UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

18 October 2024

War in Lebanon

Andrea Tenenti, for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), speaking from Beirut, said that, after more than 12 months of exchanges of fire between Hizbullah and Israel, tensions had escalated exponentially in the past month, turning the hostilities into a more lethal conflict. According to the Lebanese authorities, the death toll in Lebanon since 8 October 2023 had reached 2,412, and the number of wounded individuals had increased to 11,285. Close to 800,000 were internally displaced, 60 percent of them from UNIFIL Area of Operations, according to the International Organization for Migration. In recent days, the amount of heavy shelling and powerful airstrikes, as well as the number of air violations over Lebanese air space had grown, said Mr. Tenenti. There had been a significant increase in bombardments, particularly in southern Lebanon where UNIFIL operated, but also in Beirut and other parts of the country. Daily heavy shelling had worsened due to IDF incursions into Lebanese territory, and the peacekeepers were reporting clashes on the ground. UNIFIL continued to stay in contact with the parties, urging de-escalation and also reminding them of their obligation to ensure peacekeeper safety. Due to the security situation in the past few weeks, most – but not all – patrols had been suspended until things improved.

Despite IDF demands that UNIFIL move from positions close to the Blue Line, a unanimous decision had been taken by all UNIFIL Troop Contributing Countries and UN Security Council, and the peacekeepers remained deployed in all their positions along the Blue Line. The escalation along the Blue Line was causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in south Lebanon, while rockets continued to be launched towards Israel, including civilian areas. The devastation and destruction of many villages along the Blue Line and beyond was shocking. Mr. Tenenti informed that the IDF had repeatedly targeted UNIFIL positions, endangering the safety of our troops, in addition to Hizbullah launching rockets towards Israel from near UN positions, which also put the peacekeepers in danger. UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701 (2006) had been significantly challenged, but its key provisions on safety, security, and long-term solutions remained valid and had to be implemented. UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Lazaro continued to maintain open channels of communication with both sides. UNIFIL urged Lebanon and Israel to recommit to UNSCR1701, in actions and not just words, as the only viable solution to bring back stability in the region.

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that the previous day the Secretary-General had issued a message of solidarity with UNIFIL peacekeepers, in which he thanked the peacekeepers and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of UNSCR 1701.

Responding to the many questions from the journalists, Mr. Tenenti, for UNIFIL, said that a drone approaching a UNIFIL ship had been brought down the previous day, and the mission was now looking into the origins of the drone, after which more information would be shared. The role of UNIFIL at the moment was more important than ever. Even in recent days, after Israel had asked UNIFIL to move from the conflict zone, there had been a unanimous decision by the Security Council for UNIFIL to remain in place, monitor and report on what was happening. UNIFIL was also working with other UN agencies to create conditions to provide humanitarian assistance to people still remaining in their villages across the south. UNIFIL was there to support the implementation of UNSCR 1701, but it was up to the parties to implement it. Between 2006, when UNSCR 1701 had been adopted, and 2023, the south of Lebanon had witnessed one of the calmest periods in its history, reminded Mr. Tenenti. He also reminded of the limitations within UNSCR 1701, which did not authorize UNIFIL to search within private properties or disarm Hizbullah.

Mr. Tenenti specified that UNIFIL had some 29 positions within five kilometres of the Blue Line, and a decision had been made for the peacekeepers to stay there. He also spoke of several attacks against UNFIIL positions, including UNIFIL HQ in Naqoura, which were not only violations of UNSCR 1701, but also of international humanitarian law. There had been an instance of IDF troops entering a UNIFIL position and remaining there for 45 minutes. Speaking of the spirit of the peacekeepers, Mr. Tenenti said that they were very resilient, and their morale and commitment remained high. On another question, Mr. Tenenti said, according to the rules of engagement, UNIFIL commanders on the ground had the right to authorize their troops to use weapons in self-defence, but it was important to avoid further escalation. Vast majority of the population had left south Lebanon and moved north, and numerous villages along the Blue Line had been destroyed. An very large number of air violations of the Lebanese air space had been recorded in 2023 and 2024; those also constituted violations of UNSCR 1701. Regarding the use of white phosphorus, Mr. Tenenti said that traces of white phosphorus had been detected near one of UNIFIL’s positions. UNIFIL did not use drones or satellite imagery for monitoring purposes, he explained, answering another question; however, UNIFIL did have and use radar capabilities. At the moment, there were over 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 troop contributing countries.

Answering a question, Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that OCHA was working with other UN agencies, the Red Cross, and Lebanese NGOs to deliver aid to people in need in south Lebanon. The humanitarian notification system was in place, aiming to ensure safe delivery of aid in the areas affected by active fighting. More information on the humanitarian situation and needs in Lebanon is available here. James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that out of the 1.2 million displaced people in Lebanon, one third were children.

Situation in the occupied West Bank

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that in the latest reporting period, from 8 to 14 October, Israeli forces had killed nine Palestinians, including a child, and injured 104 people, including nine children. Israeli forces accused most of those fatalities of being involved in attacking Israelis. Just the previous day, a Palestinian woman had been reportedly killed while harvesting olives in Jenin. This followed 32 attacks by Israeli settlers this month on Palestinians engaged in the olive harvest. Hundreds of olive trees and saplings had been vandalized, sawed off, or stolen. The olive harvest was an economic lifeline for tens of thousands of Palestinian families, and OCHA was currently assessing how it and its partners could support the affected communities.

Mr. Laerke said that over the past year, 728 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, had been killed mainly by Israeli forces; at least 12 of them had been killed by settlers. In the same period, 23 Israelis, including 16 members of the Israeli forces and six settlers, had been killed by Palestinians. In Israel, attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank had resulted in the killing of 16 Israelis while eight Palestinian perpetrators had also been killed. Additionally, 277 Palestinian households, including nearly 800 children, had been displaced across the West Bank in the context of settler violence and access restrictions. Israeli authorities had demolished, confiscated, or sealed around 1,800 Palestinian structures, forcibly displacing nearly 4,600 other Palestinians. Israeli forces had been using lethal, war-like tactics in the West Bank, raising serious concerns over excessive use of force and deepening people’s humanitarian needs. OCHA called on Israel, as the Occupying Power, to protect the Palestinians against attacks, violence, and intimidation.

More details are available in OCHA’s full report.

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, had published a new position paper, in which it stressed that international law obligated UN, Member States and international organizations to end Israel’s unlawful presence in Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Responding to questions, Mr. Laerke, for OCHA, said that OCHA was collecting information through its large network of reliable, credible and time-tested local partners. James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), added that over 160 Palestinian children and two Israeli children had been killed in the Occupied West Bank over the past year. Ms. Vellucci, for UNIS, stressed that the UN continued to call for a ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access to people in need and the unconditional and immediate release of the hostages. Any steps that would make that possible were considered welcome. Some 160,000 people from the West Bank had lost their work permits to work in Israel, which had led to a loss of income for them and their families, said Mr. Laerke. Some 600,000 people could be thus pushed into serious food insecurity. Mr. Laerke also said that settlers’ violence was nothing new, but this year’s levels were extraordinary. This year, the attacks were not only against people but also their olive groves, a major source of income for many families in the West Bank.

Dire conditions for children in Gaza

James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), stated that Gaza was the real-world embodiment of hell on earth for its one million children. It was getting worse, day by day, as the horrific impact could be seen of the daily airstrikes and military operations on Palestinian children.

Mr. Elder shared a story of a seven-year-old little girl, Qamar, who, during an attack on Jabalia camp, had been struck in the foot. The only hospital she could be taken to – a maternity hospital – had then been under siege for 20 days, by which time the shrapnel in Qamar’s foot had led to infection. Because she could not be moved, and because the hospital had not had the resources to cope with all the trauma cases, doctors had to amputate Qamar’s leg. She and her mother and sister – both also injured – had then been forced to evacuate on foot. They now lived in a ripped tent, surrounded by stagnant water and other families enduring similar tragedies. As heartbreaking as it is, Qamar’s story was far from unique. When reflecting on the current situation, said Mr. Elder, the best feeling to describe it was déjà vu, but with even darker shadows. Today, deprivation gripped all of Gaza. Just 80 trucks carrying food or water assistance had been permitted into northern Gaza since 2 October.

Children were not safe in schools and shelters. They were not safe in hospitals or overcrowded camp sites. In this devastating context, UNICEF had managed to build thousands of toilets, given cash assistance to one million people, and more than 300,000 children had benefitted from our nutrition services, while another 117,000 children below 5 had received high energy biscuits and nutrient supplements. UNICEF continued to plea for a long-term sustainable ceasefire, return of the hostages, resumption of commercial traffic and the ability to use additional routes for the safe transport of cargo, unimpeded humanitarian access, and funding for all of its programmes, which remained dangerously underfunded. In November 2023, UNICEF had warned that if children’s access to water and sanitation in Gaza continued to be restricted and insufficient, there would be “a tragic – yet entirely avoidable – surge in the number of children dying. Children face a serious threat of mass disease outbreak.” Today there was polio in Gaza. In December 2023, UNICEF had stated: “The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.” And day after day, for more than a year now, that brutal – evidenced based – reality was reinforced. And yet, in spite of the statements, the hard data, the inferno of burning tents, the harrowing screams, the desperate pleas from doctors for medicine, and the denials and delays on aid, action from those responsible had not been taken to reduce the suffering. With each repetition of last year's events, one grim repetition remained – more Gazan children would be killed, concluded Mr. Elder.

More information about UNICEF’s work for the children in Gaza can be found here.

Only 80 trucks had reached the north of Gaza, this month, said Mr. Elder answering a question, which was utterly inadequate. Commercial and humanitarian trucks needed to complement each other. One out of five children were suffering from most serious forms of malnutrition. The UN had to keep calling for a ceasefire – that was what the people in Gaza were praying for. The only time when there had been an extended ceasefire, in November 2023, more than 100 hostages had been received, reminded Mr. Elder.

Answering a question, Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), mentioned the Secretary-General’s post on X, in which he said he was alarmed by the IPC report findings that high displacement and restrictions on humanitarian aid flows mean people in Gaza are facing catastrophic levels of hunger. Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that since 7 May, only 231 critical patients had been medically evacuated from Gaza. At least 14,100 boys and girls had been killed in Gaza since October 2023, and that was a conservative estimate, said Mr. Elder, for UNICEF. That translated to 35-40 children being killed in Gaza every single day over the past year.

Ms. Vellucci reminded of the International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, which would be held at the Palais des Nations on 1 November.

Situation in Haiti

Kennedy Omondi, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), stated that Haiti had been ravaged by violence, with gangs terrorizing entire communities, leaving behind devastation and fear. Since the beginning of 2024, gang-related violence had claimed more than 3,600 lives, and just two weeks earlier, a brutal attack in the town of Pont-Sondé had taken the lives of at least 115 more innocent people. The violence had forced over 700,000 people to flee their homes, creating a massive displacement crisis. People fled with whatever they can carry, often losing everything in the process, including the sense of safety. Over half of those displaced were children, and the humanitarian needs were overwhelming. Nearly half of Haiti’s population—some 5.5 million people— were now in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Food insecurity has skyrocketed, with 5.4 million Haitians struggling to feed themselves and their families every day. Health services had collapsed, schools had been forced to close, and the basic services that held a society together were now almost non-existent in many parts of the country.

Mr. Omondi said that the host communities were the unsung heroes of this crisis, but they too were struggling under the weight of the immense needs, including food shortages, overwhelmed healthcare facilities, and dwindling resources. IOM was on the front lines, working alongside local partners to provide life-saving assistance and social services. Since February, the IOM had delivered over six million litres of clean water, distributed essential supplies to over 50,000 people, and provided psychosocial and medical care to tens of thousands of displaced individuals. But despite these efforts, the crisis was escalating, and the needs were growing faster than the resources available. IOM’s Crisis Response Plan for Haiti required USD 64 million, but so far, only USD 28.5 million had been secured. The international community had to act now. Haiti’s people deserved to look forward with hope, not despair. They needed to be helped to rebuild their lives and restore their dignity.

Answering questions from the media, Mr. Omondi said that Haitians and nationals of other countries were still trying to cross the treacherous Darién Gap. The situation in Haiti remained dire, but the multinational security force was working to restore calm. Haiti was not considered a safe country to return.

Announcements

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), reminded that on 22 October at 2:30 pm, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would hold a hybrid briefing to present its Review of Maritime Transport 2024: Navigating Maritime Chokepoints, under embargo until 5:30 pm that day. Speakers would be Shamika Sirimanne, UNCTAD’s Director of Technology and Logistics, and Jan Hoffmann, Head, Trade Logistics Branch.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was reviewing today the report of Cuba. Benin would be reviewed on 21 October.

The Human Rights Committee was concluding this morning the review of the report of Pakistan. Greece, France, Türkiye, and Ecuador were still to be reviewed in this session.