Palestine, Lebanon & Syria - Daily Press Briefing (03 January 2024) | United Nations

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Security Council
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon/Peacekeeping
Lebanon/Humanitarian
Syria
Myanmar
Food index
Mandela Prize
World Braille Day

SECURITY COUNCIL
Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, briefed the Security Council by video teleconference on the protection of hospitals in Gaza.
He said that the destruction of hospitals across Gaza goes beyond depriving Palestinians of their right to access adequate healthcare. Those hospitals provided sanctuary for thousands of people with nowhere else to go.
He said that across Gaza, Israeli military operations in and around hospitals, and associated combat, have had a terrible impact, precisely at a time of massive demands on healthcare due to the ongoing conflict. He added that, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,050 medical professionals have been killed in Gaza.
The High Commissioner is calling for independent, thorough and transparent investigations into all Israeli attacks on hospitals, healthcare infrastructure and medical personnel – as well as the alleged misuse of such facilities.
Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, also briefed the Security Council on Gaza. He said that some 7 per cent of Gaza’s population has been killed in the past 14 months’ fighting while many others have suffered life-changing injuries.
The health care system is being pushed to breaking point, he added, with only 16 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remaining partially functioning.
Dr. Peeperkorn added that more than 12,000 people in Gaza still require medical evacuation – which means, at the current rate, it would take five to ten years to evacuate all the critically ill patients.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that civilians are facing heightened pressure to relocate yet again within the Gaza Strip. Today, the Israeli authorities ordered those staying in Al Bureij area of Deir al Balah governorate to move west, citing rocket fire into Israel.
The Israeli authorities continue to deny UN attempts to coordinate aid workers’ movement within Gaza. Today, six out of 10 coordination attempts were rejected outright. Of the remaining four, only two went ahead fully, while the other two encountered serious impediments.
Among the rejected attempts today was our plan to deliver supplies to the besieged areas of North Gaza governorate. OCHA says that the denial of humanitarian assistance, especially to survivors who remain in North Gaza, is a push factor for further displacement.
OCHA reminds us that most people across the Gaza Strip have already been displaced multiple times. They are often forced to flee amid intense bombardment with almost none of their belongings. Also, people are pressured to move into unsafe areas that lack the basics for human survival.
In this situation, humanitarian organizations are doing everything they possibly can to support people wherever they are.
The World Health Organization reports that 55 patients and 72 companions were evacuated from Gaza on Tuesday for medical treatment in the United Arab Emirates. Over 5,300 patients have been evacuated abroad since October 2023, leaving over 12,000 patients still awaiting evacuation.
UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, said today that the Israeli Knesset bill to ban the agency from operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is due to come into effect in less than four weeks. Mr. Lazzarini emphasized that UNRWA’s teams are meanwhile committed to stay and deliver.
Since October 2023, UNRWA has provided 6.7 million medical consultations in Gaza – over 1,600 consultations per day. Some 730,000 people have received mental health and psychosocial support, thanks to UNRWA. And, with partners, the agency vaccinated 560,000 children under the age of 10 against polio. In addition, nearly 2 million people have received food assistance, hundreds of thousands of displaced people have stayed in UNRWA shelters and, since the summer, UNRWA’s teams have reached 18,000 children with learning activities.

LEBANON/PEACEKEEPING
Our peacekeeping colleagues in Lebanon are telling us that operations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) north of the Blue Line have continued, including with movements further north reported in Sector East. A redeployment by the Lebanese Armed Forces was conducted this week in Shama in Sector West.
Israel and Lebanon have recommitted to full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. To address outstanding issues, we urge both parties to utilize the newly established Mechanism as agreed in the understanding.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon...