A/HRC/28/80 I. Introduction 1. The present report, the seventh periodic report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, covers the period from 9 November 2013 to 31 October 2014. 2. The period from 12 June to 26 August 2014 was marked by violence throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and an unprecedented escalation of hostilities in Gaza. The possible violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law and the human rights abuses committed during that period have been addressed separately (see A/HRC/28/80/Add.1). The International Commission of Inquiry, established pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution S-21/1, is due to report on the events between 12 June and 26 August 2014, and will address issues of accountability for violations of international law at the twenty-eighth session of the Council. 3. The information contained in the present report is based primarily on human rights monitoring carried out by the field presence of the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Monitoring activities are implemented within the framework of General Assembly resolution 48/141 and Human Rights Council resolutions S-9/1 and S-12/1. II. Legal background 4. International human rights law and international humanitarian law apply in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. A detailed analysis of the legal obligations of Israel, as the occupying Power, the Palestinian Authority, the de facto authorities and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza are contained in the first periodic report of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (A/HRC/12/37, paras. 5-9). 5. In 2014, the State of Palestine deposited instruments of accession to 20 international treaties,1 including seven of the nine core international human rights treaties (see paras. 67 – 70 below).2 By acceding to these treaties, the State of Palestine has assumed legal obligations under international law, including that of reporting to various human rights treaty bodies. Nevertheless, Israel, as the occupying Power, remains bound by international human rights law and international humanitarian law, while other relevant actors also remain bound by international law. 6. On 23 April 2014, Fatah and Hamas agreed to form a government of national consensus, which was sworn in by President Mahmoud Abbas, under the leadership of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, on 2 June 2014. At the end of the period under review, however, uncertainty remained with regard to the actual power exercised by the Government and the degree to which it or any other authority or group exercised control in Gaza. In any event, those authorities or groups exercising government-like functions and effective control over territory in Gaza are bound by relevant human rights law in that territory (see A/HRC/8/17, para. 9). 1 2 See “Palestine’s Accession to International Treaties Q&A”, 2 April 2014, available on the website of the Negotiations Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (www.nad-plo.org). See also A/69/347, para. 4. 3