UK lawmakers tell Cameron to restore UNRWA funding ‘without delay’
More than 50 MPs and peers called on UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron to restore funding to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA immediately, citing “severe implications” for besieged Palestinians.
The UK, one of the organisation’s largest donors, joined the US and other Israeli allies in cutting funding to the UN agency that gets aid to famine-stricken Palestinians after an Israeli claim that about a dozen UNRWA staff members participated in the October 7 attacks.
The MPs, represented in a letter penned by Scottish National Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson Brendan O’Hara, said they understood the need to thoroughly investigate the claims.
“But the decision to hastily suspend funding on January 27, without receiving any substantive evidence from Israel that justifies such a strong accountability measure, has done monumental reputation damage to UNRWA and risks derailing the critical, life-saving work of the only agency that has the experience and infrastructure to receive and distribute aid on the massive scale urgently needed right now in Gaza.”
British Parliamentarians have highlighted the inconsistencies in @FCDOGovUK Ministers' positions and called on Foreign Secretary @David_Cameron to reinstate funding to @UNRWA without delay. Letter has been signed by 50 MPs and Peers from across the breadth of both houses: pic.twitter.com/OLzrSL5eDZ
— Gary Spedding (@GarySpedding) March 30, 2024
WHO forced to delay another mission to al-Shifa amid Israeli attacks
The World Health Organization and its partners have been forced to “postpone a highly-complex joint mission due to delays” after having three previous missions to the besieged al-Shifa Hospital denied by the Israeli military.
“Repeated denials have not only impeded us from reaching patients but also disrupted other crucial life-saving operations by diverting limited resources,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
“We urge Israel to facilitate a safe humanitarian corridor and a better deconfliction system for WHO and partners to support patient transfers.”
“International humanitarian law is clear: health must not be militarised or attacked. Ceasefire!”
Update on Al-Shifa hospital in #Gaza: @WHO and partners had to postpone a highly-complex joint mission due to delays. Three prior missions were denied. The hospital remains under siege since 18 March.
100 patients and 50 health workers are reportedly still inside the…
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 30, 2024
Israel continues gaslighting the UN
Israel says UN agencies ‘must admit failures’ on Gaza aid block
The Israeli government continues to insist it is the UN and its aid agencies that are holding up aid from reaching famine-stricken Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the defence ministry organisation in charge of organising aid, claimed 400 trucks’ worth of humanitarian relief is waiting to be picked up and distributed from the Gazan side of an Israeli-controlled land crossing.
It said the UN and its agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA “lack the logistic capacity for performing their jobs”.
The UN and Israel’s allies have criticised Israel for allowing limited aid into the enclave, especially its northern region, where a humanitarian crisis is getting quickly deteriorating into famine.
Again, the content of 400 trucks worth is waiting to be picked up and distributed from the Gazan side of KS post Israeli inspection. @UNRWA and @UN aid agencies lack the logistic capacity for performing their jobs. They must enhance its logistic capacity and admit its failures. pic.twitter.com/1vbVO4Z807
— COGAT (@cogatonline) March 30, 2024
Israel refuses to evacuate medical staff, patients stuck inside al-Shifa Hospital
Gaza’s health ministry says almost two weeks into the Israeli military’s siege on the al-Shifa Hospital, there are still 107 patients and 60 medical staff remaining inside.
The Palestinians inside, which include 30 paralysed patients, are sheltering at the Human Resources Development Building without water, electricity or medicine, it said in a statement.
“The occupation has prevented all attempts to evacuate these patients through international institution,” it said, warning the lives of the patients are in grave danger and saving them requires “urgent action”.
Palestinian shot after 30 settlers attack town in occupied East Jerusalem
A 23-year-old Palestinian was wounded by gunfire after Israeli settlers attacked the town of Makhmas, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, the Wafa news agency reports.
It cited unnamed witnesses as saying at least 30 Israelis from illegal settlements stormed the town during the time of iftar, smashing windows of several vehicles and firing live ammunition at civilians.
Three others sustained injuries, as well, and the young man with the gunshot wound was transferred to hospital for medical treatment, it said.
