UN calls for international protection for Palestine

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on Sunday called for the deployment of an “international protection presence” in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

According to Albanese, such a deployment is “urgently needed” to protect Palestinians in the occupied territories.

“Third states have an obligation, under the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to act to end Israel’s illegal occupation,” Albanese wrote on X, referring to the ICJ’s July 2024 advisory opinion which declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal.

In that opinion, the ICJ also stated that states must not assist in maintaining the occupation.

Albanese also questioned whether the diplomatic efforts of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN General Assembly’s “Uniting for Peace” mechanism could overcome the UN Security Council deadlock over the conflict.

The “Uniting for Peace” mechanism allows the General Assembly to address matters of international peace and security when the Security Council is unable to act due to a lack of agreement among its permanent members.

The UN Security Council has repeatedly failed to take action on Gaza and the West Bank amid the use of veto power by the United States.