NEW YORK (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The United Nations Security Council, in its session held on Friday at UN headquarters in New York, strongly condemned the killing of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza, calling for a thorough investigation into all violations against civilians, including the killing of children.
Council members denounced the indiscriminate targeting of civilians and their homes, as well as the use of civilians as human shields. The Council urged Israel to adhere to international law and fulfil its obligations under humanitarian and human rights treaties.
The Security Council also condemned the continued obstruction of humanitarian aid into Gaza, stressing the urgent need to resume aid deliveries, implement a sustainable ceasefire, and bolster humanitarian relief efforts.
Expressing deep concern over escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, the Council also condemned attacks on civilians, including those perpetrated by Israeli settlers. It called for the prosecution of those responsible for such violence and reaffirmed its rejection of the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, declaring them a clear violation of international law. The Council further emphasized the need to preserve the historic status quo of the holy sites in occupied Jerusalem.
The session included a briefing by Acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Sigrid Kaag, who presented the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of Resolution 2334 (2016), covering the period from 7 December 2024 to 13 March 2025. The resolution calls for an immediate and complete halt to all Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
Kaag highlighted that despite the resolution, Israeli settlement activity had accelerated significantly. During the reporting period, Israeli authorities approved plans for approximately 10,600 housing units in West Bank settlements, including 4,920 in East Jerusalem. Additionally, tenders were issued for the construction of nearly 700 units in the settlement of Efrat near Bethlehem.
The report also documented an increase in the demolition and confiscation of Palestinian structures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israeli authorities demolished, confiscated, sealed, or forced Palestinians to demolish 460 structures, displacing 576 individuals, including 287 children and 149 women, often citing a lack of building permits—permits that are virtually impossible for Palestinians to obtain.
Kaag further reported that at least 21 UN staff members had been killed in Gaza during the reporting period. Meanwhile, violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remained at alarming levels. A total of 123 Palestinians, including six women and 19 children, were killed during Israeli military operations and airstrikes.
