On 2 September 2026, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People held its 430th meeting to discuss developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem. During the meeting, the Committee adopted its Annual Report covering the period from 2 September 2025 to 31 August 2026. It also received briefings from Mr. Michel Saad, Deputy Director and Officer-in-Charge of the Crisis Response Division at OCHA, on the humanitarian situation in the OPT, and from Ms. Jehan Salim, National Coordinator of the Palestine Shelter Cluster, on shelter conditions in Gaza and the West Bank. In addition, the Committee elected H.E. Ms. Nadzirah Binti Osman, Permanent Representative of Malaysia, as Vice-Chair of the Bureau and heard an update from H.E. Mr. Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine.

H.E. Mr. Riyad H. Mansour described conditions across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip as ※extremely dangerous and dire,§ with Palestinians facing escalating displacement, violence, and deteriorating living conditions. He condemned what he described as Israel＊s plan to seize ※the maximum amount of Palestinian land and expel the largest number of Palestinian people§ from it. Referring to Gaza, he stated that Israel occupies approximately 70 per cent of the territory and that Palestinians confined to the remainder face nearly impossible living conditions. He further asserted that Israel is simultaneously seeking to annex 60 per cent of the West Bank, where settler violence has intensified reaching ※unprecedented§ levels. He also highlighted recent developments related to settlement expansion in the so-called ※E1 area,§ which he said would undermine the territorial contiguity of the West Bank, as well as the unauthorized entry into and occupation of the UNRWA Kalandia Training Centre.

Mr. Michel Saad warned that humanitarian conditions throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory remain deeply alarming. He noted that most of Gaza＊s population remains displaced and confined to less than 40 per cent of the Strip as Israeli forces continue to enforce restrictions beyond the so-called ※yellow§ and ※orange§ lines. Health, water, sanitation, and education services remain under severe strain, while restrictions on shelter materials and infrastructure supplies are increasing vulnerabilities ahead of the winter season. In the West Bank, he reported that 79 Palestinians, including 19 children, had been killed in 2026, approximately 1,870 injured, and more than 3,700 displaced. He added that movement restrictions continue to impede access to essential services and livelihoods. Mr. Saad noted that the 2026 humanitarian appeal is only 40 per cent funded and that funding shortfalls have forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to reduce by half the number of people targeted for assistance. He called for the protection of civilians, sustained humanitarian access, and increased funding ahead of winter.

Ms. Jehan Salim presented the findings of a recent assessment, which found that 1.98 million people in Gaza, representing approximately 90 per cent of the population, require shelter assistance. However, only around 10 per cent have received any form of shelter support in recent months. She emphasized that access remains severely restricted and that available funding is insufficient to meet growing needs. Ms. Salim called on Member States to ensure the predictable and sustained entry of materials into Gaza and to facilitate access to land. She warned that, without improved access and additional resources, Gaza risks facing ※another winter of severe shelter failure.§

Member States reiterated their solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for the realization of their inalienable rights. They condemned violence against civilians throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory and expressed concern over the continuing humanitarian suffering in Gaza. Delegations also reaffirmed their support for a two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within secure and internationally recognized borders based on the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

Resources

  • Meeting Coverage
  • Annual report
  • Statement (Mr. Michel Saad, Deputy Director and OiC of the Crisis Response Division at OCHA)
  • Presentation (Ms. Jehan Salim, National Coordinator of the Palestine Shelter Cluster, on shelter conditions in Gaza and the West Bank