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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk addresses the Human Rights Council on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory
“The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is a human-made disaster,” he told representatives of member States at the HRC session in Geneva.
The report documents events between 1 November 2024 and 31 October 2025, showing Israel’s utter disregard for human rights in Gaza and the West Bank, and the serious violations also committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, the High Commissioner explained.
“The evidence gathered by my Office reveals a consistent pattern of gross violations and abuses of human rights, serious violations of international humanitarian law and atrocity crimes – that remain unpunished,” he added.
Türk said that “Israel’s continued attacks on residential buildings and makeshift tents, destroying entire neighbourhoods, caused mass civilian deaths. More than 25,500 Palestinians were killed, including entire families, and more than 68,800 were injured during the reporting period.”
“Among those killed were many Palestinian journalists. My Office has verified that 292 were killed in Israeli operations since 7 October 2023,” he said.
Israel’s militarization of humanitarian aid, through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, also led to large-scale killings. Between late May and 8 October 2025, the UN Human Rights Office recorded 2,435 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military near food collection points — mostly young men and boys.
In August 2025, famine was declared in Gaza, affecting more than half a million people. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, died from starvation. The High Commissioner said this was the direct result of Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid and other deliberate actions.
“Israeli forces continued to kill humanitarian and medical personnel during this period, and to make mass arrests of Palestinians across Gaza and the West Bank,” said Türk. “These arrests often amounted to arbitrary detention and included enforced disappearances.”
He added: “Since 7 October 2023, my Office has verified that at least 89 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody. Torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinians in Israeli detention remain widespread.”
The High Commissioner also noted that over the course of 2025, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continued to hold hostages in blatant violation of international law. Fifty-one hostages who were seized on 7 October 2023 were returned to their loved ones. On their release, hostages recounted their traumatic ordeals, including sexual and gender-based violence, torture, beating, and prolonged confinement underground.
In June, there were reports that armed men, allegedly affiliated with Hamas, summarily executed 12 Palestinians associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
“In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces continued to launch airstrikes and use unlawful force, killing hundreds of Palestinians. In January 2025, Israeli forces launched Operation Iron Wall in the northern West Bank, which is still ongoing. So far, they have forced 32,000 Palestinians from their homes,”Türk said.
Palestinian security forces increased the use of unnecessary or disproportionate force, resulting in the unlawful killing of at least 8 Palestinians. They also arbitrarily detained and ill-treated more than 300 Palestinians.
“The ceasefire of 11 October 2025 brought some measure of relief. But we must not mistake this for peace or safety. People are still dying in Gaza from Israeli fire, cold, hunger, and treatable diseases and injuries,” said the UN Human Rights Chief.
Since the ceasefire, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 600and injured more than 1,600, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Anywhere else he stated this would be considered a major crisis.
UN Human Rights also recorded at least 80 reported killings of Palestinians by Hamas since the ceasefire, mostly by summary executions and in clashes with rival factions.
The High Commissioner deplored Israel’s decision last year to suspend some 37 aid groups from Gaza, as well as its ban on UNRWA operations and the demolition of its premises in East Jerusalem, in blatant violation of international law.
The UN High Commissioner stated that the situation in the West Bank is particularly disturbing. “Recent Israeli measures expanding land expropriation consolidate the annexation of Palestinian territory. This is in flagrant breach of the Palestinian right to self-determination,” he said.
Israeli security forces continue to use unnecessary and disproportionate force, and have killed 1,020 Palestinians since 7 October 2023, according to figures verified by UN Human Rights.
“Taken together, Israel’s actions appear aimed at making a permanent demographic change in Gaza and the West Bank, raising concerns about ethnic cleansing,” Türk stated. “The absence of accountability for the egregious violations committed is nothing short of shameful.”
“Human rights have been crushed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Any realistic effort to rebuild and move toward lasting stability will have to be anchored in human rights. And this is urgent. The reconstruction of Gaza is not a logistics exercise,” he said.
“The voices of peace movements – Palestinian, Israeli, and those that bring together Palestinians and Israelis – must be heard and heeded. This can strengthen the constituency for dialogue and increase the space for shared narratives,” said Türk.
ENDS
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STORY: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk addresses the Human Rights Council on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory
TRT: 04:00
SOURCE: OHCH/UNOG
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 26 February 2026 – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Various exterior shots: Palais des Nations
- Interior shots: Assembly Hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is a human-made disaster.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “The evidence gathered by my Office reveals a consistent pattern of gross violations and abuses of human rights, serious violations of international humanitarian law and atrocity crimes – that remain unpunished.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Israel’s continued attacks on residential buildings and makeshift tents, destroying entire neighbourhoods, caused mass civilian deaths. More than 25,500 Palestinians were killed, including entire families, and more than 68,800 were injured during the reporting period.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Among those killed were many Palestinian journalists. My Office has verified that 292 were killed in Israeli operations since 7 October 2023.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Israeli forces continued to kill humanitarian and medical personnel during this period, and to make mass arrests of Palestinians across Gaza and the West Bank.” These arrests often amounted to arbitrary detention and included enforced disappearances.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Since 7 October 2023, my Office has verified that at least 89 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody. Torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinians in Israeli detention remain widespread.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human: “In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces continued to launch airstrikes and use unlawful force, killing hundreds of Palestinians. In January 2025, Israeli forces launched Operation Iron Wall in the northern West Bank, which is still ongoing. So far, they have forced 32,000 Palestinians from their homes.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human: “The ceasefire of 11 October 2025 brought some measure of relief. But we must not mistake this for peace or safety. People are still dying in Gaza from Israeli fire, cold, hunger, and treatable diseases and injuries.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human: “Recent Israeli measures expanding land expropriation consolidate the annexation of Palestinian territory. This is in flagrant breach of the Palestinian right to self-determination.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human: “Taken together, Israel’s actions appear aimed at making a permanent demographic change in Gaza and the West Bank, raising concerns about ethnic cleansing. The absence of accountability for the egregious violations committed is nothing short of shameful.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human: “Human rights have been crushed in the occupied Palestinian territory. Any realistic effort to rebuild and move toward lasting stability will have to be anchored in human rights. And this is urgent. The reconstruction of Gaza is not a logistics exercise.”
- Cutaways: Assembly hall
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human: “The voices of peace movements – Palestinian, Israeli, and those that bring together Palestinians and Israelis – must be heard and heeded. This can strengthen the constituency for dialogue and increase the space for shared narratives.”
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