Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, proclaimed that the international community must take decisive steps to safeguard the human rights and dignity of Palestinians in view of the current surge of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and the potential for increased annexation by the new Israeli government.

Albanese stated that the persistent, lethal violence in the West Bank which has been occurring since the start of the year is a direct result of the never-ending, oppressive occupation by Israel, as well as the lack of accountability and immunity they have been allowed to have.

The Special Rapporteur noted that the deaths of both Palestinians and Israelis serve as a painful reminder of the consequences of not addressing the deep-seated inequities that exist and the underlying causes that contribute to them.

Albanese stated that the Israeli occupation, unopposed by any significant intervention, has been able to strengthen its authoritarian and expansive rule, while Member States have only expressed limited criticism, humanitarian organizations have simply offered temporary relief, and legal experts have been mired in theoretical discussions.

The Special Rapporteur stressed the importance of the UN going beyond simply tallying up the number of casualties and appealing for restraint. Albanese stated that the organisation should not allow itself to be drawn into the false notion of an unsolvable “conflict” and contradictory accounts. Instead, they must recognise that this is not a battle between two equal sides, but a situation in which an oppressive regime is infringing upon the right of an entire population to exist.

Albanese emphasized the importance for the UN to keep its integrity and goal by recognizing that disagreements over stories and history must be handled legally and fairly, and to fight against the annexation of any occupied land, allow the Palestinians to have their right to self-governance, and put an end to the oppressive system imposed by Israel.