The UN warned that the incident poses a serious humanitarian risk to civilians and long‑term harm to agricultural livelihoods. Briefing journalists in Geneva on Friday, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said the alleged spraying could have profound implications for communities living near the frontier.
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, said the use of herbicides in such a sensitive region raises significant questions about the impact on farmland, food production and the safe return of civilians to their homes after months of displacement.
Reiterating concerns shared by the UN Spokesperson in New York a day earlier, Vellucci reminded reporters that any activity by the Israeli Defence Forces north of the Blue Line constitutes a violation of Security Council resolution 1701, which brought an end to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
She stressed that all parties are bound by international humanitarian law, particularly in areas where civilian populations depend on land and natural resources for survival.
OHCHR Spokesperson Thameen Al‑Kheetan said the reports require deeper investigation to verify the nature of the chemicals allegedly used. He warned that attacks targeting farmland, soil and water sources pose a grave threat to human health, livelihoods and the broader humanitarian environment, particularly in a region already facing escalating tensions and displacement.
The UN also raised the alarm over deteriorating conditions in the occupied West Bank, where new Israeli security operations and accelerating settlement expansion risk further undermining prospects for a viable Palestinian state. According to OHCHR, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the West Bank since last year, including more than 32 000 people uprooted during Israel’s “Iron Wall” operation in the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams. Many of those displaced remain unable to return, with homes destroyed and entire neighbourhoods reduced to rubble.
Al‑Kheetan told journalists that Israeli forces recently conducted major security operations in occupied East Jerusalem targeting Palestinian communities. In the Shu’fat refugee camp, Israeli units raided numerous homes and shops, detained at least 25 people, confiscated goods and seized multiple private vehicles. In a separate large‑scale operation in the Kafr Aqab area and near the boundaries of Qalandiya camp, Israeli forces reportedly demolished 70 Palestinian structures, in what OHCHR said appears to be preparation for major settlement projects.
Beyond military operations, the UN expressed deep concern about what it described as “relentless violence” by Israeli settlers against Palestinians across the West Bank. OHCHR said many of these incidents occur with the support or direct participation of Israeli security forces. At the same time, the rate of settlement construction has accelerated at levels “previously unseen,” in clear violation of international law.
The UN highlighted that in December, the Israeli authorities issued tenders for more than 3 000 new settlement units in an area between East Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem. Responding to questions about the long‑discussed “E1 plan,” which would reportedly cut off northern and southern parts of the West Bank from East Jerusalem, Al‑Kheetan warned that such developments would have devastating implications for Palestinian territorial continuity. He said the proposal risks fragmenting Palestinian communities and severely undermining the viability of a future Palestinian state.
Al‑Kheetan concluded by reiterating the UN’s long‑standing position that all settlement activity must cease and existing settlements must ultimately be evacuated in line with international law.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
