UN experts criticize Israel for continuing Gaza bombings post-ceasefire announcement, stressing urgent need for humanitarian aid.
UN experts have criticized Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza even after the ceasefire deal was announced and emphasized that ensuring humanitarian aid entered the enclave was an “immediate priority.”
“This ceasefire agreement follows 15 months of immense and terrible suffering in Gaza. We are dismayed that shortly after the deal was announced, Israel continued bombing Gaza indiscriminately, killing Palestinian civilians despite expectations of calm until the ceasefire takes effect,” the experts said in a statement on Friday.
They stressed that it was for “both the Israeli captives in Gaza and thousands of Palestinians who have been arbitrarily detained and often tortured in Israeli prisons” to “return home to their loved ones.”
Displaced to Return Home
Nearly 2 million people displaced within Gaza should “also be allowed to return home, and be supported to rebuild their lives without fear of further displacement or persecution,” they said.
Qatar announced a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday, following mediation efforts led by Doha, Egypt and the United States, to end Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza that began in October 2023.
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“We can only hope that this agreement will end the devastating loss of life, stop the genocidal assault and violence that has tormented millions in the occupied Palestinian territory and brought apocalyptic destruction in the Gaza Strip” the experts emphasized.
‘Monumental’ Challenges Ahead
The experts warned that the challenges ahead were monumental, with more than 70 per cent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure destroyed mainly by the relentless bombing.
“The immediate priority in Gaza is ensuring unfettered humanitarian relief, early recovery and – crucially – reparations to the affected people commensurate with the damage wreaked by Israel since 7 October 2023,” they said.
Only sustainable truce will end immense suffering & loss of life in devastated #Gaza strip, across occupied Palestinian territory & Israel: UN experts urge all parties to accept ceasefire, deliver justice & humanitarian aid & Palestinian self-determinationhttps://t.co/9q7DpTK3eH pic.twitter.com/0x2ZvO9plG
— UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) January 17, 2025
The immediate need is for shelter during winter with “many children already dead from hypothermia, and food, water and medical and other essential supplies,” the experts added.
They also pointed out that it was “essential” that Gaza “be brought under one legitimate Palestinian Government based on the rights to self-determination of the Palestinian people and full respect of international law.”
“No foreign-imposed control of the strip will be compatible with these rights,” they emphasized.
‘Collective Political Failure’
They also emphasized that the “violence, destruction and inhumane suffering that the world has witnessed for over a year is testament to collective political failure and decades of forcibly displacing Palestinian people from their homeland.”
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“We must continue to uphold international law, especially for survivors that have been affected by the devastation,” they said.
The experts said this “must be the opportunity to start resolving the Question of Palestine in line with international law.”
Gaza Seige ‘Must End’
They noted that sustainable peace required addressing the conflict’s root causes and driving fundamental change in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.
“The 17-year siege on Gaza must end, and Israel must fully and unconditionally withdraw its presence from the land internationally recognised as the State of Palestine,” the experts said.
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“Peace depends on ending racial segregation and apartheid, as ordered by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, and ensuring equal rights for all Israelis and Palestinians,” they added.
They also noted that “Palestinians displaced since 1948, survivors of the Nakba, must be able to return to their historic lands, rebuild their lives and end the cycle of forced exile.”
‘Cease Obstructing Investigations’
All journalists, including the international media, are to be granted full, free and safe access to Gaza, they urged.
The experts urged Israel to cease obstructing investigations by the International Criminal Court, the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and allow UN Special Procedures to conduct country visits.
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“Justice for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity is owed to the millions directly affected by the brutal violence of the past year,” they said. “Only the long overdue end to the occupation, apartheid and ensuring justice for atrocities committed will end cycles of violence in the region and underpin a durable peace.”
Fully Implement Deal – UNRWA
Meanwhile, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has called on “all parties to ensure the deal is fully implemented.”
“We need rapid, unhindered and uninterrupted humanitarian access to respond to the tremendous suffering in Gaza. A ceasefire is only a starting point,” said Lazzarini.
UNRWA’s Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini says agency is ready to distribute aid to Gaza, warning that shutdown of its operations by Israel would be catastrophic pic.twitter.com/X0zBj2Nold
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) January 17, 2025
Pledging UNRWA’s readiness to continue its humanitarian work in Gaza, Lazzarini said the UN agency was ready to scale up aid delivery.
“We are ready to support the recovery of Gaza by resuming education and continuing to provide primary healthcare,” he said.
Knesset Ban on UNRWA
Lazzarini warned that in less than two weeks, the Knesset legislation to end UNRWA’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territories will enter into force.
“Full implementation will be catastrophic,” he stated. “In Gaza, it will massively weaken the international humanitarian response. This will immeasurably worsen already catastrophic living conditions.”
In New York, I spoke to the press following my briefing to the Security Council.
I put forward the following asks:
➡️ To prevent the implementation of the Israeli Parliament bill. @UNRWA personnel and services are integral to the success of the ceasefire in #Gaza.
➡️ To…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) January 18, 2025
Lazzarani emphasized that “Dismantling UNRWA now, outside a political process, will undermine the ceasefire agreement and sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition.”
In the West Bank, he continued, the Palestinian Authority “has stated clearly that it does not have the financial resources or capacity to compensate for the loss of UNRWA’s services.”
He said a “chaotic dismantling of UNRWA will irreversibly harm the lives and future of Palestinians,” adding that it would “obliterate their trust in the international community and any solution it attempts to facilitate.”
“A clear choice lies before us,” Lazzarini stressed, adding “We can allow UNRWA to implode because of the Knesset legislation and the suspension of funding by key donors, or we can allow the Agency to progressively conclude its mandate within a political framework.”
‘Pivotal Role’ in Education
He emphasized that UNRWA “has a pivotal role” to play in education, pointing out that in Gaza today, 650,000 girls and boys “are living in the rubble.”
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“Absent a full-fledged State, only UNRWA has the capacity to bring them back to learning,” he added, warning that a failure to provide education in Gaza and the occupied West Bank would “sacrifice an entire generation of Palestinian children.”
Pointing to the alarming financial situation of UNRWA, Lazzarini said: “This is now a major risk as some key donors have decided to end or reduce their voluntary contributions to the Agency.”
Financial Support
He appealed to the Security Council to “avert a looming peace and security crisis,” and called for “an urgent increase in financial support” and “the early disbursement of allocated funds and a review of any funding currently on hold.”
Lazzari asked Council members to “prevent the implementation of the Knesset legislation,” and to “insist on a political path forward and clearly delineate UNRWA’s role as a provider of essential services, especially education and healthcare.”
He also urged they “ensure that a financial crisis does not abruptly end the Agency’s lifesaving work.”
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 46,876 Palestinians have been killed, and 110,642 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
The toll is expected to rise further, with at least 11,000 people still unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes across Gaza.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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