RAMALLAH – Palestinian Vice-President on Thursday called on the international community to take firm action against Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.
In a statement, Al Sheikh urged “brotherly and friendly countries” to adopt clear measures, accusing Israel of continuing practices he said violate . He cited home demolitions, property destruction, settler violence, settlement expansion, land seizures, the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, and the abuse of detainees.
Violence has intensified in the and East Jerusalem since Oct 7, 2023, when the war in Gaza began. The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 1,080 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since then. Israel’s military has carried out near-daily raids in Palestinian towns and cities, while Palestinians accuse Israeli forces of using excessive force against civilians.
Israeli authorities carried out about 538 demolitions of Palestinian homes and other structures in 2025, according to the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Commission Against the Wall and Settlements, which said the figure marked a sharp increase from previous years.
Al Sheikh also warned of what he called an Israeli campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, saying it threatened to disrupt essential humanitarian services.
ICRC warns of humanitarian situation in Gaza
An official from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned Thursday that the situation in the Gaza Strip is “catastrophic,” with residents facing death, destruction and immense suffering.
“It is essential that the ceasefire agreement holds after this phase ends, that humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza, and that international humanitarian law is respected so that the population can try to rebuild their lives with dignity,” Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC delegation in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said in a press statement.
Lerisson stressed that reopening the Rafah crossing is critical for meeting urgent population needs and enabling the entry of specialized materials for infrastructure repair and the dignified recovery of bodies.
He noted that thousands of families await news of missing relatives, many believed trapped under rubble, while numerous others struggle to identify loved ones due to limited forensic capacity.
“There is still much work to be done, and no single entity can undertake this task alone,” Lerisson said.
Meanwhile, senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk said Thursday that Hamas “has never agreed to surrender the weapons of the resistance in any form.”
“Any arrangements concerning the Gaza Strip must be made in agreement with Hamas,” Abu Marzouk said in a brief statement.
The remarks come after US President Donald Trump said earlier that it “looks like” Hamas will disarm.
The US administration in January announced the launch of the second phase of the Gaza peace plan. It includes a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
Hamas has taken a hard stance on the issue. In December, its Gaza leader Khalil al-Hayya said the group would relinquish its weapons “if the (Israeli) occupation ends.”