Approximately 100 hectares of Palestinian land have reportedly been confiscated for a new route. This development is seen as a further step towards the progressive fragmentation of the West Bank, warned Ajith Sunghay, head of the OHCHR UN Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “We are alarmed to learn that Israel has started constructing a new barrier and road in the Jordan Valley,” he stated on Friday. “This area, being the most fertile land in the West Bank, will see communities separated and farmers in Tubas distanced from their land.” Sunghay argued this move solidifies Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, threatening Palestinian livelihoods. He highlighted that residents of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams camps, displaced nearly a year ago, have not been permitted to return, raising concerns about international law violations regarding forced transfers. The UN human rights chief also expressed worries over warnings to continue bulldozing Palestinian camps.
The General Assembly on Friday showed strong support for an International Court of Justice decision concerning the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, tweeted that a resolution, backed by 139 states, dismissed claims that the agency, reportedly infiltrated by Hamas, lacks neutrality. “This vote is a significant endorsement of UNRWA by the international community. As per the ICJ, UNRWA is vital for humanitarian efforts in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and all measures should support rather than obstruct our work.” Nineteen countries abstained and 12 opposed, including the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, and Hungary. U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq stated that Secretary-General António Guterres was encouraged by the broad support for UNRWA from Member States.
In the Gaza Strip, winter storms have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, flooding displacement sites and collapsing buildings in Jabalya and Gaza City, resulting in casualties, including children. Humanitarian agencies warn of increased risks of waterborne diseases due to overflowing drainage systems and contaminated water sources. The aid coordination office, OCHA, emphasized the urgent need for essential spare parts and machinery, noting that waste collection and disposal are severely restricted. As temperatures fall, families without gas or electricity struggle to stay warm, relocating in search of safer ground.
Humanitarian partners are distributing winter supplies, but around 1.3 million people still require urgent shelter aid. Since the ceasefire two months ago, fewer than 50,000 tents have been shipped to accommodate 270,000 people, with many shelter materials blocked and NGOs prevented from operating. OCHA calls for the lifting of aid restrictions, including UNRWA’s ban, which holds supplies for over a million people outside Gaza. In the West Bank, over 1,000 Palestinians have been displaced this year in Area C and East Jerusalem, mostly due to demolitions lacking Israeli permits, which are nearly unobtainable. OCHA reports an average of five daily Israeli settler attacks with grave humanitarian impacts. The UN urges increased protection for Palestinians and an end to illegal demolitions and settler violence.
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