Switzerland to host conference on occupied Palestinian territories on March 7

GENEVA (Reuters) - Switzerland has invited 196 states who are parties to the Geneva Conventions to participate in a conference next week on the situation of civilians living in the Israeli occupied territories, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

While a ceasefire is holding in Gaza after a 15-month conflict between Israel and Gaza which has left the strip in ruins and more than 45,000 Palestinians dead, Israel has cleared tens of thousands from camps in the West Bank in recent weeks raising fears of possible future annexation.

Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to prepare for "a prolonged stay", saying the camps had been cleared "for the coming year" and residents would not be allowed to return.

"Following this invitation from the UNGA (U.N. General Assembly), I confirm that a conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention will be held in Geneva on March 7," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nicolas Bideau said in an email in response to Reuters questions.

The Fourth Geneva Convention, part of a series of international treaties agreed in 1949 after World War Two, defines humanitarian protections for civilians living in areas of armed conflict or occupation.

The U.N. General Assembly asked Switzerland to organise the meeting last September when the Gaza war was still raging. Similar meetings have taken place in 1999, 2001 and 2014, the Swiss foreign ministry said.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)