United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning on Friday, stating that Israel’s unrelenting expansion of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories is “dramatically altering” the region’s landscape and demographics.

In a report to the Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 2334 (2016), Guterres highlighted the growing confinement of Palestinians into fragmented, shrinking areas, calling it an “existential threat” to the possibility of a viable, independent Palestinian state.

Covering the period from December 7, 2024, to March 13, 2025, the report detailed Israel’s approval or advancement of approximately 10,600 settlement housing units in the West Bank, including 4,920 in East Jerusalem, alongside tenders for 700 more near Bethlehem. Guterres reiterated that these settlements “have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law.” He also condemned the demolition or seizure of 460 Palestinian-owned structures, displacing 576 people—half of them children—due to near-impossible-to-obtain building permits, raising concerns over potential forcible transfers and human rights violations.

The report painted a grim picture of escalating violence. In Gaza, the ceasefire that began January 19 briefly allowed aid surges, but since March 2, Israel has halted all humanitarian and commercial deliveries, cutting power to desalination plants and leaving 600,000 without clean water. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli operations since January 21—the largest since 2002—have killed 123 Palestinians, displaced 40,000, and devastated refugee camps like Jenin and Tulkarem. Settler attacks injured 117 Palestinians, while Palestinian attacks killed 10 Israelis and five security personnel.

Guterres mourned the loss of 21 UN staff and criticized reported abuses of both hostages and Palestinian detainees. “Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he stated, urging a sustained ceasefire and accountability for violations.

He also expressed alarm over Israel’s moves against UNRWA, including forced closures of its facilities, insisting “there is no alternative” to the agency’s role. Guterres concluded by advocating for a two-state solution, with Gaza and the West Bank united under one political framework, warning that the occupation must end “as rapidly as possible” to secure peace. (ILKHA)