Dialogos

UN Expresses Concern Over Permanent Displacement of Palestinians and Lack of Accountability

Published February 19, 2026, 12:03
UN Expresses Concern Over Permanent Displacement of Palestinians and Lack of Accountability

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned a series of Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, expressing concerns about potential “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians. The UN report states that the intensification of attacks, the systematic destruction of neighborhoods, the denial of humanitarian aid, and forced displacement suggest a goal of permanently displacing Palestinians. The report details “massacres and mutilations in an unprecedented number of civilians” by Israeli forces in Gaza, as well as the spread of famine and the destruction of infrastructure. It reports the deaths of at least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, due to famine, considering it a result of the actions of the Israeli government. The report emphasizes that Israeli forces may have deliberately targeted civilians and property, and that certain actions may constitute crimes against humanity or even genocide. In the occupied West Bank, the systematic use of violence, arbitrary detention, torture, and the demolition of Palestinian homes are denounced. Despite the ceasefire in Gaza, the UN stresses the lack of accountability for violations of international law committed during the war.