Ƶ

Israel officially informs UN of end to relations with Palestinian relief agency

Update Israel officially informs UN of end to relations with Palestinian relief agency
Volunteers distribute sacks of flour at a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) aid distribution center in Deir el-Balah on November 4, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 04 November 2024

Israel officially informs UN of end to relations with Palestinian relief agency

Israel officially informs UN of end to relations with Palestinian relief agency
  • The Israeli parliament passed legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Israel and stopping Israeli authorities from cooperating with the organization
  • UNRWA says Israel ban likely to cause ‘collapse’ of Gaza aid work

JERUSALEM: Israel has officially notified the United Nations that it was canceling the agreement that regulated its relations with the main UN relief organization for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) since 1967, the country’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
Last month, the Israeli parliament passed legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Israel and stopping Israeli authorities from cooperating with the organization, which provides aid and education services to millions of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

The UNRWA warned on Monday that Israel’s ban on its operations would lead to the “collapse” of humanitarian work in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
“If this law is implemented, it would be likely to cause the collapse of the international humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip — an operation of which UNRWA is the backbone,” Jonathan Fowler, an UNRWA spokesman, told AFP.
Israel has long been critical of UNRWA, set up in the wake of the 1948 war that broke out at the time of the creation of the state of Israel, accusing it of anti-Israel bias and saying it perpetuates the conflict by maintaining Palestinians in a permanent refugee status.
Since the start of the Gaza war in October last year, it has also said that the organization has been deeply infiltrated by Hamas in Gaza, accusing some of its staff of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
The legislation has alarmed the United Nations and some of Israel’s Western allies who fear it will further worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where Israel has been fighting Hamas militants for a year. The ban does not refer to operations in the Palestinian territories or elsewhere.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement that despite the overwhelming evidence “we submitted to the UN highlighting how Hamas infiltrated UNRWA, the UN did nothing to address this reality.”
The legislation does not directly outlaw UNRWA’s operations in the West Bank and Gaza, both considered by international law to be outside the state of Israel but under Israeli occupation.
But it will severely impact its ability to work in those areas and there has been deep alarm among aid groups and many of Israel’s partners.
The Israeli foreign ministry said activity by other international organizations would be expanded and “preparations will be made to end the connection with UNRWA and to boost alternatives to UNRWA.”


As Gaza hunger crisis deepens, where do truce talks stand?

As Gaza hunger crisis deepens, where do truce talks stand?
Updated 35 sec ago

As Gaza hunger crisis deepens, where do truce talks stand?

As Gaza hunger crisis deepens, where do truce talks stand?
  • Mediators have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas negotiators since July 6 as they scramble to end nearly two years of war in Gaza where fears of mass starvation are growing
DOHA: Mediators have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas negotiators since July 6 as they scramble to end nearly two years of war in Gaza where fears of mass starvation are growing.
Through 21 months of fighting both sides have clung to long-held positions preventing two short-lived truces being converted into a lasting ceasefire.
The stakes are higher now with growing numbers of malnutrition deaths in the Palestinian territory casting a spotlight Israel’s refusal to allow in more aid.
With pressure for a breakthrough mounting, Washington said top envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Europe this week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire and aid corridor.
US officials said he might head on to the Middle East.
As the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates drastically, are the two sides closer to reaching an agreement?
After more than two weeks of back and forth, efforts by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States are at a standstill.
The proposal on the table involves a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas insists any agreement must include guarantees for a lasting end to the war.
Israel rejects any such guarantees, insisting that Hamas must give up its capacity to fight or govern as a prerequisite for peace.
“The cold hard truth is that for domestic political considerations neither (Israeli Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu nor Hamas leaders in Gaza have an interest in seeing a swift outcome and a comprehensive ceasefire,” said Karim Bitar, a lecturer in Middle Eastern studies at Paris’s Sciences Po university.
“Both would have to answer serious questions from their own constituencies,” he added.
While Israeli officials have said they are open to compromise, troops have expanded their operations this week into areas of Gaza that had largely been spared any ground offensives since the war began in October 2023.
Israeli media have reported that Hamas negotiators in Doha have been unable to communicate directly with the military leadership in Gaza to approve Israeli pullback maps.
Logistical issues compound existing rifts within the militant group.
There are “technical aspects which are quite difficult to overcome because there is a growing disconnect between Hamas leadership in Gaza and the negotiators in Doha,” Bitar said.
For Andreas Krieg, a Middle East analyst at King’s College London, “the talks are technically progressing, but in practical terms, they are approaching a stalemate.”
“What is on the table now is effectively just another prisoner swap deal, not a real ceasefire deal,” he said.
Hamas faces a dilemma: it is under pressure to secure some Israeli concessions but “on the other hand, it faces an increasingly desperate humanitarian situation.”
“The leadership may be debating how far it can compromise without appearing to surrender politically,” he said.
More than two million people in Gaza are facing severe food shortages, with more than 100 NGOs warning of “mass starvation.”
On Tuesday, the head of Gaza’s largest hospital said 21 children died of malnutrition and starvation in three days.
“Humanitarian pressure is mounting fast,” Krieg said, with Hamas facing “rising desperation among the population, which could force it to accept an interim deal to alleviate suffering.”
But even if Hamas makes concessions, Israel has the upper hand and there can be no lasting ceasefire unless it wants one.
“Unless the United States and Qatar... increase significantly their pressure on Israel, I am afraid that this round of negotiations will fail like the previous rounds,” Bitar said.

Human Rights Watch says Houthi cargo ship attacks amount to war crimes

Human Rights Watch says Houthi cargo ship attacks amount to war crimes
Updated 22 min 3 sec ago

Human Rights Watch says Houthi cargo ship attacks amount to war crimes

Human Rights Watch says Houthi cargo ship attacks amount to war crimes
  • The Houthis struck the Magic Seas and Eternity C cargo ships in the Red Sea, part of a campaign against maritime traffic they accuse of having links to Israel

BEIRUT: Human Rights Watch on Wednesday condemned Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels for deadly attacks that sank two commercial vessels this month, calling them violations of the laws of war.
The Houthis struck the Magic Seas and Eternity C cargo ships in the Red Sea, part of a campaign against maritime traffic they accuse of having links to Israel, launched over the Gaza war.
Fifteen people — including four confirmed dead — remain missing after the July 7 attack on the Eternity C.
The Yemeni rebels claimed to have “rescued” an unspecified number of crew, whose whereabouts are still unknown.
The attacks were “violations of the laws of war amounting to war crimes,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement, adding it found “no evidence that the ships were military targets.”
“They deliberately attacked commercial vessels that could clearly be identified as civilian,” the New York-based group said, adding that “detaining rescued crew members is also prohibited.”
Rebel leader Abdel Malek Al-Houthi justified the attacks, saying both ships belonged to companies serving Israeli ports.
But HRW said the ships had no connection to Israel and were not heading there.
The Magic Seas was en route to Turkiye from China carrying fertilizer and steel billets when it was attacked on July 6.
The Eternity C was heading to Ƶ from Somalia after delivering humanitarian aid for the United Nations World Food Programme.
“The Houthis have sought to justify unlawful attacks by pointing to Israeli violations against Palestinians,” said Niku Jafarnia, HRW’s Yemen and Bahrain researcher.
“The Houthis should end all attacks on ships not taking part in the conflict and immediately release the crew members in their custody,” she added.
Since November 2023, the rebels have carried out more than 100 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, run by a Western naval coalition.
HRW said it had previously found those actions to be war crimes.
It also warned of environmental risks, citing findings by Wim Zwijnenburg of Dutch peace organization PAX.
Zwijnenburg said satellite imagery showed large oil slicks trailing from the sites where both vessels sank, threatening wildlife in a protected nature reserve off Eritrea’s coast.
Oil was also reportedly washing ashore near a fishing community, he was quoted as saying.


AFP appeals for evacuation of freelance staff from Gaza amid starvation

AFP appeals for evacuation of freelance staff from Gaza amid starvation
Updated 23 July 2025

AFP appeals for evacuation of freelance staff from Gaza amid starvation

AFP appeals for evacuation of freelance staff from Gaza amid starvation
  • The French news agency said its freelancers face an “appalling situation”

JERUSALEM: Agence France-Presse called on Israel on Tuesday to allow the immediate evacuation of its freelance contributors and their families from the Gaza Strip, citing worsening living conditions and escalating risks to their safety.
In a statement, the French news agency said its freelancers faced an “appalling situation” in Gaza. A 21-month war with Israel has devastated the territory, a conflict triggered by Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel in October 2023.
“For months, we have been witnessing, powerless, the dramatic deterioration of their living conditions,” AFP said, adding that the situation had become untenable despite the “exemplary courage, professional commitment and resilience” of its local team.
The management statement came after AFP’s journalists’ association issued its own statement saying colleagues in Gaza risked dying of hunger.
AFP said it had succeeded in evacuating eight staff members and their families from Gaza between January and April 2024, after months of effort. It is now seeking to secure safe passage for its freelance Palestinian reporters, despite “the extreme difficulty of leaving a territory under strict blockade.”
The Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the AFP statement.
Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza since October 7, 2023. AFP said the work of its Palestinian freelancers remained crucial to informing the world, but said they now had to leave because of the risk to their lives.
Reuters also works with freelance journalists in Gaza.
“Reuters is deeply concerned about the health and safety of its freelancers in Gaza, with whom we are in daily contact. The extreme difficulty sourcing food is leading to their and all Gaza residents experiencing greater levels of hunger and illness,” a Reuters spokesperson said. “We are providing our contributors with additional financial support to help them and, should they wish to leave the territory, we will provide any assistance possible to help them get out.”


Turkiye, Britain sign accord allowing Ankara to be a user of Eurofighter jets

Turkiye, Britain sign accord allowing Ankara to be a user of Eurofighter jets
Updated 23 July 2025

Turkiye, Britain sign accord allowing Ankara to be a user of Eurofighter jets

Turkiye, Britain sign accord allowing Ankara to be a user of Eurofighter jets
  • Turkiye has been in talks to purchase 40 of the jet

ISTANBUL: Turkiye and Britain have signed a memorandum of understanding to allow Ankara to be a user of Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, in a big step toward securing the procurement of the jets over which Turkiye has been negotiating for years.
Turkiye has been in talks to purchase 40 of the jets, which are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Earlier, the Spiegel magazine reported that Germany had also cleared the way for the delivery of 40 jets to Turkiye, following a positive decision by the federal security council.


Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 21 people, health authorities say

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 21 people, health authorities say
Updated 23 July 2025

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 21 people, health authorities say

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 21 people, health authorities say
  • Health authorities say Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 21 people. More than half of those killed late Tuesday and early Wednesday reportedly were women and children

GAZA: Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 21 people late Tuesday and early Wednesday. More than half of those killed were women and children, health authorities said.
Desperation is mounting in the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts say is at risk of famine because of Israel’s blockade and nearly two-year offensive. A breakdown of law and order has led to widespread looting and contributed to chaos and violence around aid deliveries.
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food in the Gaza Strip, mostly near aid sites run by an American contractor, the UN human rights office said Tuesday.
More than 100 human rights groups and charities signed a letter published Wednesday demanding more aid for Gaza and warning of grim conditions causing starvation.
More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the Israel-Hamas war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The UN and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Here is the latest:
Overnight strikes kill at least 21
One Israeli strike hit a house Tuesday in the northwestern side of Gaza City, killing at least 12 people, according to the Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties.
The dead included six children and two women, according to the Health Ministry’s casualty list.
Another strike hit an apartment in the Tal Al-Hawa area in northern Gaza, killing at least six people. Among the dead were three children and two women, including one who was pregnant. Eight others were wounded, the ministry said.
A third strike hit a tent in the Naser neighborhood in Gaza City late Tuesday and killed three children, Shifa Hospital said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. It blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militants operate from populated areas.
Human rights groups and charities demand more Gaza aid
In the letter issued Wednesday by 109 human rights and charity groups, they warned of a dire situation pushing more people toward starvation. They said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, “waste away.”
The letter slammed Israel for what it said were restrictions on aid into the war-ravaged territory. It lamented “massacres” at food distribution points, which have seen chaos and violence in recent weeks as desperation has risen.
“The government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death,” the letter said.
The letter called for aid to be scaled up as well as for a ceasefire. `
Israel says that it has allowed the entry of thousands of trucks since May and blames aid groups for not consistently delivering goods.