United Nations published this video item, entitled “UN ready to support Palestinian elections, new envoy tells Security Council (26 January 2021)” – below is their description.
Briefing by Tor Wennesland , United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO), on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
Mr. Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, has joined UN Secretary-General António Guterres in welcoming the development.
“The holding of elections in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, will be a crucial step towards Palestinian unity, giving renewed legitimacy to national institutions, including a democratically-elected parliament and government in Palestine”, the Norwegian diplomat told the virtual meeting.
“The United Nations stands ready to support efforts for the Palestinian people to exercise their democratic rights. Elections are a crucial part of building a democratic Palestinian State built on rule of law, with equal rights for all.”
Despite the success in lowering the overall number of active cases of COVID-19 in West Bank and Gaza, “the cost in lives and livelihoods remains high, particularly in the Gaza Strip,” the UN top official told the Security Council on Tuesday.
“The COVID-19 crisis continues to take a staggering toll across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Israel,” Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said in a virtual briefing. He also said “the UN continues to encourage Israel to help address the priority needs of Palestinians in the OPT and to support COVID-19 vaccine availability more generally. This will be critical for the broader efforts of both Governments to control the pandemic and is also in line with Israel’s obligations under international law.”
The Special Coordinator also criticized Israel’s demolition of Palestinian houses as well as its plans to advance the building of settlements in the Occupied Territories.
Wennesland reported that Israeli authorities have advanced plans for some 800 housing units in Area C settlements and also published tenders for some 1,900 units in Area C and an additional 210 units in East Jerusalem. Of the units advanced and tendered, the majority are in settlements in outlying locations, deep inside the occupied West Bank. Over 200 units are located in illegal outposts that Israeli authorities are retroactively regularizing under Israeli law. On 19 January, the Jerusalem District Court denied a request for an interim injunction to freeze the tendering process for some 1200 units in Givat Hamatos.
At the same time, “during the reporting period, Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced owners to demolish 71 Palestinian-owned structures, including 19 residential structures, displacing 73 Palestinians, including 17 women and 37 children. The demolitions and seizures were executed due to the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. Israeli forces also bulldozed agricultural land and uprooted over 2,000 Palestinian-owned trees claiming they were planted on state land,” Wennesland said.
In his remarks, he urged Israel “to cease demolitions and seizures of Palestinian property, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law, and to allow Palestinians in Area C and East Jerusalem to develop their communities.”
United Nations YouTube Channel
Got a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.
