Attachments
Seventy-ninth session
Agenda item 34
The situation in the Middle East
Summary
The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution ES- 10/26, entitled “Demand for ceasefire in Gaza”. As requested in paragraph 10 of the resolution, it contains a needs assessment for Gaza in the short, medium and long term, an elaboration of the humanitarian, social and economic consequences of the conflict in Gaza, and an overview of the work of different parts of the United Nations system relevant to Gaza, along with recommendations on how to strengthen coordination across these parts.
I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution ES10/26, entitled “Demand for ceasefire in Gaza”. In that resolution, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive written report within 60 days of the adoption of the resolution, which should include a needs assessment for Gaza in the short, medium and long term, an elaboration of the humanitarian, social and economic consequences of the conflict in Gaza, and an overview of the work of different parts of the United Nations system relevant to Gaza, along with recommendations on how to strengthen coordination across these parts. As indicated in the letter dated 31 December 2024 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly, the report also contains proposals as to how the United Nations could help advance accountability.
2. Information on the political, humanitarian and socioeconomic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Gaza, and on the work of the United Nations system is also provided in several periodic reports prepared by the relevant entities and submitted to various United Nations organs, including the monthly Security Council briefings by the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process; Security Council briefings by the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza; the reports of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016); the annual report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian people; the report of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan; the report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on the economic costs of the Israeli occupation for the Palestinian people; the annual report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); the biannual reports of the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Pr ocess to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the Coordination of the International Assistance to Palestinians; and the annual and biannual human rights reports of the Secretary - General and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.
3. On 19 January 2025, a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza came into effect. The first phase of the deal is being implemented over 42 days, during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages, and Israel has committed to releasing some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Negotiations to extend the ceasefire through a second phase are set to begin during phase one. The ceasefire is allowing a significant scaling up of humanitarian aid in Gaza, including to the north.