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SvennoJ on 01 March 2024
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South Africa condemns Israel over deaths of Palestinians awaiting aid

South Africa says the killing of Palestinians awaiting aid in Gaza breached the World Court’s provisional orders in a legal case in which Pretoria has accused Israel of committing genocide in the coastal enclave.

“South Africa condemns the massacre of 112 Palestinians and the injury of hundreds more as they sought life-saving aid,” South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement.

“This latest atrocity is another breach of international law and in breach of the binding provisional orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).”

India says it is deeply shocked at civilian deaths in Gaza during aid delivery

India says it is deeply shocked at the loss of lives in northern Gaza on Thursday when at least 112 people were killed while waiting for an aid delivery. “Such loss of civilian lives and the larger humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be a cause for extreme concern,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Lebanon condemns ‘deliberate killing’ of Palestinian aid seekers

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry “strongly condemns the deliberate killing of dozens of defenceless Palestinian civilians and the wounding of hundreds” after the Israeli army opened fire on a crowd of people seeking humanitarian aid near Gaza City. In a statement posted on X, the ministry said the incident fell “within the framework of the policy of mass starvation and extermination of the Palestinian people, which drives them to despair and adds fuel to the fire”.

This “lowers the chances of a just and comprehensive peace” being achieved, it said. It also called for an end to this “absurd war that increases extremism and hatred” and for the establishment of an international investigation committee to determine the responsibilities for Thursday’s incident and ensure accountability.

Yemen condemns Israeli shooting of aid seekers in Gaza

Yemen has condemned Israel’s killing of more than 100 Palestinian civilians waiting for food aid near Gaza City, saying the ongoing “massacres”, including the bombing of shelters and of places where aid is distributed, amount to “war crimes and the collective punishment of innocent people”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the “crimes and massacres against defenceless Palestinian people kill peace every day and foster terrorism and extremism in the region”.

It called on the international community and the UN Security Council to take immediate measures to halt the war and deliver urgent humanitarian aid.

Israel’s military operation has no ‘ethical or legal limits’

Brazil has condemned the killings of more than 100 Palestinian aid seekers and says Israel’s military operation has no “ethical or legal limits”. “Humanity is failing the civilians of Gaza. And it’s time to prevent further massacres,” Brazil’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Brazil has been vocal in its defence of Palestinians in Gaza throughout the war and has repeatedly called for a ceasefire.

Portuguese FM ‘deeply shocked’ by killing of Palestinians awaiting food aid

Joao Gomes Cravinho has joined the rising international condemnation of Israel for the attack on thousands of starving Palestinians awaiting food relief that left more than 100 dead and many hundreds injured.

“Deeply shocked by the death in Gaza of over 100 people while waiting to receive aid,” the foreign minister said in a post on social media.

“Civilians and humanitarian operations must be safe under IHL [international humanitarian law]. We call again for an urgent immediate ceasefire [and] for safe access to humanitarian aid, in compliance with ICJ provisional measures,” he said.

German foreign minister ‘shocked’ by Gaza aid attack

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock says she is “shocked” by the killings of aid-seeking Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli forces. “People wanted relief supplies for themselves and their families and found themselves dead,” she wrote on Twitter. “In Gaza people are closer to dying than alive. More humanitarian aid needs to come in. Immediately.”

“The Israeli army must fully explain how the mass panic and shooting could have happened. My condolences go out to the families of the victims,” she added.

It happened with your help.

EU’s von der Leyen ‘deeply disturbed’ by Gaza attack on aid seekers

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says she is “deeply disturbed” by the killing of Palestinians waiting for food aid in Gaza. “Every effort must be made to investigate what happened and ensure transparency,” she said. “Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for those in need and access to it must be ensured.”

Von der Leyen has been accused of bias towards Israel, including by EU High Representative for Foreign and Defence Policy Josep Borrell, who said she was obstructing efforts to achieve an independent Palestinian state.

Another one, you supported this

30,000 prior deaths weren't all that shocking I guess, shocked by the level of desperation the international community has created.


Aid agencies call on EU and member states to resume UNRWA funding

Seventeen international aid agencies have signed a joint statement calling on the European Union and member states to resume funding to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). Several European countries stopped funding the aid agency in January after Israel alleged UNRWA members were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack.

“We urge the EU and Member States to take note that other aid agencies cannot replicate UNRWA’s central role in the humanitarian response in Gaza, and amidst the current crisis, many will struggle to even maintain their current operations without UNRWA’s partnership and support,” the statement published by the Norwegian Refugee Council read.

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini welcomed the joint statement on X and said, “Resumption of funding is key to keep the largest humanitarian operation in Gaza uninterrupted + to keep our schools & health clinics running for Palestine Refugees across the region”.

EU Commission to send 50 million euros to UNRWA

The European Commission says it will disburse 50 million euros ($54m) to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) next week.

The commission allocated 150 million euros ($162.2m) for 2024 to support the Palestinian population across the region, including 82 million euros ($87.7m) of aid to be distributed through UNRWA and 68 million euros ($73.5m) through international partners including the Red Cross and the Red Crescent.

In a statement, it said it had assessed its funding decision in light of the “very serious allegations” made on 24 January by Israel implicating several UNRWA staff in the attacks of October 7.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini had previously warned that internal divisions within the bloc threatened to derail the funds, which would provide a vital financial lifeline for the agency in coming weeks in light of the suspension of funding on the part of some Western countries.


Serious allegations that have still not produced any evidence. Aren't their laws about making false accusations and libel. UNWRA should be suing for damages if there was any sort of working justice system in this world.


UN probe still waiting on Israeli intelligence backing up allegations against UNRWA

Israel has yet to provide intelligence documents to a UN investigation into Israeli claims that around a dozen staff at the UN agency for Palestinian refugee (UNRWA) were involved in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, the DPA news agency reports.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a briefing on Thursday that the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was currently seeking “to corroborate additional information and to compare the information obtained with materials held by Israeli authorities, which OIOS expects to receive shortly”.

The OIOS investigation started a month ago, DPA reports.

More than a dozen countries – including the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden, among others – suspended funding to UNRWA on the basis of the Israeli allegations.

Palestinian officials have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA.





Palestinian Foreign Ministry calls for sanctions on Israel

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has called for sanctions to be imposed on Israel after the killing of more than 100 Palestinians waiting to receive humanitarian on Thursday. “The Ministry calls for imposing deterrent sanctions on the Israeli government to compel it to ensure the protection of civilians and secure their humanitarian needs,” it said in a press statement.

It also accused Israeli PM Netanyahu of being a front for “fascist” Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

On Thursday, the ministry said the attack was part of Israel’s continuing “genocidal war” and called on the international community to “urgently intervene” to forge a ceasefire as “the only way to protect civilians”.

‘UNSC vetoes costing Palestinians their lives’

Palestine’s ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, says Palestinians are paying the price of paralysis at the UN Security Council. “According to the information we have, dozens of them [aid seekers killed in Gaza] have bullets in their heads,” Mansour said.

“It’s not like firing in the sky to restrain people if there was confusion and chaos. It was intentionally targeting and killing. This outrageous massacre is a testimony to the fact that as long as the Security Council is paralysed and vetoes casted, it is costing the Palestinian people their lives.”

UN spokesperson refuses to point the finger at Israel over food aid massacre

The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is not calling it a massacre. Instead, he called it an appalling incident that needs further investigation to get to the bottom of who the perpetrators were.

During his noon briefing, journalists pressed the spokesperson multiple times about who exactly he was condemning and why he would not point the finger at Israel. He was also adamant that the UN was not involved in any way in this aid delivery.

The UN has said that it had to pause aid delivery to northern Gaza because it is simply too dangerous. And the deconfliction mechanism that they were working on with the Israeli military is simply not working.

They say they’re trying to find any avenues they can to resume food delivery to the north, but it is very difficult until there is a ceasefire.