidence that the moral compass is lost,\u201d the experts said. In February 2024, a number of experts also\u00a0expressed<\/em><\/a>\u00a0grave concern regarding the reports of sexual and other forms of gender-based violence committed against Palestinian women and girls in Israeli detention.<\/p>\n The Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory\u00a0investigated<\/em><\/a>\u00a0Israel\u2019s detention practices in 2023 and called on UN Member States to intervene and the International Criminal Court to promptly investigate what appeared to be a consolidated crime against humanity. The experts regret this call was not heeded.<\/p>\n \u201cTorture practices are irredeemably unlawful and constitute international crimes, yet form part of the modus operandi of Israel\u2019s notorious detention and torture system,\u201d they warned. \u201cThese practices are intended to punish Palestinians for resisting occupation and seek to destroy them individually and collectively.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael\u2019s genocidal destruction in Gaza, which is spreading across the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, serves as the backdrop to its abusive detention programme today,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n \u201cMost Palestinian detainees are de facto hostages of an unlawful occupation,\u201d they said, referring to the\u00a0July 2024 Advisory Opinion<\/em><\/a>\u00a0from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of Israel\u2019s occupation of Palestinian territory. They called for oversight and accountability over all Israeli practices and policies in the territory.<\/p>\n \u201cDecrying the silence by Member States following the emergence of testimonies and reports of alleged maltreatment and torture, the experts called for pressure on Israel with a view to implementing a cogent system of access, monitoring and protection of Palestinian detainees. The Human Rights Council, in particular, must urgently demand the deployment of special procedures mandate holders and the Commission of Inquiry to facilities holding Palestinians, they said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is required now is nothing short of an independent, international presence of human rights observers. They must become the world\u2019s eyes in light of Israel\u2019s brazen failure to prevent and address the heinous rights violations against prisoners and detainees,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n On 6 August, Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Mai Sato, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Ashwini K.P., Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; and Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krsti\u0107, and Haina Lu; Working group on discrimination against women and girls issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Independent experts today deplored escalating violence in the Middle East, including a rocket apparently fired from Lebanon that killed 12 children in Syria\u2019s Golan Heights, occupied by Israel, and Israel\u2019s alleged killing in response of Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Lebanon.<\/p>\n They also condemned the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas\u2019 political chief and a former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, in Iran.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are extremely concerned by these killings, which violate the human right to life and risk perilous further escalation of violence and displacement in the region,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n The experts strongly condemned a rocket attack on 28 July reportedly launched from Lebanon against Majdal Shams, a village in the occupied Syrian Golan, which killed 12 Druze children and injured 42 other people. Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and purported to annex it in 1981, in violation of international law. Israel claims that Hezbollah was responsible, but Hezbollah has denied the attack.<\/p>\n \u201cThis attack appears to be in violation of both international humanitarian law and international human rights law\u201d, the experts said. \u201cIn addition, all countries have a\u00a0duty<\/em><\/a>\u00a0to prevent the use of their territories by non-state actors to launch cross-border violence endangering civilians, and to investigate and prosecute or extradite those who commit such acts,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n Israel responded by killing a Hezbollah commander, Fouad Shukur, in a residential area of Beirut on 30 July, in a strike that also reportedly killed a boy and a girl and three women and wounded 74 people. \u201cWe are alarmed at such reckless disregard for the human right to life, in violation of international humanitarian law, and the dangerous escalation of the border conflict with Hezbollah to the peaceful capital city of Lebanon,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n The experts also condemned the alleged killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on 31 July, which bears the hallmark of an Israeli operation. \u201cIf confirmed, this would amount to an extrajudicial killing and the crime of murder. All states are\u00a0prohibited<\/em><\/a>\u00a0from arbitrarily depriving individuals of their right to life, including in military operations abroad,\u201d they said. \u201cKillings abroad are further illegal when they violate the prohibition on the use of armed force against another country under\u00a0Arti<\/em><\/a>cle<\/em><\/a> 2<\/em><\/a>(<\/em><\/a>4<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/a><\/strong>\u00a0of the United Nations Charter\u201d, they said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe killing of Haniyeh, a key political leader, amidst urgent and delicate ceasefire negotiations also thwarts the best immediate chance for peace and the safe release of those taken hostage on 7 October 2023\u201d, the experts said. It has also destroyed efforts to bring Haniyeh to justice before the International Criminal Court. \u201cThis assassination not only exacerbates a dire conflict but destabilises the whole region, undermines multilateralism, and impedes the United Nations\u2019 search for a diplomatic solution according to international law.\u201d<\/p>\n All three incidents highlight the vital need for full, independent and impartial investigations, including access to all pertinent evidence and full cooperation from relevant countries, to establish the facts of the killings and ensure accountability.<\/p>\n To protect innocent civilian lives, the experts urged all parties to immediately cease fire on all fronts. They also called on the Security Council to fulfill its responsibility to effectively respond to all actors in the region whose actions threaten international peace and security.<\/p>\n On 6 August, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n An independent human rights expert today condemned the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Ismail Al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami Al-Rifi in Gaza on 1 August 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cI strongly denounce the deliberate targeting by Israel of two journalists in Gaza, which adds to an already appalling toll of reporters and media workers killed in this war,\u201d said Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression.<\/p>\n \u201cLike many journalists killed in Gaza, Al-Ghoul was wearing a clearly marked press jacket when an Israeli drone missile hit the vehicle. Israel\u2019s military confirmed Al-Ghoul\u2019s death and accused him of being a Hamas operative.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Israeli military seems to be making accusations without any substantive evidence as a licence to kill journalists, which is in total contravention of international humanitarian law,\u201d Khan said.<\/p>\n The expert noted that journalists enjoy protection as civilians under international humanitarian law and that their deliberate targeting is a war crime. According to international humanitarian law, journalists only lose their civilian status if they take direct part in hostilities. Israel has not provided concrete evidence in this, or other cases.<\/p>\n The Special Rapporteur was dismayed by attacks against Al Jazeera, including the deliberate killing of its journalists in Gaza, the total ban on the outlet in Israel, and the vicious smear campaign against the broadcaster.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael\u2019s targeting of Al Jazeera is an assault on media freedom in blatant disregard of international human rights and humanitarian law,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The expert was also gravely concerned that none of the cases of journalists killed in the occupied Palestinian Territory has ever been transparently investigated, nor suspected perpetrators brought to justice by Israeli authorities.<\/p>\n \u201cI call again on Israeli authorities to initiate prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into this and other killings, and adopt all necessary measures to protect journalists in the occupied Palestinian Territory in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law,\u201d Khan said.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven Israel\u2019s failure to heed earlier calls for accountability, I urge the International Criminal Court to move swiftly to prosecute the killings of journalists in Gaza as a war crime and call on the international community to urgently consider the use of international mechanisms to investigate crimes against journalists in Gaza,\u201d the Special Rapporteur said.<\/p>\n The expert is in contact with the Government of Israel on this matter.<\/p>\n On <\/em>7 August, T\u00fcrkiye filed a <\/em>declaration<\/strong> of<\/strong> intervention<\/strong><\/em><\/a> in the proceedings under Article 63 of the International Court of Justice Statute \u2013 Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), as reflected in the following ICJ press release.<\/em><\/p>\n Today, T\u00fcrkiye, invoking Article 63 of the Statute of the Court, filed in the Registry of the Court a declaration of intervention 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).<\/p>\n Pursuant to Article 63 of the Statute, whenever the construction of a convention to which States other than those concerned in the case are parties is in question, each of those States has the right to intervene in the proceedings. If they do so, the construction given by the judgment of the Court will be equally binding upon them.<\/p>\n In availing itself of the right of intervention conferred by Article 63, paragraph 2, T\u00fcrkiye relies on its status as a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the \u201cGenocide Convention\u201d).<\/p>\n T\u00fcrkiye considers that the proper construction of Articles I, II, III, IV, V and VI of the Genocide Convention is in question and is \u201cdirectly relevant to the resolution of the dispute placed before the Court by South Africa\u2019s Application\u201d. It also reserves the right to submit a request for permission to intervene under Article 62 of the Statute.<\/p>\n In accordance with Article 83 of the Rules of Court, South Africa and Israel have been invited to furnish written observations on T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s declaration of intervention. The\u00a0full text of T\u00fcrkiye\u2019s declaration of intervention<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is available on the website.<\/p>\n On 9 August, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk is \u201cshocked and appalled\u201d, a spokesman said, at Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich\u2019s statement earlier this week in which he deplored aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip and suggested that the deliberate starvation of Palestinian civilians in Gaza could be \u201cjustified and moral\u201d as long as Israeli hostages are held by Hamas.<\/p>\n \u201cThe High Commissioner condemns these words in the strongest terms,\u201d said Jeremy Laurence, UN human rights spokesperson, at the press briefing in Geneva. \u201cThey also incite hatred against innocent civilians. The starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime,\u201d insisted Mr. Laurence, echoing previous warnings from the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, against preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in emergency conditions, which is an obligation under international humanitarian law.<\/p>\n According to the UN\u2019s human rights office, Mr. T\u00fcrk fears that this direct and public statement, especially by a public official, risks inciting other atrocity crimes, and called for such statements to cease immediately. \u201cThey must be investigated and, if found to amount to a crime, must be prosecuted and punished,\u201d Mr. Laurence said.<\/p>\n Amid the escalation of regional tensions following the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran, Mr. Laurence also repeated the importance of achieving a cease-fire. \u201cAll hostages must be released, and humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow into Gaza,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n On <\/em>9 August, the UNICEF Communication Officer Salim Oweis briefed the press at the<\/em> Palais des Nations in Geneva, as <\/em>summarized<\/em><\/a><\/strong> below. <\/em><\/p>\n \/\u2026<\/p>\n The unrelenting war in Gaza continues to inflict horrors on thousands of children, keeping far too many separated from their loved ones. On Saturday, I met 8-month-old Yahya. Four days and several attempts later, after a long and dangerous drive together, through military checkpoints to the North of the Gaza Strip, Yahya met his father, Zakaria, for the first time.<\/p>\n Little Yahya\u00a0was born at Kamal Adwan Hospital on 27 November 2023. The boy was born prematurely and was transferred to Shifaa Hospital for neo-natal medical care. Shortly after, a military operation took place around Shifaa Hospital, and he was evacuated to Al-Aqsa\u00a0Hospital in Deir al-Balah \u2013 the middle of the Gaza Strip. But his parents were forced to stay in the north.<\/p>\n Once well, Yahya was eventually placed into temporary care and kept safe with the support of UNICEF and partners, who managed to stay in touch with his family. Finally, the time came to reunite him with his mother and father, who had to endure months of uncertainty and fear before being able to hold him in their hands.<\/p>\n The successful mission included seven children from four families and was a rare moment of joy in an otherwise bleak environment. But it wasn\u2019t without its complexities. Our mission has been denied access three times before, despite pre-coordination and initial approvals. Just two weeks earlier, another UNICEF car on a reunification mission was hit by three bullets, while waiting at a holding point on its way to the north. But our small win \u2013 seeing Zakaria cry with joy and relief \u2013 is why we persist despite the many challenges.<\/p>\n I was shocked by the depth of suffering, destruction and widespread displacement in Gaza. The footage the world sees on television gives an important peek into the living hell people are enduring for over 10 months. What it does not fully show is how behind the crumbled buildings \u2013 whole neighbourhoods, livelihoods and dreams have been levelled to the ground.<\/p>\n When you see an image of a displaced mother carrying her child and all their possessions on her back, you do not see hundreds of uprooted people following her up the road.<\/p>\n One lost child, like Yahya, is really the story of thousands.<\/p>\n The life of a child in Gaza, in month ten of this conflict, is not a life. We cannot say it enough \u2013 there is no safe place, and everything is running out \u2013 food, water, fuel, medicines. Everything.<\/p>\n When you walk through the mazes of makeshift shelters, you struggle to climb the sand they lay on and you smell the strong odour of sewage filling the paths around. You are struck by the many children hovering around asking one question \u201cMr. when will the war end?\u201d<\/p>\n Water and waste are a huge problem.<\/p>\n In Deir al-Balah, where the bulk of displaced people have fled in recent months, the partially functioning sanitation system is estimated to be overloaded by seven times its capacity due to these massive waves of displacement to the area. Consequently, the decades-old sewage network is mostly clogged, and leaking.<\/p>\n Families urgently asked me for soap and hygiene supplies. They are using water and salt to clean their children or boiling water with lemons to try and treat skin rashes. They tell me doctors don\u2019t have the capacity or medicines to treat them, with more serious medical cases arriving every hour and no supplies on the shelves. And so, the rashes spread.<\/p>\n There is also a serious lack of medicine for children with pre-existing conditions like cancer and congenital ailments.<\/p>\n At Al-Aqsa Hospital I met 10-year-old Abdel Rahman, who suffered a leg injury during an airstrike. His leg never healed, and after following up with doctors he was diagnosed with bone cancer. His mother Samar said to me with a broken voice: \u201cI wish my child would die and not to be suffering as he is now \u2013 can you believe that I wish that now?\u201d<\/p>\n A child with a disease in the Gaza Strip has been handed a sentence to a slow death because he cannot receive the treatment he needs, and he is unlikely to survive long enough to make it out.<\/p>\n Their only hope of survival is a ceasefire. The children of Gaza are still clinging to the belief that this day will come, and UNICEF shares this hope. Achieving a ceasefire is still possible, more necessary now than ever and way overdue, and everyone must do everything in their power to advocate for it.\u201d<\/p>\n On 10 August, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n Every day civilians continue to bear the brunt of this conflict amidst horror, displacement and endless suffering.<\/p>\n The cost in lives of this war is evident with every passing day as we have witnessed yet another devastating strike on a school sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians, with dozens of fatalities.<\/p>\n I am encouraged by the perseverance of the leaders of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar as mediators and their call on both sides to conclude the ceasefire and hostages release deal.<\/p>\n I urge all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians, conclude a deal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza and implement its provisions without delay or condition in line with UN Security Council resolution 2735.<\/p>\n The United Nations is committed to supporting all efforts towards this goal. An end to this nightmare is long overdue.<\/p>\n On <\/em>15 August, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker T\u00fcrk issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n Today marks a grim milestone for the world. The people of Gaza are now grieving 40,000 Palestinian lives lost, according to Gaza\u2019s health ministry. Most of the dead are women and children. This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli Defense Forces to comply with the rules of war.<\/p>\n On average, about 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past 10 months. The scale of the Israeli military\u2019s destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship is deeply shocking.<\/p>\n International humanitarian law (IHL) is very clear on the paramount importance on the protection of civilians, and civilian property and infrastructure. Our Office has documented serious violations of IHL by both the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups, including the armed wing of Hamas.<\/p>\n As the world reflects on and considers its inability to prevent this carnage, I urge all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire, lay down their arms and stop the killing once and for all. The hostages must be released. Palestinians arbitrarily detained must be freed. Israel\u2019s illegal occupation must end and the internationally agreed two-State solution must become a reality.<\/p>\n On <\/em>16 August, UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n Gaza is in a humanitarian freefall.\u00a0 Just when it seems the situation could not get worse for Palestinians in Gaza, the suffering grows \u2013 and the world watches.<\/p>\n In recent weeks, the poliovirus has been detected in wastewater samples in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.\u00a0 That means the virus is now circulating, with hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza at risk.<\/p>\n Polio does not care about dividing lines \u2013 and polio does not wait. Preventing and containing the spread of polio will take a massive, coordinated and urgent effort.<\/p>\n The United Nations is poised to launch a vital polio vaccine campaign in Gaza for more than [640,000] children under the age of 10. The World Health Organization has approved the release of 1.6 million doses of the polio vaccine. UNICEF is coordinating delivery of the vaccines and the cold chain equipment to store them. And UNRWA, the largest primary healthcare provider in Gaza, has medical teams ready to administer the vaccines and assist with logistics.<\/p>\n But the challenges are grave. Health, water, and sanitation systems in Gaza have been decimated.\u00a0The majority of hospitals and primary care facilities are not functional.\u00a0People are constantly on the run for safety.\u00a0And routine immunizations have been severely disrupted by the conflict, increasing the spread of other preventable diseases like measles and hepatitis A.<\/p>\n We know how an effective polio vaccination campaign must be administered.\u00a0Given the wholesale devastation in Gaza, at least 95 per cent vaccination coverage will be needed during each round of the two-round campaign to prevent polio\u2019s spread and reduce its emergence.<\/p>\n The vaccination effort will include 708 teams at hospitals and primary health care centres \u2013 many of which are barely functioning \u2014 and by 316 community outreach teams throughout Gaza.<\/p>\n And we also know what a successful campaign will require:<\/p>\n I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s be clear:\u00a0 The ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.<\/p>\n But in any case, a Polio Pause is a must. It is impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign with war raging all over. Polio goes beyond politics.\u00a0 It transcends all divisions.\u00a0 And so it is our shared obligation to come together.<\/p>\n To mobilize \u2013 not to fight people, but to fight polio.<\/p>\n And to defeat a vicious virus that, left unchecked, would have a disastrous effect not only for Palestinian children in Gaza, but also in neighbouring countries and the region.<\/p>\n On <\/em>16 August, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Dr. Alice Jill Edwards issued the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, has condemned the latest allegation of sexual assault by Israeli soldiers against a Palestinian man in their custody. This follows her formal\u00a0communication<\/em><\/a>\u00a0with Israel in May about multiple allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment against Palestinians detained since 7 October 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no circumstances in which sexual torture or sexualised inhuman and degrading treatment can be justified,\u201d Edwards said.<\/p>\n \u201cAll alleged crimes committed within the context of this terrible war must be investigated transparently and impartially, and those responsible held accountable by civilian courts of law.\u201d<\/p>\n Thousands of Palestinians have been detained by Israel since 7 October 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cThis alleged sexual torture involving multiple offenders is particularly gruesome. In an official meeting with Israeli authorities, I have been informed that several soldiers suspected of involvement have been identified and are currently under investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwards called for this process to take place without interference.<\/p>\n \u201cI am troubled by recent attempts by Israeli citizens \u2013 including reportedly one member of parliament \u2013 to intervene violently after the arrests of soldiers on these abuse charges,\u201d the expert said.<\/p>\n \u201cCriminal proceedings into all allegations must proceed unhindered. No one is above the law. No one is immune from prosecution for torture.\u201d<\/p>\n The Special Rapporteur said she continues to push for accountability for all allegations of torture and\/or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment during this war, including in meetings with both representatives of the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n She reiterated her call for the immediate release of all remaining Israeli hostages who are being held unlawfully by Hamas and other armed groups, as well as the swift release of all Palestinians arbitrarily detained. She welcomed the oversight by the High Court of Justice of Sde Teiman military camp, which has been a site of many serious allegations.<\/p>\n On 16 August, Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the following <\/em>statement<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Echoing widespread condemnation internationally and within Israel of the attack reportedly by Israeli settlers on the village of Jit on Thursday which left a Palestinian man dead and about a dozen injured, OHCHR<\/em><\/a> spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani described the incident as \u201chorrific\u201d.<\/p>\n She noted that\u00a0the killing \u201cwas not an isolated attack\u201d, in reference to years of violence directed at Palestinian communities by Israeli settlers, maintaining that it was \u201cthe direct consequence\u201d of Israel\u2019s policy of occupation.<\/p>\n Settler impunity<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe have been reporting for the past years about settlers attacking Palestinian communities in their land in the West Bank with impunity and this really is the crux of the matter, the impunity that the perpetrators of such actions have been enjoying,\u201d Ms. Shamdasani said.<\/p>\n According to latest OHCHR monitoring,\u00a0609 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank including East Jerusalem\u00a0<\/strong>since Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel on 7 October.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nContents<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n<\/a>I. UN Special Coordinator engages in regional de-escalation efforts<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>II. OIOS completes investigation of UNRWA staff<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>III. OHCHR in Palestine horrified by pattern of Israeli strikes on schools in Gaza and use of lethal force in the West Bank<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>IV. UN Human rights experts deplore Israel\u2019s escalating use of torture against Palestinians in custody<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>V. UN human rights experts condemn rocket fire from Lebanon, the killing of Hezbollah, Hamas leaders<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>VI. UN human rights expert denounces killing of two journalists in Gaza and demands full accountability<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>VII. T\u00fcrkiye files a declaration of intervention in the ICJ genocide case<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>VIII. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemns Israeli minister for justifying war crime of starvation of civilians in Gaza<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>IX. Unrelenting war in Gaza continues to inflict horrors on children \u2013 UNICEF<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>X. UN Special Coordinator deplores devastating strike on a school sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>XI. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights pleads for end to fighting as Gaza death toll passes 40,000<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>XII. UN Secretary-General calls for ceasefire to combat polio in Gaza as \u201cGaza is in a humanitarian freefall\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n<\/a>XIII. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture appalled by allegation of sexual torture by Israeli soldiers, calls for accountability<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n<\/a>XIV. OHCHR warns of escalating settler violence in the West Bank<\/strong><\/h2>\n