UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk assessed Israel’s practices in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Türk said large numbers of Palestinian civilians had been killed in Gaza despite the ceasefire, while the annexation process was continuing in the West Bank.
Türk addressed the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee on Tuesday via video link from the UN headquarters in New York. During the meeting of the committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues, he also assessed developments in the world order.
Türk assesses Gaza and the West Bank
Türk said the current world order was being shaken by wars, polarization, climate-driven disruption and accelerating technological change, and also addressed the situation in Gaza.
Türk said Palestinian civilians continued to suffer heavy losses in Gaza despite the ceasefire. He said Israel was continuing its efforts to annex the occupied West Bank and noted that the process was proceeding in violation of the International Court of Justice’s ruling.
The International Court of Justice’s opinion of July 19, 2024
In an advisory opinion issued on July 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice concluded that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories it has occupied since 1967 was unlawful. The opinion also covered the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The court described Israel’s expansion of settlements, development of infrastructure linked to those settlements, and application of its own laws in parts of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem as practices amounting to the establishment of permanent control and de facto annexation over large parts of the occupied territories.
The International Court of Justice said these policies were incompatible with the principle prohibiting the acquisition of territory by force.
Military operations and settler attacks in the West Bank
Israeli military operations and settler attacks in the West Bank have increased since October 2023. During this period, practices including raids, detentions, gunfire, home demolitions, the seizure of Palestinian-owned land and the establishment of new settlement outposts have taken place.
