Geneva, Beirut, Gaza: Europe and the Arabs

The spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Thamin Khaitan, expressed concern over reports that Israeli aircraft used chemical agents on agricultural land in southern Lebanon.

In response to journalists' questions at a press conference in Geneva, Khaitan said: "If these reports are confirmed, these actions are extremely worrying with regard to international humanitarian law and warrant further investigation to determine the nature of these chemical agents." This was reported in the UN daily news bulletin, a copy of which we received on Saturday morning.

He stressed that attacks on agricultural land and food supplies constitute a grave humanitarian risk, as well as a serious threat to the environment and the lives of civilians in these areas.

Herbicide
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that the Israeli army informed them on Sunday morning that it would conduct an aerial operation to drop what it described as a non-toxic chemical substance over areas near the Blue Line. UNIFIL stressed that this activity is unacceptable and violates Security Council Resolution 1701.

In response to journalists' questions on the matter, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Thursday, "We are aware of reports" that it involved herbicides.

He added that the use of herbicides raises questions about their impact on local agricultural lands and how this will affect the long-term return of civilians to their homes and livelihoods.

He reminded the parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and other relevant legal frameworks. He stated that any activity by the Israeli army north of the Blue Line constitutes a violation of Resolution 1701. He added that UNIFIL will continue to engage with the Lebanese authorities on this issue.

This came after the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that a series of new Israeli operations and settlement expansion plans in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, seriously threaten to undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the realization of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. At the bi-weekly press briefing for UN agencies in Geneva, UNHCR spokesperson Thamin Khaitan reported that on January 12, Israeli security forces conducted a campaign in occupied East Jerusalem, including at least two large-scale operations targeting Palestinian communities.

He said that in the Shuafat refugee camp, forces raided dozens of homes and shops, arresting at least 25 Palestinians, confiscating goods, and seizing 10 private vehicles. He added that in another large-scale operation targeting the Kafr Aqab neighborhood and the area surrounding the Qalandiya refugee camp, Israeli security forces reportedly demolished 70 Palestinian structures. Khaitan stated, "This appears to be a prelude to major settlement projects in the area."

Forced Displacement

Khaitan also reported that since January 23, Israeli authorities have issued eviction orders for 22 Palestinian homes in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City and in the Al-Bustan and Batn al-Hawa neighborhoods of Silwan. He explained that this is in addition to the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians throughout the occupied West Bank since last year, including during the Israeli military operation dubbed "Operation Iron Wall," which targeted three refugee camps.

He said: "The unlawful transfer or deportation of a population living under occupation is a war crime and, in certain specific circumstances, may constitute a crime against humanity."

He warned that the ongoing and relentless violence by Israeli settlers—with the support and participation of Israeli security forces—as well as restrictions on movement, is accelerating the forced displacement of Palestinians.

He noted that, at the same time, "Israeli settlements continue to expand at an unprecedented rate, in violation of international law."

Regarding the latest developments on the ground, the Israeli army continues to violate the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with several Palestinians injured by gunfire and shelling in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.

Israeli aircraft destroyed a multi-story residential building in the Zeitoun neighborhood east of Gaza City after warning residents and ordering them to evacuate. Reports also indicate that two Palestinians were killed earlier in a bombing in the northern Gaza Strip, in addition to heavy gunfire directed towards Rafah.

According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health, the death toll in the Gaza war has risen to 71,851, with 171,626 injured since October 2023.

In the political context, Israeli Minister of Settlement and National Development Orit Strock hinted at the possibility of resuming fighting if Hamas is not disarmed within weeks, claiming that the next phase of US President Donald Trump's plan provides international cover for such action. The minister, who represents the "Religious Zionist" party led by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, said that she opposes Trump's plan, but at the same time she acknowledged that the agreement reinforces the goal of making Gaza a demilitarized zone, renewing her support for settlement in the sector and considering it a means to achieve "effective control" over it, as she put it.

The spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that "the killing of Palestinians continues with complete impunity." He added that from 7 October 2023 to 5 February 2026, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified that Israeli forces and settlers killed 1,054 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Twelve Palestinians were killed inside Israel. He further noted that during the same period, 62 Israelis were reportedly killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians or in armed clashes in both the West Bank and Israel.

He stated that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, emphasizes the need for accountability and justice for all victims of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations.

Al-Khitan said that states must act immediately to halt Israel’s violent expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

He added: “Further settlement expansion will only entrench apartheid against the Palestinian people, disrupt the geographic and demographic contiguity of their land, and further delay the realization of their right to self-determination.”