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U.N. raises alarm over rising violence in the northern West Bank as Gaza aid operations expand
Summary
The secretary-general urged restraint amid escalating operations in the northern West Bank and the U.N. reported expanded humanitarian assistance in Gaza, including a polio vaccination campaign that reached hundreds of thousands of children.
The United Nations warned that recent large-scale security operations in the northern occupied West Bank, including the reported deployment of tanks, have produced severe humanitarian consequences and widespread displacement.
At a U.N. press briefing, the U.N. spokesperson said Secretary-General António Guterres was "alarmed by the escalating violence" and expressed deep concern about fatalities, including children, rising displacement and infrastructure damage. The secretary-general urged security forces to "exercise maximum restraint" and said "intentional, lethal force [should be used] only when strictly unavoidable to protect life," according to his statement as summarized by the U.N. spokesperson.
U.N. colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that military movements in Jenin and other northern areas had led to orders that prevented residents from leaving their homes, road damage and electricity blackouts affecting roughly 40 percent of the local population. The U.N. said tens of thousands of Palestinians remained unable to return home and required large-scale humanitarian assistance.
In Gaza, the U.N. outlined expanded relief efforts taking place alongside a ceasefire. The U.N. reported that a polio vaccination campaign that began on Saturday had reached more than 450,000 children by the second day, roughly three-quarters of the targeted population. Humanitarian partners have distributed tents and household materials, and the World Food Programme has increased the number of bakeries in operation from five before the ceasefire to 25. The U.N. said partners were distributing 780,000 hot meals daily and had screened more than 80,000 children aged 6 to 59 months for malnutrition, admitting those in need for treatment. Nearly 8,000 households have received hygiene kits.
The U.N. spokesperson said sustaining scaled-up humanitarian operations depends on continued funding and on the ceasefire holding. The briefing also noted that U.N. personnel and partners are coordinating shelter, food and health responses to support displaced families.
