Israel denies visa extension for UN official after report about 'grave violations' against children

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN humanitarian office chief in occupied Palestinian Territory on Thursday said Israel did not extend his visa because of the latest UN report on violations against children in conflict in 2023.

"The practice is a bit inconsistent, and that depends clearly on the relation and the perception that the authority has of the work we do. In my case, specifically, I was given recently a one-month extension, and I was warned that would not be renewed beyond this one month," the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian Territory, Andrea De Domenico, told reporters in his final virtual news conference.

"The straw that broke the camel's back is the publication of the 'Children and Armed Conflict Report' from the UN, and they alluded to the long-standing issue of reporting that OCHA has been doing," he said.

De Domenico noted that there has been no formal communication with Israeli authorities despite repeated requests.

The UN released a report in June that shows a significant rise in violations against children in conflict in 2023. It verified nearly 33,000 grave violations affecting more than 22,500 children, mainly boys, in 26 situations worldwide.

The report said in light of recent developments in the Gaza Strip, grave violations against children in Israel and occupied Palestinian territories have increased 155% as the UN added Israeli armed and security forces to a list of those "that commit grave violations affecting children in situations of armed conflict."

Citing the UN chief's warning in November on Gaza "becoming a graveyard for children," De Domenico said: "Unfortunately, he was right, and this is what Gaza became."

Asking the international community, "How much human suffering can be tolerated in the name of security, how many children have to be orphaned?" De Domenico urged it to find a path to peace and avoid "war, conflict and generated suffering."

- Humanity 'becoming immune to horror' amid Gaza crisis

He stressed that "dehumanizing" rhetoric that incites violence is widely seen around the Palestine-Israel conflict and noted that he has witnessed "systematic dehumanization of civilians in Gaza and West Bank" since the start of the onslaught.

"The people in Gaza have been deprived of the mere thinking of what tomorrow could bring for them," the UN official said, adding that Gazans still smile but it is "framed by sad eyes."

Emphasizing that humanity is "becoming immune to horror" amid the Gaza crisis, De Domenico said: "We cannot allow this to happen. I cannot explain this to my children. What is our credibility as the UN as the international community? When we will try to promote international humanitarian law, and human rights in other places, in other contexts, after this dark page that we are witnessing in Gaza?"

De Domenico also noted that the conflict in Gaza has displaced 1.9 million people, which is 90% of the entire population in Gaza.

"Since the 22nd of June, 11% of the people have been displaced again, and this displacements are recurrent," he added.

On the West Bank, he said the UN has verified 572 Palestinians killed, of which 141 were children.
"The vast majority were shot by Israeli forces, and 10 by settlers," De Domenico stated.

Saying that demolitions have continued in the West Bank, he said: "UN colleagues explaining that the trends of demolition have changed a little bit, the pattern. The type of demolitions seems to be now spreading all over and also affecting houses that are in areas that were for many years untouched."

He stated that the demolitions have led to movement and displacement of nearly 3,000 people.

"We have also registered more than 1,100 incidents of settler attacks, 106 of those leading to casualties, 900 of these leading to damage, and 120 at both damages and casualties," he said.

De Domenico emphasized that the attitude of the Israeli military is "becoming more and more aggressive" toward UN and humanitarian partners operating in the West Bank.

"We have been systematically stopped at checkpoint and they request the staff to step out of the vehicle, take out the keys. They want the ID of every single staff and it seems that this is, unfortunately, a growing trend," he noted.

He also noted that the lack of permits and visas is becoming a problem for all international NGOs and humanitarian personnel in the West Bank.

"Luckily, I have a very strong team and the humanitarian community is strong but my fear is that this is something that will not stop here," he said. "I don't think that this job can be done remotely."