Today, December 10, 2025, marks International Human Rights Day, on which the world commemorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reaffirming that safeguarding human dignity and respecting fundamental rights remain a necessity for all humanity. This year's theme is: "Human Rights are the cornerstone of our dignity in daily life."
This occasion arrives while the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories are subjected to one of the most brutal and ferocious attacks, amid a systematic genocide, and a comprehensive deprivation of the fundamental rights stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, foremost among them the right to life, self-determination, health, education, work, housing, and living with dignity and safety.
The Israeli occupation forces continue their air, land, and sea attacks on the Gaza Strip, widely targeting civilians and their properties, and expanding their military control over more than 53% of the Strip's area. Since the ceasefire resolution came into effect, the attacks have resulted in the martyrdom of 357 Palestinians and the injury of 903 others.
The occupation also prevents thousands of wounded and sick people from traveling to complete their treatment, as more than 15,000 patients and injured persons urgently require medical evacuation, amid a critical collapse of the healthcare system, and a rise in the drug deficit rate to 55% and the medical consumables deficit to 71%.
The educational process is facing a complete paralysis, while the occupation continues to deprive residents of food, medicine, and fuel, only allowing the entry of 171 trucks out of the 600 required daily, exacerbating hunger, displacement, and humanitarian suffering.
In addition to the suffering of Palestinians inside the territories, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon face increasing challenges that threaten their fundamental rights. Refugees suffer from:
▶️ The decline in UNRWA's services as a result of the financial crisis, which has affected education, health, and relief.
▶️ A suffocating living crisis that includes unemployment, high prices, and the absence of social protection networks.
▶️ Legal restrictions that limit refugees' access to the labor market, especially in regulated professions.
The year 2025 witnessed important developments concerning the nursing profession following the issuance of a new decision that grants Palestinian male and female nurses a wider scope for practice. However, it still requires strengthening implementation mechanisms and ensuring fair treatment that guarantees their right to work without discriminatory restrictions.
These continuous challenges impose a double responsibility on the Lebanese state, the international community, and UNRWA, to ensure that the human rights of refugees do not regress and to halt marginalization policies.
The continuation of crimes committed against Palestinians, and the disregard for the rulings of the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and UN resolutions, reflects a dangerous international failure to protect civilians and halt the policy of impunity.
Accordingly, the Palestinian Human Rights Institution (WITNESS) calls for:
1️⃣ Urgent international intervention to stop the crimes described in international law in the Gaza Strip.
2️⃣ Implementation of the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice without delay.
3️⃣ Guaranteeing the right of patients to travel for treatment without restrictions.
4️⃣ Holding Israeli officials accountable for grave violations.
5️⃣ Supporting the rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and backing UNRWA’s efforts.
The Palestinian Human Rights Institution (WITNESS)