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UN / PALESTINIAN QUESTION
STORY: UN / PALESTINIAN QUESTION
TRT: 03:10
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 21 AUG 2023, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT
RECENT – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
21 AUG 2023, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“Violence continues on the upswing, with over 200 Palestinian and nearly 30 Israeli fatalities in the West Bank and Israel thus far this year, already surpassing 2022’s annual figures and the highest since 2005.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“Palestinians and Israelis are killed and injured in near-daily violence – including just hours before this briefing when another fatal shooting attack killed an Israeli in the West Bank. This violence is fueled and exacerbated by a growing sense of despair about the future.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“While the parties have taken some actions towards stabilizing the situation on the ground, unilateral steps, including settlement growth and demolitions, continue, as do Israeli operations in Area A, Palestinian militant activity, and settler violence. The lack of progress toward a political horizon that addresses the core issues driving the conflict has left a dangerous and volatile vacuum filled by extremists on all sides.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“I call on Israeli authorities to end demolitions of Palestinian-owned property and the displacement and eviction of Palestinians and to approve additional plans that would enable Palestinians to build legally and address their development needs.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“The Palestinian Authority (PA)’s fiscal state remains dire, with a projected deficit of more than 370 million USD for 2023. Austerity measures have resulted in significant reductions to civil servant salaries and social assistance. Meanwhile, funding shortages continue to curtail UN agencies’ ability to provide crucial services to Palestinians.”
13. Wide shot, Security Council
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“Turning to Gaza, the cessation of hostilities continues to hold. Nevertheless, the humanitarian situation remains dire. The reporting period saw higher-than-normal electricity shortages of up to 12 hours per day, driven by a lack of capacity to meet soaring demand during the summer.”
15. Wide shot, Security Council
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“While we must urgently focus on addressing the most critical issues and on de-escalating the situation on the ground, we cannot ignore the need to restore a political horizon. The United Nations remains firmly committed to supporting the parties to achieve an end to the occupation and the establishment of a two-State solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements.”
17. Wide shot, Security Council
Addressing the Security Council today (21 Aug), Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said, “Violence continues on the upswing, with over 200 Palestinian and nearly 30 Israeli fatalities in the West Bank and Israel thus far this year, already surpassing 2022’s annual figures and the highest since 2005.”
Wennesland said, “Palestinians and Israelis are killed and injured in near-daily violence – including just hours before this briefing when another fatal shooting attack killed an Israeli in the West Bank. This violence is fueled and exacerbated by a growing sense of despair about the future.”
He highlighted that while the parties have taken some actions towards stabilizing the situation on the ground, unilateral steps, including settlement growth and demolitions, continue, as do Israeli operations in Area A, Palestinian militant activity, and settler violence.
He stressed, “The lack of progress toward a political horizon that addresses the core issues driving the conflict has left a dangerous and volatile vacuum filled by extremists on all sides.”
Between 25 July and 15 August, 16 Palestinians, including five children, were killed, and 59 Palestinians, including six women and 137 children, were injured by Israeli security forces (ISF) in the occupied West Bank during demonstrations, clashes, search-and-arrest operations, attacks and alleged attacks against Israelis, and other incidents.
Another Palestinian was killed, and eight others, including one child, were injured by Israeli settlers or other civilians in shooting attacks, stone-throwing and other incidents.
According to Israeli sources, one member of Israeli security forces was killed, and nine Israelis, including a woman and a child, were injured by Palestinians in shooting attacks, stone-throwing and other incidents.
As in previous months, many Palestinian casualties in the West Bank occurred in the context of Israeli operations and clashes in Area A.
On 26 July and from 11 to 15 August, five Palestinians, including a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, were killed by Israeli security forces (ISF) in refugee camps near Nablus, Tulkarem, and Jericho.
ISF also killed three Palestinians on 6 August, including a 15-year-old boy, near Jenin when ISF opened fire on their vehicle.
According to a statement by Israeli security agencies, the three intended to carry out an imminent attack against Israelis. All were claimed as members by Palestinian militant groups.
In another incident, a 13-year-old boy died from an improvised explosive device in Qalqilya on 26 July.
Palestinians also carried out attacks or alleged attacks against Israelis.
On 25 July, three Palestinians claimed by Hamas opened fire towards an Israeli checkpoint near the Mount Gerizim community in the northern West Bank and were shot and killed by ISF.
On 1 August, a Palestinian shot and injured six Israelis at a shopping mall in the Ma’ale Adumim settlement before being killed by ISF.
The same day, ISF shot and killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy who allegedly attempted to stab two Israeli soldiers near a settlement south of Hebron.
On 5 August, a Palestinian from Jenin shot and killed a municipal patrolman in Tel Aviv before being killed by a second patrolman.
Turning to settler-related violence, Wennesland said that on 2 August an Israeli guard of the Ofra settlement fatally wounded a 17-year-old Palestinian after he reportedly threw a Molotov cocktail toward the settlement.
On 4 August, armed Israeli settlers from the nearby outpost of Ramat Migron approached Burqa village near Ramallah, leading to stone-throwing confrontations with Palestinians.
Settlers fired live ammunition, killing a 19-year-old Palestinian and injuring another; one Israeli was injured by Palestinians throwing stones.
Israel Police arrested two Israelis on suspicion of involvement in the killing; six Palestinians were also arrested.
Two days prior, settlers from the same outpost reportedly installed a tent and grazed sheep on private Palestinian land near the village.
Turning to settlement-related developments, Wennesland said that Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced owners to demolish 58 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C and six in East Jerusalem, displacing 28 Palestinians, including 14 children.
The demolitions were carried out due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain.
After reiterating that all settlements are illegal under international law and a substantial obstacle to peace, Wennesland called on Israeli authorities to end demolitions of Palestinian-owned property and the displacement and eviction of Palestinians and to approve additional plans that would enable Palestinians to build legally and address their development needs.
In July, Israel ended the additional monthly deductions of some USD 14 million from Palestinian clearance revenues that began in February.
Some USD 14 million continues to be withheld each month in line with an Israeli law mandating the withholding of what Israel says the Palestinian Authority (PA) pays to perpetrators of attacks against Israelis or to their families.
Wennesland said, “The PA’s fiscal state remains dire with a projected deficit of more than 370 million USD for 2023. Austerity measures have resulted in significant reductions to civil servant salaries and social assistance.”
Meanwhile, he added, “funding shortages continue to curtail UN agencies’ ability to provide crucial services to Palestinians.”
To get through the end of the year, UNRWA needs 35 million urgently to maintain food assistance for 1.2 million Palestinians in Gaza, while the World Food Programme requires USD 41 million to restore its operations across the OPT.
About Gaza, Wennesland said, “the cessation of hostilities continues to hold. Nevertheless, the humanitarian situation remains dire. The reporting period saw higher-than-normal electricity shortages of up to 12 hours per day, driven by a lack of capacity to meet soaring demand during the summer.”
On 1 August, the Gaza Power Plant increased electricity supply by nearly two hours daily thanks to additional Qatar funding.
The power cuts sparked popular protests directed at Hamas authorities over living conditions, with thousands of Palestinians taking to the streets on 30 July.
Video images of Hamas security forces beating protesters circulated widely. The protests were matched by Hamas-led counter-protests the Israeli closure regime.
In violation of Palestinian law and of the State of Palestine’s international obligations, seven civilians in Gaza were sentenced to death for collaboration with Israel after a Hamas military appeals court upheld or strengthened previous sentences.
Wennesland highlighted that the UN opposes the imposition of the death penalty in all circumstances.
Concluding his remarks, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process stated, “While we must urgently focus on addressing the most critical issues and on de-escalating the situation on the ground, we cannot ignore the need to restore a political horizon. The United Nations remains firmly committed to supporting the parties to achieve an end to the occupation and the establishment of a two-State solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law, and previous agreements.”
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