UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that the continued expansion of Israeli settlements "is profoundly altering the landscape and demographic composition of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem." He asserted that Palestinians are "increasingly confined to ever-shrinking and disconnected territories, posing an existential threat to the possibility of a contiguous, viable, and independent Palestinian state."

This was stated by the Acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Sigrid Kaag, during her briefing to the UN Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 2334, which called on Israel to immediately cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Kach noted that during the reporting period – from December 7, 2024, to March 13, 2025 – settlement activity continued at a high rate, with Israel advancing or approving nearly 106,000 settlement units in the occupied West Bank, including 4,920 units in East Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israeli occupying authorities demolished, seized, sealed, or forced people to demolish 460 Palestinian structures, displacing 576 people, half of them children.

At the beginning of her remarks, Kaag paid tribute to her UN colleagues and all humanitarian workers in Gaza, both Palestinian and international. She expressed her sadness over the death of a UN staff member in an attack on a UN site, which also injured five other staff members.

She also expressed "deep concern over the resumption of hostilities in Gaza this week, which has claimed the lives of hundreds, most of them women and children."

She reiterated the Secretary-General's call for the resumption of serious ceasefire negotiations and unhindered access for humanitarian aid.

Implementation of Resolution 2334

The Security Council adopted Resolution 2334 in 2016, which calls for, among other things, immediate steps to prevent violence against civilians, refrain from provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric, and reverse negative trends that threaten the two-state solution—all of which continued at an alarming rate during the reporting period.

Kaag affirmed that the Secretary-General "unequivocally condemns the widespread killing and injury of civilians, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza," stressing that nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

Guterres also condemned indiscriminate attacks and the use of human shields, urging all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. He reiterated his call for a sustainable ceasefire and urged the parties to redouble efforts to end the humanitarian suffering.

The UN official said that the Secretary-General rejects the forced displacement of the Palestinian population from any part of the occupied Palestinian territory, "which constitutes a serious violation of human rights and international humanitarian law, and strongly rejects any form of ethnic cleansing."

Kaag said the Secretary-General was appalled by the "dire humanitarian situation," stressing that "humanitarian aid is non-negotiable."

The Secretary-General strongly condemned the Israeli occupying authorities' suspension of humanitarian aid to Gaza since 2 March, and urged the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid and commercial goods.

Alarming situation in the West Bank

Regarding the occupied West Bank, Kach expressed deep concern about the escalation of violence and the increasing displacement of Palestinians – several refugee camps have been nearly emptied of their residents – who remain denied the right to return to their homes.

She said the Secretary-General was deeply concerned about any long-term presence of Israeli occupation forces in the camps, a fact confirmed by the occupation authorities last month.

The Secretary-General also strongly condemned all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terrorism, and expressed concern about deadly attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, sometimes in close proximity to and with the support of the Israeli occupying forces.

He renewed his call to the concerned parties to respect and preserve the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem, while taking into account Jordan's special and historical role.

Guterres reiterated that there is no alternative to UNRWA and condemned the violation of the sanctity of UN premises, including the attempted forcible closure of UNRWA schools. Kaag said, "National legislation cannot alter Israel's obligations under international law."

political solution

The Secretary-General welcomed the ongoing efforts of countries in the region, international partners, and the Palestinian Authority, including the Gaza reconstruction plan endorsed by the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

He said that Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, should be treated as a single entity, politically, economically and administratively.

Kach said everyone must work together to establish a "political framework that sets out concrete, irreversible, and time-bound steps."

She added that the occupation must end as soon as possible, and that a viable two-state solution is "long overdue."