Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan - Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/52/76) [EN/AR]

Human Rights Council
Fifty-second session
27 February–31 March 2023
Agenda items 2 and 7
Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories

Summary

The present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 49/29, provides an update on the implementation of the provisions of the resolution during the period from 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2022.

I. Introduction

1. The present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 49/29, provides an update on the implementation of the provisions of the resolution during the period from 1 November 2021 to 31 October 2022. The report takes stock of developments during the 10 years since the adoption of Council resolution 19/17, by which the Council established the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.1 It also contains an update on Israeli settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan.

2. The advancement of settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the transfer by Israel of its civilian population to the occupied territory, in contravention of international law,2 has continued over the decade. This has resulted in numerous systematic violations of the human rights of Palestinians. The report documents patterns of systematic discrimination in law, policy and practice, encompassing almost every sphere of life, and examines, in particular, housing, land and property rights and the right to life, security of person and access to justice. These violations have created a coercive environment which is forcing Palestinians to leave their homes and their lands in possible forcible transfer – a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which may amount to a war crime3 – and the ultimate result of the cumulative effect of the settlement enterprise.

3. The findings in the present report are based on direct monitoring and other information gathering conducted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and on information provided by government sources, United Nations entities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The report should be read in conjunction with other related reports of the Secretary-General and of the High Commissioner for Human Rights submitted to the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.