West Bank, MINA – A senior United Nations official has warned that Israel’s settlement expansion and ongoing military aggression are deepening the occupation, entrenching apartheid policies, and undermining Palestinians’ right to self-determination, Palestine Information Center reported on Wednesday.
Speaking before the UN Security Council during a session on the implementation of Resolution 2334 which calls for an end to all Israeli settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territories, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East Affairs Khaled Khayari delivered a grave assessment.
Khayari stressed that continued Israeli settlement construction, including in East Jerusalem, is directly linked to rising settler violence, severe restrictions on Palestinian freedom of movement, and systematic efforts to deny Palestinians sovereignty over their land.
“These policies and actions gravely undermine the Palestinians’ inalienable right to self-determination,” he told the Council.
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He also expressed concern over Israel’s recent decision to resume official land registration in Area C, a measure he warned could accelerate illegal settlement expansion and solidify Israeli control over large parts of the occupied West Bank.
Khayari highlighted intensifying settler attacks and frequent Israeli military raids across the West Bank, particularly in northern areas. These assaults have targeted civilians and farmland, destroying crops and homes. He condemned the demolition of Palestinian structures, including internationally funded humanitarian projects as a blatant violation of international law and a tool of forced displacement.
He further warned of Israel’s “widespread destruction” in refugee camps, where large-scale Israeli incursions have caused heavy casualties, mass displacements, and the systematic destruction of infrastructure.
Opening his remarks, Khayari addressed the situation in Gaza, where, according to UN estimates, more than 56,500 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, including 1,068 since June 17 alone.
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He condemned the use of humanitarian aid points as lethal ambushes, noting that at least 580 Palestinians have been killed since June 17 while trying to access food or aid convoys. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in Khan Yunis when an Israeli tank opened fire on civilians waiting for food, killing at least 50 people and injuring more than 200 others.
The UN strongly rejected the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation”, an Israeli-American initiative as a tool for coercion and cover for killings, emphasizing that the UN does not recognize or partner with the platform.
“Israeli military operations in Gaza are turning vast areas into uninhabitable zones,” Khayari said, stressing the UN’s opposition to the forcible displacement of Palestinians, which constitutes a serious violation of international law. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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