Over 37,000 Palestinians Displaced in West Bank in 2025, UN Chief Warns of Eroding Peace Prospects

More than 37,000 Palestinians were displaced in the occupied West Bank during 2025, a year marked by record levels of violence by Israeli settlers, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.

Addressing the opening session of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Guterres warned that the situation on the ground was rapidly undermining the prospects for a two-state solution.

“We enter 2026 with the clock ticking louder than ever,” he said. “Will the year ahead bend towards peace or slip into the abyss of despair?”

Guterres expressed deep concern over accelerating illegal settlement expansion, demolitions, evictions, and forced displacements in the West Bank, describing Israel’s actions as destabilising and unlawful under international law.

He highlighted Israel’s recent tender for 3,401 housing units in the E1 area as “profoundly alarming,” warning that it could sever the northern and southern parts of the West Bank, undermine territorial continuity, and deal a severe blow to the viability of a Palestinian state.

Turning to Gaza, Guterres said Palestinians continued to suffer gravely, noting that more than 500 people had been killed since the October truce between Israel and Hamas.

“I urge all parties to implement the ceasefire agreement in full, exercise maximum restraint, and comply with international law and UN resolutions,” he said.

He called for the rapid and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance, including through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which was reopened on Monday. He also criticised Israeli authorities for suspending international aid organisations, saying the move violated humanitarian principles and worsened civilian suffering.

On Gaza’s future, Guterres stressed that any lasting solution must involve governance by a unified, internationally recognised Palestinian government covering Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

“Gaza is and must remain an integral part of a Palestinian state,” he said.

The UN chief also reaffirmed his support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), condemning Israeli legislation and actions that hinder its operations, including efforts to demolish its Sheikh Jarrah compound in East Jerusalem.

“UNRWA premises are United Nations premises. They are inviolable and immune from any form of interference,” he said.

Guterres further denounced public threats against UNRWA staff as “utterly abhorrent” and reminded Israel of its obligation under international law to respect UN privileges and immunities.

Reiterating his call for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, Guterres said peace could only be achieved through a two-state solution in line with international law and UN resolutions.

“There is only one viable route to peace,” he said, urging the international community to act “with clarity, unity and determination.”