UN Envoy Says Israeli Evictions Of Palestinians And Property Seizures Spurs Violence
November 2, 2021—In recent weeks, a Middle East envoy to the United Nations expressed warnings about Israel-Palestinian relations. Demolition of homes by the Israeli military, construction of illegal housing by settlers, and evictions and displacement of Palestinians from their homes are causing a desperate and dangerous situation in both Israel and the Palestinian territories. For the Palestinians and the Bedouin community, these actions meant homelessness and loss of property. For Israeli citizens, the provocative actions by their government and illegal settlers put them at a greater risk of violence. In the following article, contributing writer Ramsha Zubairi reports.
In his testimony to the Security Council this Fall, Tor Wennesland, a Middle East envoy in a briefing to the UN Security Council, presented a vision of an “increasingly desperate reality” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016), monitored OPT from June 12 to September 27.
“The security situation in Gaza remains fragile and the security dynamics in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are deteriorating, including growing tensions in and around Holy Sites,” said Wennesland.
‘Fragile’ Security Situation
Wennesland is the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process since December 2020. He serves as an envoy of the Secretary-General to the UN Quartet on the Middle East.
Evictions, Demolitions Displace Palestinians
The situation in the OPT continues to deteriorate as Israel demolishes and seizes the Palestinian-owned structures across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Israeli authorities denounced the Palestinian structures as illegal “citing the absence of Israeli-issued building permits,” which Wennesland added, are almost impossible to obtain for the Palestinians. More than a hundred architectural structures were demolished by the Israeli authorities or by the Palestinians themselves in order to avoid the heavy demolition fees imposed by the Israeli authorities. Following the demolitions, almost a hundred Palestinian citizens were displaced.
Illegal Settlements
Wennesland further noted that “all settlements are illegal under international law and that they undermine the prospect of achieving a viable two-State solution in line with UN resolutions, international law and prior agreements.”
In his testimony, he described and expressed “deep concern” about acts of violence by settlers against the local Palestinian population.
“I am appalled that children continue to be victims of violence,” Wennesland said. He added that “the occupying power, has an obligation to ensure the safety and security of the Palestinian population and to investigate such attacks.”
He called to cease demolition and seizures of the Palestinian structures. He also reported that some of the demolished structures included internationally funded humanitarian projects. His call to end the construction of settlements seemed to fall on deaf ears. Wennesland released another statement just last week.
“Today, the Israeli authorities announced tenders for the construction of more than 1,300 housing units in the occupied West Bank,” he said. “I am deeply concerned by continued Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. I reiterate that all settlements are illegal under international law, remain a substantial obstacle to peace, and must cease immediately.”
Calls for ‘Immediate Steps’ to End Violence
The report also shed light on the daily continuous violence against civilians with 27 Palestinians, including two women and five children, killed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) while a total of 4,814 Palestinians, including ten women and 530 children were injured. The report further added that one Israeli soldier was killed by Palestinians and 41 Israelis, including seven women and one child, suffered injuries.
Expressing his concern, Wennesland called for “immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including all acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction.”
Israel Cracks Down on Speech
The UN envoy also described the arrests of human rights defenders, journalists and activists on the charges of interference as a violation of their fundamental freedom of expression.
“All arrests of human rights defenders, journalists and activists on charges that interfere with their exercise of fundamental freedoms of expression must cease,” Wennesland said.
Fiscal Crisis
Shifting his focus on the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) financial crunch, Wennesland reiterated that the authority’s fiscal crisis is at a “breaking point.” According to the report, the PA “will have a 2021 budget deficit of $800 million,” nearly twice the 2020 gap. With its borrowing capacity exhausted, PA’s finances remain a matter of grave concern.
He welcomed the Israeli Government’s decision to “ease the economic pressure on the Palestinian Authority”. He further called the Member States to sustain the funding levels to the UNRWA program budget to avoid any disruption of humanitarian services in the Occupied Palestine Territory.
The UN envoy stressed the ongoing situation stating that “We can no longer lurch from crisis to crisis…incident by incident, on a short-term day-to-day basis as stand-alone issues”. He called for the practice of practical efforts “to establish a legitimate political horizon…to end the occupation in line with relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements” to fulfill the vision of the two-State.
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