Netanyahu calls for the end of UNRWA's mission
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called for the end of the mission of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). "I think it's time that the international community and the UN itself understand that UNRWA's mission has to end," Netanyahu told a delegation of UN ambassadors.
It's the first time Netanyahu has called for an end of the mission on camera and specifically accused UNRWA officials of being complicit in the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel.
Netanyahu also addressed genocide accusations brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), saying many of the charges at the UN’s top court were brought by UNRWA officials. "The worst thing that I can say is this: That many of the charges are false and unfounded, that were leveled against us in The Hague, were brought by UNRWA officials. And we have discovered in the last few weeks that UNRWA officials were complicit in the massacre," he said.
Yep as expected, retaliation against the genocide charges, trying to discredit the reports. Attack the messenger!
Netanyahu also said UNRWA is "self-perpetuating" in its "desire to keep alive the refugee, the Palestinian refugee issue," adding "we need to get other UN agencies and other aid agencies replacing UNRWA in if we're going to solve the problem of Gaza, as we intend to do."
Well ofcourse, you want the Palestinians to go away. Much nicer to have a war without refugees that want to return home. How about stop making more refugees to solve the problem of Gaza and honor the right of return. I guess right of return only applies to Zionists based on 2,000 year old scripture...
Netanyahu said the UN has not been a "stellar organization" when it comes to dealing with Israel. "It's often unbelievably tilted," he said of the agency.
Aww they don't do as you say like the USA does?
More Hamas aid agencies
Israel struck a compound housing humanitarian workers in Gaza safe zone earlier this month, aid agencies say
Two aid agencies are claiming they have evidence that indicates Israel carried out a strike earlier this month on a compound housing humanitarian workers and their families in a supposed safe zone in Gaza.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) said an independent assessment carried out by the United Nations concluded that the damage was caused by an airstrike most likely involving a missile package exclusively possessed by the Israeli military. "The Israeli military is the only armed actor in Gaza with access to this weaponry," the statement on Wednesday said. The strike took place on January 18.
More context: Although officially designated as a safe zone by the IDF, Al Mawasi – a 5.22 square mile (13.5 square kilometer) coastal strip where the compound was located – has suffered several strikes in recent weeks, according to reports from the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza and the Palestinian state news agency, WAFA. The two organizations reiterated that attacks against these kinds of settings violate international humanitarian law. Despite remaining committed to serving the "humanitarian imperative," the IRC and MAP likened the current situation in Gaza however to fighting a "losing battle."
CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment on the claims.
CNN is unable to independently confirm these claims due to the difficulty of reporting from the war zone.
Poor CNN, IDF censor looking over your shoulder all the time.
MSF chief in Gaza says attacks on health facilities are ‘systematic’
Leo Cans, the director of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) for the Palestinian territories, has said that Israel is “almost systematically” rejecting humanitarian assistance deliveries to northern Gaza and that the health system is experiencing unimaginable strain.
“I saw a majority of women and children among the hospital patients. It’s the first time we’ve seen this, even though we’ve worked with my colleagues in other war situations, in Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan,” Cans said in an interview with the news outlet AFP. “For us, it’s clear proof that the bombings are indiscriminate.”
He also noted that assaults on medical facilities have become a common feature of Israel’s offensive. “Since the start of the war, there have been systematic attacks on health facilities, which is unprecedented for MSF,” he said. “In war, these places are always sensitive areas and there are always incidents, but this is systematic.”
More empty words, unless he means it's absolutely vital to keep up the appearance of providing meaningful aid to the Gaza population.
Blinken stresses importance of UN's humanitarian work in Gaza while calling for allegations to be addressed
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the importance of the United Nation’s humanitarian work inside Gaza, saying it is “absolutely vital,” while also calling again for allegations made against UN staffers in the enclave to be addressed.
In remarks alongside UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, Blinken noted that “her mission now could not be more vital." “We strongly and fully support it. We'll be working very closely with Sigrid, with Israel, with Egypt, with other concerned parties to in the first instance maximize the assistance getting in, but not only getting into Gaza, getting to people who need it within Gaza, including in the north," he said ahead of their meeting at the State Department Wednesday.
Blinken went on to say that the UN must “work through the terrible allegations” made against its aid agency, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). “That's absolutely essential, and we'll be looking at to see that the necessary work is done to deal with and address that situation,” Blinken said.
The US suspended approximately $300,000 in aid to UNRWA as the agency investigates Israeli allegations that 13 of its personnel were involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks. The US is among a growing list of countries who have suspended some or all funding to the agency. Kaag did not mention the UNRWA situation in her remarks. She spoke of the “common objective” of “getting humanitarian aid, assistance to the innocent civilians of Gaza.” “They need it. We need to help them sustain. We need to give them prospects,” she said.
US calls for "fundamental changes" to UNWRA before it will resume its funding
The United States said the main United Nations aid agency in Gaza needs to make changes to "restore donor confidence" before it will resume giving money to the agency, the US ambassador to the UN said. The US has long been a leading donor for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), but the US and several other countries paused funding after Israel alleged 13 employees were associated with Hamas' October 7 attacks.
Even though humanitarian aid is desperately needed in Gaza, the US will continue its pause until there are "fundamental changes to UNRWA to prevent this from happening again," US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Wednesday that he was "personally horrified" by the allegations and that the UN acted immediately after hearing them. Thomas-Greenfield said the US appreciates the allegations are being taken seriously. "We know the Secretary-General has pledged to pursue further accountability, including a 'comprehensive and independent' review of UNRWA. This investigation needs to be swift, thorough, and credible," she told the UN Security Council Wednesday.
Oh and what do you suggest? Keep close surveillance on 13,000 workers? US and Israel will never be happy until 1984 is a complete reality. A fundamental change to prevent this from happening again is to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict, starting with an immediate ceasefire.
This guy gets it.
Without two-state solution framework, Hamas won't be destroyed, former Israeli intelligence chief says
Without a two-state solution framework, Hamas won't be destroyed and "will flourish again," according to Israel's former security agency chief. "We have to understand this war is on two fronts. One is the battlefield, but the other is a war of ideas and Hamas will be defeated only on the second front," Ami Ayalon told CNN's Christiane Amanpour during a rare interview from Haifa Wednesday.
"The major defeat for Hamas is a future of two states. And unless we should discuss the future of two states, there is no way to defeat Hamas and to create a better political horizon for Palestinians and for Israelis," he added.
Ayalon went on to say that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't represent the views of the majority of the Israeli people, "and unfortunately, you know, he's leading us." "We shall have elections in a few months and we should find the right way to to a better future," he added. Ayalon said US President Joe Biden's push for a two-state solution is perceived as strong leadership, because "he filled a vacuum of leadership in Israel." He also blamed extremists on both sides of the conflict for leading the region to the current situation.
Addressing the suspension of funding by a growing number of Western countries for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), following allegations from Israel that some of the agency's staff were involved in the October 7 attacks, Ayalon said humanitarian aid for Gaza needs to continue but that perhaps the UN can find a different framework and work with other humanitarian organizations.
That last paragraph rather reads like he has already given up hope on UNWRA being able to survive Israel's smear campaign :/
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