The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) expresses its profound shock at the decision of the UN Secretary-General to reduce the number of UN staff in Gaza at a time when Israeli occupation forces continue to commit widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity, blatantly violating the International Court of Justice’s ruling on measures to halt genocide in Gaza.

PNGO strongly condemns the Israeli occupation’s attack on the UN headquarters in the Middel Area of Gaza, which resulted in the killing of an international staff member and the injury of others. This attack adds to a series of assaults by the occupation forces against international and Palestinian humanitarian workers, including staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

PNGO considers this decision at this critical moment, under the pretext of the UN’s inability to ensure the safety of its staff, to be entirely unjustifiable. Instead, the United Nations should increase its presence in Gaza and provide international protection for Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure. The presence of international staff in Gaza is not only essential for delivering services and aid, but also for their crucial roles in protection, monitoring violations of international law and international humanitarian law, documenting war crimes, and activating accountability mechanisms.

We emphasize the fundamental humanitarian principle of “leave no one behind” and express deep concern that the withdrawal of UN staff could lead to further violations against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

PNGO calls on the United Nations to:

1. Immediately reverse its decision to withdraw international staff, strengthen its presence in Gaza, and deploy additional international teams to ensure the protection of civilians and monitor human rights violations.
2. Take action to pressure the Israeli occupation to halt measures preventing international staff from entering Gaza, lift restrictions on the work of UN agencies and international NGOs, and ensure the entry of foreign journalists and international diplomats into Gaza.
3. Fully implement the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice to prevent genocide, including ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid and halting military operations targeting civilians.
4. Deploy a UN protection force in Gaza and the West Bank to safeguard Palestinian civilians.
5. Investigate the consequences of previous UN withdrawals and establish guarantees to prevent further abandonment of civilians in crisis zones.

PNGO also calls on third-party states to fulfill their commitments by imposing an immediate arms embargo on the occupying state and holding perpetrators of war crimes accountable.

Palestinian NGOs Network