UN condemns West Bank land-registration move, warns Gaza aid faces significant impediments

The UN spokesperson said the secretary-general condemns the Israeli government's decision on Feb. 15 to resume land-registration procedures in Area C of the occupied West Bank, warning the measure "could lead to the dispossession of Palestinians of their property and risks expanding Israeli control over land in the area." The spokesperson said such measures "are destabilizing" and, citing international law and relevant UN resolutions, stated that settlements in the occupied West Bank "have no legal validity." The spokesperson called on the Israeli government to "immediately reverse these measures" and said the trajectory on the ground is eroding prospects for a two-state solution.

On Gaza, the spokesperson relayed findings from the UN coordination of humanitarian operations: shipments routed from Jordan require multiple offloading and reloading points; shipments via Egypt's Kerem Abu Salem crossing face a high return rate and "less than 60% of consignments from Egypt could be offloaded" at that crossing. According to the spokesperson, of nearly 50 humanitarian movements coordinated between Feb. 6 and Feb. 11, roughly half were facilitated, five were denied outright and 11 were approved but encountered significant delays. The UN said teams are engaging with authorities to clarify constraints and seek solutions so aid can move forward.

The briefing added that logistics teams transported nearly 1,900 pallets of food, shelter, health, water and sanitation items from crossing points along the perimeter fence to destinations inside Gaza. On civilian harm, the spokesperson reiterated that the UN will "consistently continue to condemn the killing of innocent civilians."

In response to a question about consequences for repeated violations of international law, the spokesperson said the secretary-general has voiced "growing concern" about impunity for those who violate international law in different parts of the world and indicated the office will continue to press for accountability.

The briefing also included humanitarian data on other crises: the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported an estimated 325,000 Ukraine returnees could be displaced again, with over a third considering moving abroad; since 2022 IOM has supported up to 6.9 million people inside Ukraine and millions across 11 neighbouring countries. OCHA and partners launched the 2026 humanitarian needs and response plan for Colombia, estimating nearly 7 million people need aid and requesting $287 million to reach 1.2 million people; the spokesperson said 2025 operations received only 24% of needed funds.