UN representative urges consolidation of Gaza ceasefire, warns of West Bank escalation

Rosemarie DeCarlo, a United Nations representative, briefed the council on the fragile situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, saying "this is a pivotal moment in the Middle East" and urging swift action to consolidate a ceasefire and expand humanitarian access.

DeCarlo told the council that decisions in the coming weeks by the parties and council members "will determine whether it is sustained." She said the international community must "consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of the population," and called for "concrete progress towards stabilization and recovery, consistent with international law." She urged implementation of "phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire" and renewed efforts toward a negotiated two-state solution.

On security, DeCarlo said the response should include "the demilitarization of the Strip" and "the decommissioning of weapons held by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups," together with security arrangements to support transitional governance by a national committee for the administration of Gaza.

She emphasized the humanitarian shortfall, saying scaled-up entry of shelter materials, educational supplies and medical equipment "is urgently required." DeCarlo welcomed the opening of the Rafah crossing to pedestrian movement and said the UN supported medical evacuations and had received hundreds of returnees, but that "thousands still urgently require treatment unavailable in Gaza."

DeCarlo affirmed the UN's support for Security Council Resolution 2803 and other relevant United Nations resolutions. She warned that, despite the ceasefire, "the Israeli military intensified strikes across Gaza, hitting densely populated areas and killing dozens of Palestinians," notably on 31 January and in early February, and that armed exchanges have continued.

Turning to the occupied West Bank, DeCarlo said the situation was "deteriorating rapidly," describing large-scale operations by Israeli forces that frequently involved live fire, home takeovers, mass detentions, movement restrictions and repeated displacement of Palestinian families, particularly in the north. She also cited "settlement expansion, rising settler violence and accelerated demolitions and evictions in East Jerusalem," and said these steps risk a "gradual de facto annexation of the West Bank."

DeCarlo reiterated the secretary-general's condemnation of the Israeli government's 15 February decision to resume land registration procedures in Area C, saying the decision "threatens to dispossess Palestinians of their property." She stated that settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem "have no legal validity" and "violate international law and UN resolutions."

On the Palestinian Authority's finances, DeCarlo said unilateral Israeli measures withholding clearance revenues have deepened a fiscal crisis, producing partial salary payments and arrears. She noted correspondent banking agreements were renewed "for an additional two weeks" in December and said a long-term banking extension and technical talks between financial regulators are "critical for financial stability and for enabling large-scale recovery in Gaza in line with Resolution 2803."

DeCarlo concluded with an appeal that the US-led comprehensive plan be implemented fully, alongside urgent measures to de-escalate in the West Bank, and pressed for action to restore a credible political horizon that "leads to a lasting peace in Gaza, brings an end to the occupation and realizes a two-state solution in line with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions." The council thanked DeCarlo for her briefing.