UN official says Israeli occupation zones in West Bank have 'no legal value'

A UN official on Wednesday said Israeli occupation activity in the occupied West Bank has "no legal value" and constitutes a "flagrant violation" of international law.

"I reiterate that settlements have no legal value," Ramiz Alakbarov, deputy special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the UN Security Council.

Israeli authorities recently opened bidding for over 1,200 housing units in the E1 area of occupied East Jerusalem, Alakbarov said, cautioning that implementing this plan would "effectively sever the northern and southern parts of the West Bank," dismantling the prospects for a viable Palestinian state.

The envoy described the situation in the occupied territory as "dire," citing large-scale attacks by Israeli occupiers with "virtually no accountability." He alleged that security forces frequently fail to protect Palestinians and have occasionally "facilitated or participated" in these incidents.

Addressing the situation in the Gaza Strip, Alakbarov characterized the ongoing humanitarian crisis as "unacceptable" despite a 10-month-old ceasefire. He said Israeli airstrikes have intensified, and pushed people in the enclave to endure intolerable conditions.

With around two-thirds of the enclave remaining inaccessible, he urged for the removal of "key bottlenecks" as the 2026 appeal remains only 40% funded.

WINTERIZATION AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES

Alakbarov warned that Gaza's population would face a catastrophic winter without adequate shelter, as stocks of shelter and non-food items remain depleted. "Gaza should not face another winter in cold tents," he said, urging for the immediate restoration humanitarian items.

Nickolay Mladenov, high representative for the Board of Peace, echoed the alarm over the upcoming winter, labeling Israel's current policy on shelter as "not acceptable." He urged Israel to "allow better shelter into the strip for dignity, for health, and for safety."

He also criticized the continued Israeli attacks, warning every Israeli use of force that does not respond to an immediate threat "costs the process something that is very, very hard to buy back."

Athena Rayburn, executive director of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), issued a scathing indictment of the current oversight mechanism. "The Board of Peace is failing," Rayburn said, claiming the body has instead functioned to "further entrench Israel's unlawful presence." She alleged that under this oversight, Israeli authorities have deregistered over 30 international organizations to silence critical voices.

Rayburn accused Israel of creating "scarcity" in the Gaza Strip artificially by imposing arbitrary restrictions on basic goods. She said that the cost of engine oil has skyrocketed to 45 times its normal price, bringing the humanitarian response to a "breaking point."

She noted that essential medical items, including wheelchairs, crutches, and prosthetic limbs, are also being rejected as "dual-use" materials.

"I do not ask you to take our professional assessment on trust. Instead, exercise your powers of inquiry and come and see for yourselves. We encourage the Council to undertake an urgent mission to Gaza," she said.