When US President Donald Trump first proposed establishing a so-called "Board of Peace" to oversee governance of the Gaza Strip for a transitional period back in September, the idea was quickly likened to a form of colonial takeover. The UN nonetheless adopted a Security Council resolution in November giving its blessing to the board's creation—a vote some member states may now regret. The board was officially inaugurated in a Jan. 22 ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump was attending the World Economic Forum. But Gaza seems almost incidental to its true mission, which appears to be creating a global strongmen's club—led by Trump, potentially for life—to rival, if not replace, the UN itself.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Jan. 2 urged the Israeli government to abandon proposed legislation that would mandate death sentences exclusively for Palestinians in specific cases—for crimes committed both in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Türk stated that the legislation is "inconsistent with Israel's obligations" under the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR). He also raised concerns over the "introduction of mandatory death sentences, which leave no discretion to the courts, and violate the right to life."

Amnesty International on Dec. 18 urged all states to prevent the Portuguese-flagged Holger G vessel, carrying munition components bound for Israel, from docking at their ports. Having departed from India on Nov. 16, the cargo is destined for Israel's biggest arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, and its subsidiary IMI Systems.

The US government on Dec. 19 announced sanctions on two judges from the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, due to their "illegitimate targeting of Israel." The sanctions bar the named individuals from entry into the US, and extends to their family members. The measures also block any assets the individuals hold in the US.

Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Nov. 20 in a report documenting the forced displacement of approximately 32,000 Palestinians from three refugee camps beginning in January 2025. The report charges that Israeli forces carried out mass forcible displacements as part of a widespread attack on civilians, accusations that, if substantiated, would constitute crimes against humanity under international law.

The UN Security Council passed a US-backed resolution on Nov. 17 endorsing the Trump administration's 20-point Gaza peace plan. The Security Council urged all parties to implement the peace plan "in good faith and without delay."

The word "ceasefire" seems like a misnomer for the situation in the Gaza Strip since Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal that was supposed to end two years of war almost a month ago. The Israeli military is still deployed in over 50% of the territory and has continued to shell and fire on Palestinians, killing more than 240 people and injuring over 600 since Oct. 11. Aid is also still entering the enclave at a trickle—far from the levels needed to address a hunger crisis caused by months of Israeli-enforced deprivation—with Israel rejecting many requests to bring in supplies. A UN resolution creating an international stabilization force to deploy to Gaza—a key part of the 20-point US peace plan–is supposed to be ready in two weeks but may face delays over disagreements about its mandate and the timetable for Israel's withdrawal from the territory. In the meantime, the Israeli military seems well entrenched in the 58% of Gaza where its forces are deployed and where Palestinians have been forced out.

The regional head of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for the Occupied Palestinian Territory warned on Oct. 21 that Israeli settlers are increasing violence against Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank. The statement comes at the start of the critical olive harvest season, a main source of income for many Palestinian families.