UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presented four options aimed at boosting the protection of Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territories, from sending UN rights monitors and unarmed observers to deploying a military or police force under UN mandate.
The proposals were contained in a report requested by the General Assembly in response to a surge of violence in Gaza, where 171 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since late March.
The UN chief stressed that for each of the options, cooperation by Israel and the Palestinians would be necessary. It remained unlikely however that Israel would agree to the proposals.
In the 14-page report, Guterres proposed: - Providing a "more robust UN presence on the ground" with rights monitors and political officers to report on the situation. - Pouring in more UN humanitarian and development aid to "ensure the well-being of the population."
Guterres argued that a political solution to the conflict was needed to address the safety of Palestinians but that "until such a solution is achieved, member-states may further explore all practical and feasible measures that will significantly improve the protection of the Palestinian civilian population."
"Such measures would also improve the security of Israeli civilians."
"The targeting of civilians, particularly children, is unacceptable," Guterres said in the report, adding that "those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable."
UN efforts to ensure the well-being of Palestinians must strengthened, he added, singling out the funding crisis at the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA as being "of particular concern."