07/07/2026
United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
NGO ACTION NEWS
2 July 2026
Middle East
On 29 June, B’Tselem reported that Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinian children and teenagers in the West Bank in 2025, often in circumstances that involved no immediate threat. The organization said many minors were shot during raids, at checkpoints, or near their homes, and some were killed while protesting or fleeing. It documented cases where soldiers opened fire unlawfully and where investigations were absent or superficial. B’Tselem stated that Israel’s open‑fire policies and systemic impunity enabled repeated killings and that Palestinian children lived without protection under a regime that treated them as disposable.
On 26 June, Palestinian human rights groups won a strategic step in their legal effort to obtain transparency over Australia’s arms exports to Israel. After two years of litigation, the organizations secured an agreement that the Australian Minister for Defense disclose a list of documents related to export permits, including F‑35 components, Bisalloy Steel, and permits granted before and after October 2023. The organizations say the information is essential to assess whether Australia properly evaluated risks that its exports may contribute to grave violations in the occupied Palestinian territory. They view the ruling as an important victory but stress that further transparency is still needed.
On 26 June, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights reported that three international organizations filed a criminal complaint in Poland against Nitro‑Chem, the largest TNT producer in NATO, for its alleged role in international crimes committed in Gaza. Palestinian human rights groups were preparing their own complaints, arguing that Polish TNT formed a critical part of U.S. and Israeli aerial bombs and artillery shells used extensively in densely populated areas. The complaint stated that Nitro‑Chem’s continued supply, despite global findings of genocide and war crimes, could amount to aiding grave international crimes under Polish and international law.
On 26 June, Addameer and other Palestinian prisoner institutions reported that thousands of Palestinian detainees were subjected to systematic torture and abuse inside Israeli prisons and military camps. They stated that torture occurred from the moment of arrest through beatings, threats, enforced disappearance, painful shackling, and methods such as stress positions, electric shocks, burning, sleep deprivation, starvation, and denial of medical care. Testimonies described sexual violence, amputations without anesthesia, and field executions, especially against detainees from Gaza. The organizations said these practices constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity and urged urgent international accountability and access for independent monitors.
On 24 June, Peace Now informed that Israel’s Civil Administration declared 465.4 dunams of land near the villages of Sinjil and Luban a‑Sharqiya as state land in order to legalize and expand the illegal Haroeh outpost. Peace Now reported that the declaration covered an area far larger than the outpost’s built‑up zone, enabling future settlement growth. Landowners were given 45 days to file objections, though such challenges rarely succeeded. The organization noted that state land declarations had sharply increased under the current government and were used to dispossess Palestinians while allocating land exclusively to settlers, further entrenching occupation and undermining prospects for peace.
On 22 June, Al-Haq welcomed France’s decision to seal off the stands of twelve Israeli arms manufacturers at the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition, calling it a significant step that builds on years of legal advocacy. Although three major companies were allowed to remain, none displayed weapons publicly. Al-Haq argues that distinctions between “defensive” and “offensive” weapons are irrelevant given Israel’s illegal occupation, as affirmed by the ICJ’s 2024 Advisory Opinion. The organization says France’s actions remain insufficient, warning that allowing Israeli delegations and facilitating contracts risks contributing to grave international crimes and violates France’s legal obligations.
On 21 June, Gisha reported that Israel’s navy continued to bar Gaza’s residents from entering the sea, even months after the announced ceasefire. Fishermen who attempted to work near the shore were shot at, arrested, and sometimes killed. Gisha reported that the fishing sector had been devastated by years of Israeli attacks from air, land, and sea, including the destruction of Gaza’s port, boats, and fish ponds. Fishermen operated with improvised equipment, catching only a fraction of pre‑war levels. Rising danger, reduced access, and soaring fish prices deepened Gaza’s food insecurity. Gisha stated that Israel, as the occupying power, was obligated to allow safe access to the sea and end attacks on civilians.
On 21 June, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said that Israel's ban on the entry of engine oils, lubricants, and spare parts into Gaza had severely damaged essential civilian services. PCHR reported that generators powering hospitals, water wells, desalination plants, wastewater facilities, shelters, and communications were breaking down due to lack of maintenance supplies. Prices for oil soared to unaffordable levels, forcing residents to use unsafe alternatives. Ambulances, medical equipment, and municipal services deteriorated sharply, causing rising health risks and environmental hazards. PCHR said the ban formed part of policies inflicting life-threatening conditions on Gaza's population and could amount to genocidal acts under international law.
On 13 June, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights documented how Israeli forces used water deprivation as a method of warfare in Gaza. The organization reported that communities faced acute thirst due to the destruction of water networks, restrictions on fuel, and deliberate obstruction of repairs. People relied on unsafe water sources, causing illness and worsening humanitarian conditions. Al Mezan stated that denying access to water constituted collective punishment and could amount to war crimes, urging international action to restore safe water access.
Africa, Asia and Europe
On 30 June, Human Rights Watch stated that the European Union had a legal obligation to ban trade with Israeli settlements rather than treat such a measure as a policy option. The article explained that Israel’s settlements were illegal under international law and that trade with them contributed to their economic viability. HRW noted that the European Commission’s claim of compliance was flawed because settlement goods still entered EU markets. It argued that only a full ban would meet obligations outlined by the International Court of Justice and urged EU institutions to act accordingly.
On 29 June, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) reported settler violence in the West Bank had intensified and forced growing numbers of Palestinians from their homes into worsening conditions. It also reported that armed settlers, often accompanied or protected by Israeli forces, carried out assaults, threats, and property destruction that pushed families to flee their communities. Displaced Palestinians faced overcrowded shelters, loss of livelihoods, and rising insecurity. NRC stated that Israeli authorities failed to prevent or punish attacks, enabling an environment of impunity. The organization warned that the escalating violence amounted to forcible transfer and urged international action to protect affected communities and uphold humanitarian law.
North America
On 26 June, the report of the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) stated that Israel accelerated land seizures, settlement expansion, and archaeological appropriation across the West Bank. Peace Now reported that Israel declared over 115 acres near Sinjil as state land to legalize and expand the Givat Haroeh outpost. Additional measures included funding renovations at an illegally seized ancient pool near Jericho and issuing a military seizure order near the Hasmonean Palaces, worsening conditions for the Kaabneh Bedouin community. The report also described settler violence, impunity, and political efforts to entrench control through tourism, infrastructure, and heritage projects.
United Nations
On 1 July, the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People published its quarterly newsletter for the period April – June 2026.
On 30 June, the UN Secretary‑General said UNRWA had remained indispensable for Palestinians, providing education, health care, food, and protection amid unprecedented suffering in Gaza. He noted that staff had worked under bombardment, displacement, and loss, with many killed while serving civilians. He urged Member States to provide predictable and sustainable funding, stressing that UNRWA’s collapse would deepen the humanitarian catastrophe. He emphasized that the Agency’s mandate came from the General Assembly and would remain essential until a just political solution was achieved. The Secretary‑General called for renewed international commitment to support Palestinian rights and dignity.
On 30 June, the UNRWA Commissioner‑General ad interim said UNRWA had operated under unprecedented hardship as staff and refugees in Gaza endured bombardment, displacement, hunger, and the collapse of essential services. He noted that hundreds of UNRWA personnel had been killed while serving civilians and that the Agency continued delivering food, medical care, education, and shelter despite extreme danger and limited resources. Saunders urged Member States to provide predictable funding, warning that UNRWA’s failure would deepen the humanitarian catastrophe. He stressed that UNRWA’s mandate remained vital until a just political solution was achieved and called for renewed international support.
On 29 June, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process reported that violence, settlement expansion, and humanitarian collapse had continued across the occupied Palestinian territory despite repeated Security Council calls for de‑escalation. He said Israeli settlement activity and settler attacks had intensified, undermining prospects for a two‑state solution and violating Resolution 2334. In Gaza, he described catastrophic living conditions, widespread displacement, and the near‑total collapse of essential services. He urged Israel to lift restrictions, protect civilians, and halt settlement measures, and called on all parties to restore political engagement. He stressed that only a negotiated political path could prevent further deterioration.
This newsletter reports about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations working on the question of Palestine. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information "as is" without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained on the websites linked in the newsletter.
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