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\u201cThe series of explosions across Lebanon and rockets fired toward Israel in recent days adds to the volatility<\/strong>,\u201d said Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.<\/p>\n He urged all sides \u201cto refrain from steps that will further exacerbate the situation and take immediate steps to de-escalate<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. Wennesland made the appeal prior to updating ambassadors on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016), which demands that Israel end all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n \u201cSettlement activity has, nevertheless, continued,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The latest UN report on the issue covers the period from 11 June to 11 September, falling amid the ongoing war in Gaza and alarming levels of violence in the West Bank.<\/p>\n During this time, some 6,730 housing units were advanced or approved in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem<\/strong>.\u00a0 Construction tenders also were published for approximately 1,100 housing units in settlements, including 780 in East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Relatedly, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Central Command signed a military order on 18 July amending a 1995 order that implemented the Oslo Accords – the first direct peace agreement between the sides.\u00a0<\/p>\n The move granted the local military commander authority over planning and construction in certain parts of Area B in the West Bank that had been transferred to the Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures also continued.<\/p>\n \u201cCiting the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain, Israeli authorities demolished, seized, or forced people to demolish 373 structures, displacing 553 people<\/strong>, including 247 children. 26 of these structures were donor funded,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Israel continued to evict Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem.\u00a0 He highlighted the case of the Shehadeh family who were removed from their home in Silwan on 15 August, in favour of a settler organization, following a Supreme Court ruling.<\/p>\n Mr. Wennesland said the eviction displaced 35 people, while 188 Palestinians, including 111 children, left their occupied West Bank communities due to violence and harassment by settlers, and shrinking grazing land.<\/p>\n He noted that the reporting period also saw the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issue an Advisory Opinion on 19 July reaffirming that Israeli settlements were being maintained in violation of international law, and that new activity should cease.\u00a0<\/p>\n Furthermore, Israel\u2019s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was \u201cunlawful\u201d and should be brought to an end as rapidly as possible.<\/p>\n The Council also heard a briefing from Helen Clark, a former Prime Minister of New Zealand who also once headed the UN Development Programme (UNDP).<\/p>\n Ms. Clark is a member of the group of eminent global public figures known as The Elders, which has made resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a priority since its founding in 2007 by the late Nelson Mandela.<\/p>\n She said implementation of resolution 2334 \u201cis acutely relevant to the current devastating phase of the conflict\u201d and to any chance of a two-State solution.<\/p>\n \u201cBut its failure so far also poses an existential question: can the Security Council enforce its own resolutions? This is surely crucial to its credibility<\/strong>,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ms. Clark emphasized that the Council has a responsibility to chart a path towards a sustainable peace, and a full, immediate and complete ceasefire in Gaza is an indispensable step.\u00a0 Therefore, it was \u201cdeeply disturbing\u201d that a Council resolution calling for a ceasefire remains unimplemented.<\/p>\n She emphasized the need for a new approach, grounded in international law, including enforcement of UN Security Council resolutions.\u00a0<\/p>\nSettlement activity continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Demolitions and evictions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A question for the Council<\/strong><\/h2>\n
New approach needed<\/strong><\/h2>\n