In a statement, Tor Wennesland reminded that each one Israeli settlements within the Occupied Palestinian Territory are unlawful underneath worldwide legislation.

Permits for the brand new dwellings have been authorized by Israeli authorities on Wednesday, the primary for the reason that conflict in Gaza erupted on 7 October.

According to information reviews, the permits imply that greater than 20,000 housing items have been authorized in unlawful settlements in the course of the previous 12 months.

“Israel’s settlement expansion continues to be a driver of conflict in the occupied West Bank further entrenching the occupation and undermining the right of Palestinians to self-determination and independent statehood,” mentioned Mr. Wennesland.

West Bank casualties

Since October, 416 Palestinians have been killed and 4,658 injured, together with 718 kids, in conflict-related incidents throughout the West Bank, together with East Jerusalem, and Israel, according to the newest figures launched by UN help coordination workplace OCHA.

Since the start of the 12 months, a complete of 101 Palestinians have been killed, in comparison with 71 in the identical interval in 2023, the bulk by Israeli forces. 

Since 7 October, 15 Israelis, together with 4 members of Israeli forces, have been killed and 90 injured in conflict-related incidents within the West Bank, together with East Jerusalem, and Israel.

Mass abductions in Nigeria condemned

The UN’s high help official in Nigeria has condemned the reported abduction of greater than 200 folks within the nation’s northeast.

Mohamed Malick Fall mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday {that a} non-State armed group was alleged to have kidnapped the folks from camps for the internally displaced in Borno state.

The victims had reportedly ventured past the security of the trenches surrounding the city of Ngala in quest of firewood.

It is extraordinarily harmful to take action, with killings, abductions, pressured recruitment and sexual and gender-based violence rampant, humanitarians warned.

In an announcement, Mr. Fall famous that some older girls and kids underneath age 10 had been launched, however scores stay unaccounted for.

The senior help official additionally mentioned that he stood in solidarity with the households of all these kidnapped and referred to as for his or her launch.

Some two million folks have fled to cities for security in Nigeria’s Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, after properly over a decade of armed battle that has left many areas past authorities management.

Schoolchildren kidnapped

On Thursday, greater than 100 Nigerian schoolchildren have been kidnapped within the northwestern Nigerian city of Kuriga, in keeping with information reviews.

The college students, aged eight to fifteen, have been reportedly rounded up together with a instructor after gunmen using motorbikes entered their college meeting space.

Eyewitnesses reported that one pupil was shot in the course of the kidnap raid. The incident shouldn’t be believed to have any reference to the obvious kidnap of girls and kids earlier within the week within the northeast.

India: Rights consultants sound alarm over pre-election assaults towards minorities 

Independent UN human rights consultants on Thursday sounded the alarm over reviews of assaults on minorities, media employees and civil society activists in India, calling on authorities to take motion because the nation prepares to go to the polls in April.

The UN Human Rights Council-appointed consultants voiced concern that the state of affairs is prone to worsen within the coming months forward of nationwide elections.

They cited reviews of “dehumanising rhetoric”, incitement to discrimination and violence, violence by vigilante teams, focused demolitions, enforced disappearances and detention of rights defenders and journalists. 

“We call on India to implement its human rights obligations fully and set a positive example by reversing the erosion of human rights and addressing recurring concerns raised by UN human rights mechanisms,” the consultants mentioned.

They famous that out of 78 communications despatched by UN human rights consultants over the previous 5 years, solely 18 had acquired replies from the federal government that may very well be made public. 

The consultants additionally regretted that regardless of India’s standing invitation to UN Special Procedures since 2011, there have been no nation visits since 2017, with 15 energetic pending requests by UN human rights consultants to which there was no reply.

Take ‘concrete measures’

They urged India to take concrete measures to handle issues raised of their earlier communications and reviews.

“In light of continuing reports of violence and attacks against religious, racial and ethnic minorities, and other grave human rights issues, and the apparent lack of response by authorities to concerns raised, we are compelled to express our grave concern, especially given the need for a conducive atmosphere for free and fair elections in accordance with the early warning aspect of our mandates,” they mentioned.

Special Rapporteurs and different unbiased rights consultants are usually not UN employees, don’t obtain a wage for his or her work and are unbiased of any authorities or organisation.