Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Report of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on its thirty-third session (11–26 August 2025)

I.States Parties to the Convention and the Optional Protocol thereto

1.As at 26 August 2025, the date on which the thirty-third session closed, there were 193 States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and 108 States Parties to the Optional Protocol thereto. The lists of States Parties to these instruments are available on the website of the Office of Legal Affairs of the Secretariat.

II.Opening of the thirty-third session of the Committee

2.The thirty-third session opened in a public meeting with welcoming remarks by the representative of the Secretary-General, the Chief of the Human Rights Treaties Branch, Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The welcoming remarks are available on the Committee’s website.

3.The Committee reviewed and adopted the provisional agenda and programme of work for the thirty-third session.

III.Membership of the Committee

4.The list of members of the Committee as at 26 August 2025, indicating the duration of their terms of office, is available on the Committee’s website.

IV.Working methods

5.The Committee discussed various issues related to its working methods and decided to continue updating and streamlining its working methods during the intersessional period. It also discussed matters related to the treaty body strengthening process.

V.Activities related to general comments

6.The Committee continued, in private meetings, its work on drafting general comments on articles 11 and 29 of the Convention. As part of the activities that the Committee identified to contribute to the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention, the Committee, with the support of its working groups, decided to continue to develop guidelines on identifying and addressing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against women and girls with disabilities, to complement its general comment No. 3 (2016) on women and girls with disabilities, and guidelines on identifying and addressing violence against persons with disabilities, to complement its general comment No. 5 (2017) on living independently and being included in the community and its guidelines on deinstitutionalization, including in emergencies.

VI.Activities related to the Optional Protocol

7.The Committee examined three communications submitted for its consideration under the Optional Protocol to the Convention. It decided that two of them inadmissible: G.B. v. Lithuania and V.P. v. Lithuania, both concerning the amount of compensation granted for acquiring a disability. The Committee decided to discontinue its consideration of the third, Y.J.G. v. Spain, concerning a child with disabilities who had been denied placement in a mainstream school.

8.The decisions adopted by the Committee regarding the communications were transmitted to the parties as soon as possible and subsequently made available on the Official Document System and the Committee’s website. A summary of the decisions adopted at the thirty-third session may be found in annex III to the present report.

9.The Committee considered matters related to inquiry proceedings pursuant to articles 6 and 7 of the Optional Protocol.

VII.Future sessions

10.Subject to the availability of funding, the thirty-fourth session of the Committee is provisionally scheduled to be held in Geneva from 9 to 27 March 2026, and will be followed by the twenty-second meeting of the pre-sessional working group, from 30 March to 2 April 2026.

VIII.Accessibility of the Committee’s meetings

11.The thirty-third session of the Committee was held in Geneva, with Committee members and the delegations of three States Parties participating in person, and the delegation of one State Party participating online. Stakeholders including organizations of persons with disabilities, civil society organizations, national human rights institutions, specialized agencies and other United Nations bodies participated in person or sent pre-recorded video messages. International Sign interpretation, and remote captioning were available. The provision of national sign language interpretation was discontinued. Public meetings were webcast. No plain language or Easy Read versions of documents were available during the session. Reasonable accommodation, including in the organization of travel for Committee members with disabilities, continued to be provided.

12.The Committee regrets that the United Nations Office in Geneva decided to cancel the provision of national sign language interpretation during the meetings of the Committee, without having closely consulted or actively involving the World Federation of the Deaf or the Committee. The Committee considers that this measure runs contrary to the commitments of the United Nations Office in Geneva under the United Nations Disability Inclusive Strategy.

13.The Committee regrets that a deaf member of the Committee was not properly supported by the Secretariat with regard to his request for the provision of sign language interpretation.

IX.Cooperation with relevant bodies

A.Cooperation with United Nations organs and specialized agencies

14.At the opening meeting of the session, the Committee heard statements by the Permanent Representative of Romania to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva and Chair of the Human Rights Council Task Force on Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities; a representative of the Permanent Mission of Eritrea to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva; a representative of the Division for Research, Ethics and Inclusion of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; a representative of the World Health Organization; a representative of the OHCHR Child and Youth Rights Unit; and a representative of the International Labour Organization. At the closing meeting, the Committee heard a statement by the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.

15.The Committee also interacted in private with special procedure mandate holders.

B.Cooperation with non-governmental organizations and other bodies

16.At the opening meeting of the session, the Committee was addressed by representatives of the International Disability Alliance, United for Global Mental Health, ASPACE Badajoz, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Spain.

17.At the closing meeting of the session, the Committee was addressed by a representative of the International Disability Alliance.

X.Consideration of reports submitted in accordance with article 35 of the Convention

18.The Committee held four constructive dialogues. The Committee considered the initial reports of the Democratic Peoples’s Republic of Korea, Finland, Kiribati and Maldives. It adopted concluding observations in relation to those reports. It also adopted the report on follow-up to its concluding observations, and considered the situation of persons with disabilities affected by the armed conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (see annex IV). A list of States Parties whose initial reports are more than five years overdue may be found in annex II to the present report.

XI.Other decisions

19.The Committee adopted the present report on its thirty-third session.

20.The full list of the decisions adopted by the Committee is available in annex I to the present report.

Annex I

Decisions adopted by the Committee at its thirty-third session

1.The Committee adopted concluding observations in relation to the initial reports of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Finland, Kiribati and Maldives. It also considered the situation of persons with disabilities affected by armed conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

2.The Committee examined three individual communications submitted for its consideration under the Optional Protocol to the Convention. It declared two of them inadmissible and discontinued the third. A summary of the decisions of the Committee may be found in annex III to the present report. The decisions will be transmitted to the parties as soon as possible and will subsequently be made public.

3.The Committee considered matters related to inquiries pursuant to the Optional Protocol. 

4.The Committee continued the process of drafting general comments No. 9 and No. 10, on article 11 of the Convention, and general comment No. 11, on article 29 of the Convention.

5.The Committee decided that, subject to the availability of funding, its thirty-fourth session was provisionally scheduled to be held in Geneva from 9 to 27 March 2026, and would be followed by the twenty-second meeting of the pre-sessional working group, from 30 March to 2 April 2026.

6.The Committee decided to continue engaging with the United Nations Office at Geneva and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with a view to improving the provision of accessible conference services and reasonable accommodation to members of the Committee and participants with disabilities at its meetings.

7.The Committee reiterated its requests:

(a)To the secretariat of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy to work with the United Nations Office at Geneva and OHCHR to restore the previous standard of national sign language interpretation provided to the Committee and ensure that Hiroshi Tamon, a Committee member who is deaf, receives the support necessary to discharge his duties effectively;

(b)To the United Nations Office in Geneva to reconsider and reverse the decision to discontinue national sign language interpretation for the Committee; to engage meaningfully with the Committee and the World Federation of the Deaf to ensure the continued provision of interpretation of both international and national sign languages at meetings of the Committee; and to ensure the availability of at least two interpreters proficient in American Sign Language to support Mr. Tamon fully during meetings;

(c)To OHCHR to allocate additional resources, including extrabudgetary funds, to support Mr. Tamon’s interpretation needs; to establish or expand voluntary funding on reasonable accommodation to ensure access to the necessary support for all rights holders covered by the OHCHR policy on reasonable accommodation; and to ensure the Committee’s operation in a fully accessible and inclusive manner, in line with the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy;

(d)To all the above-mentioned United Nations entities to take the steps necessary to end discriminatory measures affecting the rights of deaf persons and to restore the Committee’s ability to function effectively.

8.The Committee decided that it and its different working groups would continue their work to contribute to the twentieth anniversary of the Convention, including the preparation of specific guidelines to complement the general comments already adopted by the Committee.

9.The Committee noted that, with 193 States Parties, the Convention was the second most ratified human rights treaty. However, it reiterated its concern that the high rate of ratification had not been matched with the allocation of sufficient meeting time and resources. The Committee therefore called upon Member States and all competent United Nations bodies to rectify the situation by increasing the meeting time and resources allocated to the Committee with a third session of at least three weeks’ meeting time. 

10.Remaining concerned about the increasing number of initial and periodic reports pending its consideration, the Committee called upon Member States and the bodies concerned to grant the Committee sufficient meeting time and resources to address the backlog. 

11.The Committee called upon States Parties with long overdue initial reports, as listed in annex II to the present report, to submit their reports as expeditiously as possible. The Committee decided to engage actively, in coordination with the treaty body capacity-building programme of the OHCHR Human Rights Treaties Branch, with States Parties whose initial reports were more than 10 years overdue to build capacity for reporting, and to ensure the consideration of those reports in an expedited manner upon submission.

12.The Committee adopted the report on its thirty-third session.

Annex II

States Parties whose initial reports are more than five years overdue

Party	Due date
Guinea	8 March 2010
San Marino	22 March 2010
Yemen	26 April 2011
Syrian Arab Republic	10 August 2011
United Republic of Tanzania	10 December 2011
Malaysia	19 August 2012
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	29 November 2012
Belize	2 July 2013
Cabo Verde	10 November 2013
Nauru	27 July 2014
Eswatini	24 October 2014
Dominica	1 November 2014
Cambodia	20 January 2015
Barbados	27 March 2015
Papua New Guinea	26 October 2015
Côte d’Ivoire	10 February 2016
Grenada	17 September 2016
Congo	2 October 2016
Guyana	10 October 2016
Madagascar	12 July 2017
Gambia	6 August 2017
Bahamas (The)	28 October 2017
Sao Tome and Principe	5 December 2017
Antigua and Barbuda	7 February 2018
Brunei Darussalam	11 May 2018
Comoros	16 July 2018
Central African Republic	11 November 2018
Suriname	29 April 2019
Fiji	7 July 2019

Annex III

Summary of decisions adopted by the Committee regarding individual communications

G.B. v. Lithuania

1.The Committee considered the communication in the case of G.B. v. Lithuania. The author of the communication was G.B., a national of Lithuania. Following an accident in 2001, he had lost 80 per cent of his capacity to work. He could not walk, as the left side of his body was paralysed, and he was unable to use a wheelchair or wash himself. He thus required adaptation of his apartment in Kaunas, which a construction company estimated would cost €15,379.70. The author’s monthly income was €419.50. On 20 May 2002, he had applied to the municipal authorities of Kaunas for reasonable accommodation. In 2015, he had sued the municipality and claimed, inter alia, €15,379.70 in pecuniary compensation. On 11 November 2015, Kaunas District Court had dismissed his application, which it had considered in relation to the adaptation of an apartment that he had meanwhile bought, also in Kaunas, as he had failed to fulfil the criteria of declaring his place of residence and living there. On 2 June 2017, a municipal commission on housing adaptation had informed the author that it had decided to adapt his accommodation, within six months. On 7 November 2017, following the author’s appeal, Kaunas Regional Court had granted him €5,624, the legal maximum award for reasonable accommodation, and €1,500 for the long delay. On 6 February 2018, the author had filed a cassation appeal. On 13 February 2018, the Supreme Court had declared his appeal inadmissible. In his communication to the Committee, the author claimed that the State Party had breached his rights under articles 3 (a), 5 (3), 9 (1) (a), 19 (a), 20 (a) and (b) and 28 (1) of the Convention by failing to grant him the amount quoted by the construction company.

2.The State Party submitted that the author had failed to exhaust domestic remedies and that the communication was insufficiently substantiated, incompatible with the provisions of the Convention and without merit.

3.The Committee considered that some of the claims made by the author related to facts that had occurred before the entry into force of the Optional Protocol for the State Party and were thus inadmissible ratione temporis. Regarding the alleged insufficiency of the compensation granted, the Committee noted that reasonable accommodation had been offered to him in the form of adaptation of his apartment by the municipality, but that the author had failed to show that he had complained, in substance, that the conditions of that offer had been contrary to his rights under the Convention. The Committee therefore found that the author had failed to exhaust domestic remedies in relation to those claims. To the extent that the author maintained his claims regarding the delay in the domestic proceedings, the Committee considered that he had insufficiently substantiated his claim that the violation of his rights had not been effectively remedied by means of the compensation granted to him. The Committee therefore decided that the communication was inadmissible under article 2 (d), (e) and (f) of the Optional Protocol.

V.P. v. Lithuania

4.The Committee considered the communication in the case of V.P. v. Lithuania. The author of the communication was V.P., a national of Lithuania. In 2003, the author had been shot and robbed by an armed gang. As a result, he had acquired a disability, which had initially been assessed as being at 45 per cent and then reassessed in 2014 at 60 per cent. In 2005, he had lodged a claim for damages under criminal proceedings against the gang members. On 8 September 2006, Siauliai District Court had convicted the gang members and recognized that the author had a right to damages, but ordered that a civil chamber should consider the question of damages. On 5 December 2006, following an appeal by the author, Siauliai Regional Court had upheld that order. On 11 July 2007, the author had sued all the gang members, claiming 250,000 Lithuanian litas. On 2 April 2009, Siauliai Regional Court had ordered one of the gang members to pay the author 50,000 litas. On 31 January 2011, the Court of Appeal of Lithuania had increased the damages awarded to the author to 80,000 litas. On 15 April 2011, the author had filed a cassation appeal for the difference between his initial claim and the damages granted. On 3 March 2014, the Supreme Court of Lithuania had upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal regarding the amount of the damages. In his communication to the Committee, the author claimed that the State Party had violated his rights under articles 3 (a) and (c), 4 (1) (e), 5 (2), 13, 19 and 28 of the Convention by awarding him insufficient compensation for his disability.

5.The State Party submitted that the author had not exhausted available domestic remedies and that the communication was incompatible with the provisions of the Convention, insufficiently substantiated and without merit.

6.The Committee noted that, pursuant to the Civil Code, the domestic courts had considered the author’s individual circumstances in determining the amount of compensation to be granted to him, including the damage to his state of health, the intentional brutality of the defendants, the severity of the injury and the long-lasting physical and mental consequences for the author. The Committee therefore considered that the author had failed to substantiate, for purposes of admissibility, the claims that the decisions of the domestic courts had been arbitrary or had constituted a denial of justice. The Committee therefore found that the communication was inadmissible under article 2 (e) of the Optional Protocol.

Y.J.G. v. Spain

7.The Committee decided to discontinue the consideration of the communication in the case of Y.J.G. v. Spain. The Committee considered that the secretariat had lost contact with the authors, as they had failed, despite a reminder, to provide comments on the State Party’s observations on admissibility and the merits.

Annex IV

Situation of persons with disabilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem

I.Background

1.The Committee has previously considered the situation of persons with disabilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as follows:

(a)At its twenty-ninth session (14 August–8 September 2023), the Committee adopted concluding observations on the initial report of Israel, including on the situation of persons with disabilities affected by the armed conflict and occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;

(b)The Committee has issued two statements about the situation of persons with disabilities in the ongoing hostilities:

(i)On 20 October 2023, in which it called for all parties to agree immediately to a ceasefire and to stop the violence and killings; for the immediate release of all hostages and, pending their release, their security and well-being, including the provision of essential disability-specific support and healthcare; and for immediate, safe and unimpeded access into the Gaza Strip for disability-inclusive humanitarian aid and action;

(ii)On 27 May 2024, in which it underlined the unbearable consequences for Palestinian persons with disabilities of the ongoing hostilities and violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and called upon all parties to cease attacks, violence and hostilities against civilians. It expressed concern about the situation of persons with disabilities taken hostage, killings of persons with disabilities and threats to the physical and mental integrity of persons with disabilities; the heightened vulnerability of women and girls with disabilities to sexual abuse and sexually transmitted infections; the lack of access to appropriate sanitation facilities, safe and accessible shelter, food and water; the heightened risk of family separation, psychological distress and trauma for children with disabilities; the disruption to the education system; the destruction of housing and civil infrastructure; the absence of advance warning and information in accessible formats to enable evacuation; restrictions on or lack of access to humanitarian aid; heightened risks for persons with disabilities of death during searches of and attacks on hospitals; and the food crisis and the associated risks of starvation and dehydration. The Committee stated that it would continue monitoring the situation of persons with disabilities in the armed conflict, in conformity with the Convention, in particular article 36 (1).

2.In July 2025, the Committee requested written information from Israel and from Egypt, Jordan and the State of Palestine in relation to the situation of persons with disabilities affected by the current hostilities and of persons with disabilities seeking international protection. The Committee also invited other stakeholders to provide it with information, notably United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, thematic and country special procedure mandate holders, and organizations of persons with disabilities and other civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, universities, international humanitarian organizations and national human rights institutions.

3.On 13 August 2025, at its 792nd meeting, and on 14 and 15 August 2025, the Committee held meetings with civil society organizations, including Palestinian organizations of persons with disabilities, human rights organizations, organizations of service providers, international humanitarian organizations and the Independent Commission for Human Rights.

4.On 14 August 2025, at its 794th meeting, the Committee held an open dialogue with State Party delegations from Egypt, Jordan and the State of Palestine, which had expressed an interest in providing an update on the situation of persons with disabilities affected by the armed conflict. The Committee appreciated the replies provided by States Party delegations to the oral questions posed during the public meeting.

5.The Committee received no written information from Israel in response to its request. In the absence of such information, the Committee recalls its concluding observations on the initial report of Israel, in particular those concerning article 11 of the Convention.

6.The Committee has not sought or received information from the de facto authorities in Gaza, Hamas. The Committee notes the involvement of Hamas, an armed group, as a non‑State actor in the hostilities. There is no clear framework to define whether human rights obligations apply to armed non-State actors and a lack of accountability mechanisms, which affects respect for and implementation of the human rights of persons living under their control.

7.On 26 August 2025, at its 810th meeting, the Committee adopted the present report as an annex to its report on its thirty-third session.

II.Protection of persons with disabilities in situations of armed conflict

A.Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies (art. 11)

8.Article 11 of the Convention requires States Parties to take, in accordance with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.

9.The Committee notes Security Council resolution 2475 (2019) of 20 June 2019, in which the Council recalled the Convention, in particular article 11 on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, and urged States Parties to comply with the obligations applicable to them under the Convention.

B.International mechanisms and the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

10.The Committee notes measures taken by the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and international human rights mechanisms, including the following:

(a)The advisory opinion given by the International Court of Justice in Legal Consequences Arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, on 19 July 2024;

(b)The orders made by the International Court of Justice in Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) on 26 January 2024, 28 March 2024 and 24 May 2024, on provisional measures in the scope of the proceedings;

(c)The three arrest warrants issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court on 21 November 2024, for war crimes and crimes against humanity;

(d)The report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan, submitted to the Human Rights Council in March 2025;

(e)The conference room paper of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, on the systematic use by Israel of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since 7 October 2023, submitted to the Human Rights Council in March 2025;

(f)The report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, submitted to the General Assembly in October 2024;

(g)The report of the Secretary-General on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Occupied Syrian Golan, submitted to the General Assembly in September 2024;

(h)The conclusions and recommendations of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, in its report submitted to the Human Rights Council in May 2025.

III.Impact of the current conflict on persons with disabilities

11.The Committee has received information about the higher risks for and disproportional impact for persons with disabilities owing to the hostilities in Gaza and the large-scale and heightened intensity of violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October 2023.

12.The State of Palestine faces challenges in fulfilling its human rights obligations in Gaza given the occupation and intra-Palestinian divisions. There are also serious concerns that the situation of persons with disabilities in Gaza has been long and steadily deteriorating, owing to intra-Palestinian division and the blockade of Gaza by Israel.

13.The Committee is concerned about information received with regard to the severe risks to the dignity, personal integrity and survival of women, men, children and older persons with disabilities in the current hostilities. It is also concerned that the situation of persons with disabilities remains marginalized in efforts by States Parties concerning the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

14.The Committee’s recommendations encompass the situation of at least 92,710 persons with disabilities in the State of Palestine, of whom 70 per cent are women and children. At least 22,500 persons in Gaza (more than 25 per cent of persons injured) have acquired an impairment during the conflict.

A.Heightened risks of violence and death

15.The Committee has received information indicating at least 62,192 fatalities and at least 157,114 injuries in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It was previously estimated that some 70 per cent of people killed were women and children. The Committee further was informed about the disproportional risks of death, violence and injuries for persons with disabilities during hostilities, evacuation and displacement.

16.With regard to Gaza, the Committee is concerned about:

(a)The limited availability of and access to specialized and life-saving services, medical supplies, medical equipment and assistive devices in Gaza, and barriers to safe evacuation for health and rehabilitation, including mobile units, outside Gaza, leading to the deaths of children and older persons with disabilities;

(b)Deaths of persons with disabilities in the context of the current famine in Gaza Governorate, starvation, acute malnutrition, deprivation of access to water and subsequent dehydration and disease;

(c)The heightened risk of gender-based violence from within camps of internally displaced persons camps owing to the unsafe and chaotic situation of displacement and the breakdown in protection safeguards;

(d)Indiscriminate attacks, including bombardment of civilian areas, homes and shelters where persons with disabilities live or are internally displaced, such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) school in Khan Yunus, hospitals, medical infrastructure and community-based rehabilitation centres, such as the national rehabilitation Centre that provided rehabilitation for persons with visual or physical impairments;

(e)Injuries and deaths among persons with disabilities owing to the impossibility of evacuation or during evacuation, because of inaccessible routes, lack of safe corridors and the loss or damage of assistive devices, such as mobility devices, hearing aids and glasses;

(f)Injuries and deaths among persons with disabilities as a result of indiscriminate shooting against civilians near humanitarian distribution points, in particular those run by the military.

17.With regard to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Committee is concerned about:

(a)Reports of the deaths of at least seven persons with disabilities out of a total of 979 Palestinians killed in the period from 7 October 2023 to 11 August 2025 as a result of settler violence, arrests and military operations by Israeli security forces;

(b)Reports of persons with disabilities being directly subjected to violence by actors under the control and responsibility of Israeli security forces;

(c)Information about an older person with disabilities who was shot dead by Israeli military forces in a refugee camp during a military operation in the northern West Bank, in 2024.

B.Failure of early warning and evacuation for persons with disabilities

18.The Committee has received information about the increased vulnerability of persons with disabilities during evacuations and the lack of precautions to ensure that evacuation is possible and safe for adults and children with disabilities and their carers or support persons. The Committee is concerned about:

(a)Warnings and evacuation orders, including signs warning of explosive ordnance and text messages, that are not consistently accessible and do not reach persons with disabilities, in particular persons with hearing or visual impairments, rendering their evacuation impossible;

(b)Heightened risks of violence and harm for persons with disabilities, especially women, older persons and children with disabilities, along unsafe evacuation routes and in facilities for internally displaced persons;

(c)Reports of persons with disabilities being compelled to flee and relocate in unsafe and undignified circumstances, including many reports of persons with disabilities having to flee by crawling in sand, in the absence of assistance protocols, and instances of persons with disabilities being forced to disembark vehicles and crawl through mud at checkpoints in Wadi Gaza owing to impairment;

(d)Serious obstacles to the evacuation of persons with disabilities owing to the loss of mobility aids under rubble, the destruction of assistive devices (an estimated 83 per cent of persons with disabilities have lost their assistive devices) or the unaffordability of alternatives.

C.Disproportional impact and deprivation of rights owing to very limited humanitarian relief and the blockade

19.The Committee has been informed that until 7 October 2023, humanitarian aid was distributed from at least 400 locations across Gaza. It has also received information about a sharp decrease in humanitarian relief for persons with disabilities during the current hostilities. It has further been informed that since Israel broke the ceasefire agreement on 18 March 2025, it has imposed a blockade on Gaza, which it partially lifted on 27 May 2025, with only four aid distribution points operating since then, under a new militarized system. At present, at least 9,694 persons with disabilities identified in needs assessments and registered with UNRWA have yet to receive the assistance required.

20.The Committee is concerned about obstacles to disability-inclusive humanitarian aid, in particular:

(a)Severe disruptions to humanitarian assistance and obstacles to access for persons with disabilities to bare essentials, including food, clean water and sanitation, leading to isolation and dependence on others for survival, owing to the adverse impact of the conduct of hostilities on humanitarian personnel and premises, entry bans or imposed limits on the amount and type of humanitarian items, orders to delay or attack convoys or trucks of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, the lack of humanitarian aid in the north of Gaza and the overall scarcity of humanitarian relief available to persons with disabilities;

(b)Discrimination against persons with disabilities in aid distribution, with a high number of persons with disabilities being routinely excluded from aid distributions and women with disabilities in displacement situations encountering serious challenges and obstacles in obtaining humanitarian assistance and increasingly being excluded from community support mechanisms;

(c)Additional physical and mobility barriers, such as rubble that has not been cleared, and the loss of mobility devices during hostilities, preventing persons with disabilities, especially older persons with disabilities, from reaching out to and gaining access to aid distribution points, where hot meals are now provided and to where bakeries have been relocated;

(d)Barriers to the identification of persons with disabilities by humanitarian actors, and the lack of items specifically required by persons with disabilities, notably hygiene kits that include sanitizers, wipes, extra soap, diapers or bedpans, and food for persons who have difficulty chewing and swallowing;

(e)The consideration of assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes, splints and prosthetics, as “dual-use items” and, therefore, their exclusion from aid shipments, preventing access by persons with disabilities to humanitarian assistance and heightening the risk of leaving them behind in protection measures;

(f)The lack of inclusive emergency services in the West Bank;

(g)Delayed and denied financial aid requests, which require declarations of political affiliation, particularly in the West Bank;

(h)Repeated displacements, unsafe routes, inadequate evacuation plans, frequent communication blackouts and Internet constraints, which have made it increasingly difficult for civil society organizations to sustain outreach and humanitarian aid delivery to persons with disabilities.

21.The Committee is concerned about measures restricting the functioning of independent international humanitarian organizations, in particular:

(a)Increased operational restrictions on international and local humanitarian actors, including entry restrictions on humanitarian personnel at checkpoints in the West Bank, the death of humanitarian personnel amid hostilities, and the detention and stigmatization of humanitarian workers, including those working with persons with disabilities;

(b)Prohibition of humanitarian personnel from entering camps for internally displaced persons, which impedes the ability to reach and assist persons with disabilities;

(c)Barriers to the entry of essential equipment and aid, including mobile units for health and rehabilitation, and a quarter of a million hearing aids intended for children with disabilities in Gaza;

(d)Legislation passed by the Knesset in May 2025 entailing the deregistration of international and local humanitarian organizations and re-accreditation procedures requiring the provision of biodata of staff and personnel working at local partner organizations for vetting purposes, leading to closure, non-renewal of registration and denial of authorization of humanitarian operations, to the loss of protection through the humanitarian notification system, and to obstacles for local humanitarian organizations in gaining access to international funding and continuing to function;

(e)Measures, including legislation passed by the Knesset, in effect since January 2025 and its application by Israeli authorities, prohibiting the entry of humanitarian aid procured by UNRWA or where UNRWA has played a role in its storage and distribution; funding cuts, owing to the temporary suspension, reduction or discontinuance of funding by donors, including at least 16 Member States, and/or or strict conditions imposed on contributions; and the attacks on and detention of personnel, impeding UNRWA support to Palestine refugees with disabilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and third countries;

(f)The halting of access to aid from international humanitarian organizations through the centralization of aid in specific distribution points, requiring young people to travel for long distances and pass by unsafe zones where they are targeted by Israeli forces;

(g)The prohibition of transfers of funds by United Nations agencies to Palestinian social and health ministries, preventing the provision of essential services, including health and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities affected by hostilities;

(h)Internet and communication difficulties obstructing the work of international and local humanitarian organizations supporting persons with hearing impairments.

22.The Committee has received information about the compounded impact of the hostilities, the blockade and violence on the rights of adults and children with disabilities.

23.With regard to the right to freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Committee observes with concern:

(a)Reports of physical and psychological ill-treatment, medical neglect and the use of torture against persons deprived of liberty in Israeli detention sites, including persons with disabilities;

(b)The lack of access to medical services, psychosocial support and rehabilitation for detainees with disabilities and restrictions preventing communication between detainees and their relatives.

24.With regard to exclusion, loss of support to live in the community and rupture of family life, the Committee has received information indicating that out of 52,000 persons with disabilities in Gaza who had access to community services through civil society organizations prior to 7 October 2023, only 2,500 persons currently receive any type of support. The Committee observes with concern:

(a)The breakdown of community networks, causing isolation and impeding access for persons with disabilities to individualized support and services in the community, including with regard to education, health, rehabilitation, culture and sports;

(b)The loss of support and access to community services as civil society organizations cease functioning and their programmes end, including organizations of persons with disabilities and service providers whose personnel have been killed in the hostilities;

(c)The large-scale damage, destruction or closure of school buildings, hospitals, resource centres for persons with hearing impairments, and physiotherapy units, including community-based rehabilitation centres in Jabaliya, Beach, Bureij, Dayr al-Balah, Maghazi, Nuseirat and Rafah camps;

(d)The lack of accessibility and the unavailability of communication, including mobile phones, resulting in isolation for persons with disabilities and loss of contact with their families and communities and the outside world, and putting them at a disadvantage with regard to access to essential and life-saving information;

(e)The collapse of support systems and shortages of food and medicines, heightening the vulnerability and isolation of persons with disabilities, including persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities.

25.With regard to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Committee observes with concern:

(a)The demolition order concerning rehabilitation centres and other community centres in Jenin camp, in the northern West Bank;

(b)The further isolation of persons with disabilities, in particular children and young persons with disabilities, and the impossibility of participation in community life, as a result of the occupation and conflict-related violence, insecurity, curfews, restrictions of movement and disruption of community services.

26.With regard to the right to liberty of movement and nationality, the Committee observes with concern:

(a)Increased restrictions on movement and access across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, preventing access for persons with disabilities to services in the community;

(b)The alleged use of administrative barriers and permit regimes, in place prior to 7 October 2023, as weapons of war, curtailing access for persons with disabilities to essential services;

(c)Barriers to the exit from Gaza of injured persons with disabilities and their personal assistants through the Rafah border crossing.

27.With regard to the right to inclusive education, the Committee observes with concern:

(a)The almost complete destruction of educational facilities in Gaza and the use of those that remain as shelters for internally displaced persons, impeding the continuation of any learning process for children with disabilities and the provision of support for early development and growth, including of communication skills;

(b)The exclusion of children with disabilities from school and learning environments, including temporary and emergency learning centres, owing to inaccessibility, security risks and the infrastructural collapse of the remaining education facilities;

(c)The barriers that children with disabilities, including children with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, face to use digital and technological platforms in education, owing to limited accessibility or unavailability of devices and connectivity amid hostilities;

(d)Reports that increased risks at checkpoints in the West Bank are impeding access to higher education, including for students with disabilities.

28.With regard to the right to health, the Committee observes with concern:

(a)Severe shortages of medical supplies and equipment and the collapse of the health system in Gaza, preventing persons with disabilities from receiving adequate medical services, including the use of anaesthesia during amputation surgery, and medication, including psychotropic medication;

(b)The limited availability of mental health services and psychosocial support for children and adults with disabilities who have been repeatedly displaced, have been exposed to trauma owing to the loss of relatives and the destruction of their homes, and have experienced fear and misery in the current hostilities;

(c)The fact that military checkpoints prevent access for persons with disabilities to hospitals in East Jerusalem or other cities in the West Bank;

(d)The destruction of 94 per cent of hospitals in Gaza, with the remaining hospitals only partially functional, and the shortage of medical personnel, owing to targeted attacks on humanitarian and medical organizations, and the acquisition by persons with disabilities of additional impairments in the absence of medical services.

29.With regard to the right to habilitation and rehabilitation, the Committee observes with concern:

(a)The collapse of the rehabilitation system, preventing any type of rehabilitation after surgery, affecting in particular children with disabilities who have been injured or have undergone amputation and who have no access to any type of habilitation or rehabilitation;

(b)The blocking of mobile rehabilitation units, preventing mobile rehabilitation teams from reaching out to persons with disabilities.

30.With regard to the right to work and employment, the Committee observes with concern that there is widespread unemployment among persons with disabilities.

31.With regard to the right to an adequate standard of living and social protection, the Committee observes with concern:

(a)The progressive worsening of living conditions for persons with disabilities and their households, in particular the impossibility of meeting daily needs owing to poverty, damage to livelihood assets and insecurity;

(b)Reports that at least 81 per cent of women with disabilities and households of persons with disabilities have lost their source of income during the current hostilities;

(c)The lack of access to clean water for persons with disabilities;

(d)Forced eviction, demolition of houses and destruction of livelihoods of persons with disabilities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the context of the resettlement process.

D.Exacerbated and intersectional impact on internally displaced persons with disabilities

32.The Committee has received information about the repeated forced displacement of more than 2.2 million people in Gaza, and the exacerbated risks of violence, abuse and neglect for persons with disabilities during displacement. It has also received information about the unlawful use of air strikes and other weapons of war in refugee camps in the West Bank, resulting in the killing and injury of hundreds of Palestinians, the destruction of residential buildings and civilian infrastructure and the forcible transfer of thousands of Palestinians.

33.With regard to violence, including gender-based violence, the Committee expresses concern about:

(a)The disproportional incidence of abuse and violence, including gender-based violence, against women and girls with disabilities and persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities, and the lack of secure, accessible spaces as an aggravating factor of violence and exploitation;

(b)The lack of response and referral pathways that are accessible to women, girls, men and boys with disabilities, the destruction of safe houses and the breakdown of psychosocial support for survivors of gender-based violence.

34.With regard to the degrading conditions in shelters in Gaza, the Committee expresses concern about:

(a)The conditions of overcrowding in temporary shelters and improvised tents across Gaza, which lack accessible and private sanitary infrastructure and separate toilets, causing persons with disabilities, especially women with disabilities and older persons with disabilities, to refrain from eating or from drinking water as a means to avoid going to the toilet;

(b)Repeated displacement orders, forced movement and bombardments, quashing temporary accessibility arrangements set up by civilians, including civil society organizations working with persons with disabilities.

35.With regard to the degrading conditions in shelters in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Committee expresses concern about:

(a)The lack of provisions on accessibility in legislation, particularly in Act No. 4 of 1999 of the State of Palestine, and the inaccessible shelters, heightening risks for persons with disabilities in the West Bank during forced displacement from cities and camps such as Jenin and Nur Shams camps;

(b)The failure to evacuate in a timely manner, and the killing of and exacerbation of life-threatening risks for, persons with disabilities forcibly displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps in the northern West Bank in connection with the operation Iron Wall, and reports of older persons with disabilities being trapped for at least 36 days before being evacuated;

(c)The destruction of shelters and infrastructure, the loss of personal property of persons with disabilities, including assistive devices, and situations whereby persons with disabilities are often forced to flee without their essential mobility aids, assistive devices or medication;

(d)The blockage of roads, the presence of checkpoints and the absence of safe, reliable transportation, impeding the mobility of persons with disabilities out of refugee camps in order to gain access to specialized health services, education services or social support;

(e)The lack of physical accessibility and the damage to the infrastructure of healthcare facilities.

E.Women and girls with disabilities

36.According to the information available to the Committee, nearly a million women and girls have been internally displaced during the ongoing hostilities, the International Committee of the Red Cross has processed 17,036 requests regarding the fate and whereabouts of loved ones, and at least 11,200 of persons reported missing are women and girls.

37.The Committee expresses concern about:

(a)The compounded impact of the conflict on women and girls with disabilities owing to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination on such grounds as disability, ethnic origin, refugee situation, age, sex and gender;

(b)Neglect and gender-based violence, including sexual exploitation and abuse;

(c)The lack of individualized support, destruction of disability-focused services and closure of safe spaces, depriving women and girls with disabilities of psychosocial support centres and community resources;

(d)The neglect of women with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities in crisis response and their lack of access to support services;

(e)Reports that 82.2 per cent of women with disabilities have been cut off from medical supplies, humanitarian aid, health services and adequate sanitation;

(f)The widespread absence of pre- and postnatal care for women and girls with disabilities, placing them at an increased risk of maternal mortality;

(g)Inaccessible and unseparated water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, exposing women with disabilities to risks such as sexual exploitation and harassment.

F.Children with disabilities

38.The Committee has received information indicating that children with disabilities are not being considered for specific protection measures in the ongoing hostilities. To the contrary, children have been disproportionally exposed to risks, family separation, trauma, injuries, abandonment and the consequences of famine, starvation and the deficit of humanitarian aid. It is estimated that as at 3 July 2025, more than 40,500 children in Gaza had new war-related injuries. Other reports indicate that more than 21,000 children in Gaza have sustained war-related injuries. Some 18,000 children have been killed since 7 October 2023.

39.The Committee expresses concern about:

(a)The separation of children with disabilities from their parents or caregivers owing to death or disappearance, depriving children of essential care, emotional support and assistive resources;

(b)Inadequate response to injuries and failed surgery in children with disabilities, including limb amputation in harsh conditions owing to insufficient medical equipment and the absence of anaesthesia;

(c)Reports of psychological distress, depression, panic attacks, crying and trauma on daily basis among boys and girls with disabilities, including continuous crying among autistic children, and a case of a 14-year-old girl refugee with disabilities in eastern Rafah who lost her wheelchair during evacuation and, out of exhaustion, asked her parents to leave her behind;

(d)The lack of participation of children with disabilities in decision-making processes, including those related to humanitarian response;

(e)The deteriorating mental and physical health of children with disabilities in the absence of assistive devices, education, healthcare, habilitation and rehabilitation.

G.Older persons with disabilities

40.The Committee is concerned that older persons with disabilities face disproportional risks and increased isolation and neglect in the context of evacuation and forced displacement. It is concerned about intersectional discrimination on such grounds as age, disability, ethnic origin and refugee status.

41.The Committee is also concerned about:

(a)The exposure of older persons with disabilities, especially those with chronic conditions, to compounded risks because of famine, starvation, lack of clean water, lack of medical supplies, the threat of disease and environmental consequences in the context of the blockade;

(b)The rise in preventable fatalities of older persons attributable to the hostilities and the limited distribution of aid;

(c)Displacement orders that often do not provide sufficient time for older persons with physical impairments to leave an area;

(d)Psychological trauma owing to abandonment of older persons with disabilities by their families in the context of ongoing displacement and their exposure to verbal and psychological violence and abuse;

(e)Challenges for older persons with disabilities, including lack of access to or unfamiliarity with technology devices and lack of Internet services, to register their names on eligibility lists for humanitarian aid, causing further barriers to access.

H.Persons with disabilities in refugee-like situations

42.The Committee has received information about measures taken by third States Parties to organize safe and coordinated medical evacuation and provide health services for Palestinian civilians from Gaza. Health services included more than 5,200 surgeries, over half of which orthopaedic or reconstructive in nature, rehabilitation programmes, trauma‑focused psychological care, hearing and vision services, pain management and the provision of assistive devices. The Committee has also received information about the deployment of two mobile field units to Gaza for the fitting of prosthetic limbs for children and adults.

43.The Committee is concerned about the following:

(a)Unattended requests for evacuation of persons with disabilities from Gaza;

(b)Returns to Gaza of persons medically evacuated;

(c)The lack of mechanisms to allow Palestinian and Palestine refugees with disabilities, through their representative organizations, to participate in public decision‑making;

(d)The overall exclusion of Palestinian and Palestine refugees in third countries and the impossibility of access to tertiary education, work, education, housing and bank accounts and of participation in community and political life.

I.Organizations of persons with disabilities and other civil society organizations

44.The Committee received information about the impact of the hostilities on the work of organizations of persons with disabilities and other civil society organizations.

45.The Committee is concerned about:

(a)The destruction of the premises of organizations of persons with disabilities and other civil society organizations in Gaza and the West Bank, leading to the halting of the humanitarian and rehabilitation services that they provided before 7 October 2023;

(b)The impact on the work of organizations of persons with disabilities and other civil society organizations of the loss of staff members and of technical task forces, leading to a significant decrease in essential advocacy, awareness-raising and overall protection of the rights of persons with disabilities;

(c)The lack of mechanisms established by the authorities of the State of Palestine for participation of persons with disabilities in all decision-making related to risk reduction and emergency plans.

J.Data and statistics

46.The Committee notes that even though there have been efforts to gather statistics – such as those reflected in the present report – persons with disabilities continue to go unregistered and there is limited availability of data disaggregated by age, sex, impairment and other factors. The Committee is concerned about persistent gaps in disaggregated data on disability, which hinder inclusive planning, budgeting and access to remedies.

K.Accountability for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law

47.The Committees notes with concern that persons with disabilities face limited access to remedies and redress.

IV.Recommendations

48.The Committee sets out below its recommendations addressed to Israel, as the occupying Power of the Occupied Palestinian Territory; to the State of Palestine, to the extent of its effective control over the territory, limited by the occupation and intra-Palestinian division; to third States; and to the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations.

A.End of the conflict

49. The Committee recommends that all parties to the hostilities:

(a) Proceed with an immediate, permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and all persons arbitrarily detained, and ensure unhindered humanitarian access and the delivery of massive humanitarian aid to persons with disabilities affected by hostilities;

(b) Cease air strikes, indiscriminate attacks and the targeting of civilians and civilian objects and adopt protection measures for persons with disabilities, including women, children and older persons with disabilities, to prevent further violence, harm, deaths and deprivation of rights.

B.Prevention of risks and measures of early warning and evacuation

50. The Committee, recalling its concluding observations on the initial report of Israel and the recommendations contained therein, recommends that Israel:

(a) Ensure full compliance with i nternational h umanitarian l aw and i nternational h uman r ights l aw in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and remove legislation that discriminate s against and prevents the protection of persons with disabilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory , including prohibitions based on the blockage of and restrictions on the work of humanitarian actors ;

(b) Ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in implementing obligations under international humanitarian law, including taking the required precautions and all measures to avoid and minimize harm in evacuation, advance warning and shelters;

(c) Implement evacuation protocols that take into account persons with disabilities, ensuring that early warning and all emergency-related information are made available in formats accessible to all persons with disabilities, including to persons with hearing impairments, through sign language, and to persons with intellectual and/or psychosocial disabilities through Easy Read and plain language, and that persons with disabilities are able to take their assistive devices and equipment with them during evacuation or, if not possible, to have them replaced;

(d) Take immediate measures to prevent the heightened risks, intersectional discrimination and marginalization to which Palestinian persons with disabilities are being exposed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on the grounds of disability, age, ethnic origin, sex, gender, place of residency and refugee situation;

(e) Address the disproportional impact of the armed conflict on women and girls with disabilities by stopping direct or indiscriminate attacks, taking targeted protection measures against gender-based violence, exploitation, trafficking and abuse, ensuring access to medical and psychosocial redress and safeguarding autonomy;

(f) Take specific measures to protect children with disabilities from attacks, including gender-based violence, abuse and exploitation, ensure children requiring medical evacuation are prioritized alongside their carers and support persons, and allow the functioning of psychosocial support and redress for children with disabilities through local civil and international humanitarian actors, including United Nations humanitarian actors.

51. The Committee recommends that the State of Palestine collaborate with third States Parties to identify children, adults and older persons with disabilities requiring medical treatment abroad and facilitate their evacuation and that of their personal assistants, support persons and/or carers.

52. The Committee recommends that third States Parties:

(a) Streamline procedures for evacuati on to allow adults, children and older persons with disabilities to be evacuated with their personal assistants, support persons and/or carers and to receive the necessary healthcare, rehabilitation and psychosocial support, including assistance for post-traumatic stress;

(b) Cease returns of persons with disabilities evacuated from Gaza until there are guarantees of safety of return and resettlement and there is no longer the risk of harm, torture and other human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

C.Humanitarian aid

53. The Committee recalls its guidelines on deinstitutionalization, including during emergencies, and makes the following recommendations.

54. The Committee recommends that Israel:

(a) Comply with the orders made by the International Court of Justice on 26 January 2024, March 2024 and 24 May 2024, on provisional measures, to ensure the unhindered provision of all basic services and humanitarian assistance to Gaza;

(b) Protect all medical and humanitarian staff, vehicles, including ambulances, humanitarian sites and critical infrastructure, including United Nations facilities;

(c) End militarized distribution of aid and prevent shootings of civilians in areas where distribution points are located;

(d) Immediately lift restrictions on UNRWA operations and repeal the relevant legislation, ensuring the work of international and local humanitarian organizations and their role in the provision of independent, civil aid across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and allowing the participation of organizations of persons with disabilities as legitimate actors in reaching persons with disabilities, for the purposes of aid distribution;

(e) Immediately allow the unrestricted entry of goods and essential items for persons with disabilities, including hygiene kits and assistive devices;

(f) Allow for safe modalities for the delivery of aid, including home-based or mobile distributions led by civilians, including mobile health and rehabilitation units.

55. The Committee recommends that third States Parties maintain humanitarian action for Palestinian persons with disabilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in third countries and preserve the ability of humanitarian actors, including UNRWA and other United Nations organizations and international and national non ‑ governmental organizations, to respond to the humanitarian emergency, including through sufficient funding and operational capacity.

56. The Committee recommends that United Nations and other humanitarian organizations and international, regional and bilateral cooperation organizations:

(a) Implement tailored, mainstream humanitarian aid for persons with disabilities, including through practical guidelines and checklists on mainstreaming disability into the programming, planning, policies and practices of humanitarian actors;

(b) Prevent and respond to gender-based violence in displacement contexts by ensuring that shelters are safe, accessible and equipped for women and girls with disabilities, and by integrating the prevention of gender-based violence into all humanitarian response plans;

(c) Ensure continuous access for women with disabilities to essential supplies, including menstrual hygiene products, continence aids and medical equipment, through coordinated humanitarian distribution channels;

(d) Ensure non-discriminatory access to humanitarian aid by removing the reliance on male heads of household in aid distribution, establishing direct distribution mechanisms for women with disabilities and ensuring that aid providers are trained in disability-inclusive practices;

(e) Ensure the accessibility of hotlines, community contact centres and communication channels to persons with disabilities seeking protection or psychosocial support, information on the fate and whereabouts of their relatives, support for evacuation or assistance with food, water, electricity and other essential services;

(f) Strengthen its efforts to collect and use disaggregated data on disability in humanitarian response.

D.Measures to fulfil the rights of persons with disabilities, including in reconstruction and recovery

57. The Committee recalls the advisory opinion given by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, the conclusions and recommendations of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel in its report to the Human Rights Council in June 2024, the recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in its report to the Council in March 2025, the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 in her report to the General Assembly in October 2024 and the recommendations of the Secretary-General in his report to the Assembly in September 2024, and makes the following recommendations.

58. The Committee recommends that Israel:

(a) Comply with the advisory opinion given by the International Court of Justice in July 2024 concerning its obligations with regard to ending its unlawful occupation of the Palestinian territory and avoiding new settlement activity, including in Gaza;

(b) Focus on persons with disabilities, ensuring that they are allowed to return safely to their homes and are assisted to do so, and ensure the reconstruction of Gaza, in line with its legal obligations;

(c) Ensure humane treatment during detention, displacement and forcible transfer, cease torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees with disabilities in Israeli prisons, taking into consideration the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), investigate all instances of torture and ill-treatment and allow for the immediate re-establishment of communication between detainees with disabilities and their relatives and lawyers.

59. The Committee recommends that the State of Palestine:

(a) Address the rights and the situation of persons with disabilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in all measures, including in the international arena concerning the protection and rights of Palestinian persons;

(b) Fulfil the rights of persons with disabilities in the peacebuilding, recovery and reconstruction phases, including by ensuring close consultation with and the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, including women-led organizations;

(c) Ensure close consultation with and the active involvement of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in all decisions related to risk reduction and emergency plans, and develop inclusive emergency services in the West Bank;

(d) Ensure that reconstruction throughout Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, complies with the requirements of universal design and accessibility in all areas of the Convention, encompassing the physical accessibility of infrastructure and premises, cultural and historic sites, schools, hospitals, community centres, administrative offices, judicial buildings, sport centres, playgrounds and parks and the accessibility of information and communications;

(e) Develop and implement a comprehensive emergency education plan, in consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities, to restore access to inclusive, quality education in safe and accessible environments;

(f) Ensure immediate access to psychosocial support for persons with disabilities affected by the hostilities, especially those who have been displaced or lost relatives, support persons or caregivers;

(g) Monitor and report on the mental health state of persons with disabilities during and after the conflict, in close cooperation with organizations of persons with disabilities, through the collection of disaggregated data and needs assessments, to inform future interventions;

(h) Prioritize the inclusion and employment of persons with disabilities in the recovery phase, and address systemic barriers faced by persons with disabilities.

60. The Committee recommends that third States Parties:

(a) Address, through legislation, public policies and programmes, multiple and intersectional discrimination against persons with disabilities of Palestinian origin, registered and unregistered, and ensure that refugees with disabilities are able to enjoy their rights as enshrined in the Convention;

(b) Promote and allow the establishment of organizations of Palestinian and Palestine refugees with disabilities, and ensure that they are closely consulted and active ly involved in public decision-making;

(c) Ensure that international cooperation is inclusive of and accessible to all persons with disabilities, including through the use of gender and disability markers in the allocation of funds in the recovery phase, and ensure close consultation with and the active involvement of organizations of persons with disabilities concerning the use of humanitarian and development funds.

61. The Committee recommends that United Nations and other humanitarian organizations and international, regional and bilateral cooperation organizations:

(a) Involve Palestinian organizations of persons with disabilities as partners in all humanitarian , reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts;

(b) Strengthen the capacity of local actors and their involvement in developing support systems for persons with disabilities in the community, including personal assistance;

(c) Prohibit the institutionalization of persons with disabilities in segregated settings and ensure that the programmes designed and funds allocated for reconstruction in Gaza provide for individualized support to live in the community and ensure the accessibility to persons with disabilities of all services in the community, including inclusive, quality education on an equal basis with others.

E.Accountability, access to justice and reparations

62.The Committee recommends that Israel investigate and prosecute perpetrators of violations of the rights of persons with disabilities, including cases of violence and gender-based violence, and take measures to provide reparation to persons with disabilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for harm suffered, including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition. It also recommends that the State Party comply with the orders made by the International Court of Justice regarding provisional measures in Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), and with the advisory opinion given the International Court of Justice in July 2024 concerning its obligations.

63. The Committee recommends that the State of Palestine provide persons with disabilities with redress and remedies to the extent possible, including psychosocial redress to address repeated trauma.

64. The Committee further recommends that all parties concerned:

(a) Ensure the accountability of all duty bearers for violations of the rights of persons with disabilities as enshrined in the Convention and other legally binding instruments of international law, including under international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by Israel or the Palestinian authorities (including the de facto authorities), third States and international actors, and including by ensuring the effective investigation of all those reasonably suspected of having individual responsibility for crimes under international law and where there is sufficient evidence, ensuring individual accountability through fair trials;

(b) Apply the advisory opinion given by the International Court of Justice in July 2024 with regard to the legal consequences for all States and for the United Nations.

V.Follow-up

65.The Committee will continue to monitor the situation of persons with disabilities affected by the conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

66.The Committee requests the secretariat to disseminate the present report to the Security Council, the United Nations specialized agencies and other relevant United Nations organs and bodies for their consideration.