New York, 29 October 2026 – The United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People held its 431st meeting, with the theme “Human Dignity under Strain: The Humanitarian and Human Rights Consequences in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, on 29 October 2026 at United Nations Headquarters in New York, with briefings by Ms. Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Ms. Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Mr. Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development; and Mr. Srinivasan Muralidhara, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
The briefings examined the immediate humanitarian and human rights consequences of the ongoing crisis in Gaza, one year after the ceasefire entered into force, as well as the escalating violence linked to Israel’s unlawful occupation. Briefers underscored the grave situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, warning that “genocide continues in Gaza”, while “crimes against humanity and war crimes” are being committed in the West Bank. They further cautioned that the destruction of truth has become part of the destruction of a people and that Palestinians are being deprived of hope and dreams for the future.
The Special Rapporteurs and the Chair of the Commission of Inquiry further focused on the cumulative and intergenerational impact of Israeli policies and practices, including settlement expansion, violence and forced displacement, on the rights, livelihoods and living conditions of the Palestinian people. They reflected on the devastating harm to children and youth, and on how the prolonged illegal occupation deepens patterns of dispossession, undermining the Palestinian people’s prospects for sustainable development.
The discussion highlighted the responsibilities of all parties and Member States under international law, emphasised the need for concrete measures to protect civilians and uphold human dignity, support recovery and reconstruction efforts with the active, free and meaningful participation of Palestinians, strengthen accountability and advance the realisation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.