The US on Friday (native time) mentioned it was “extraordinarily” troubled by allegations after a UNRWA staffer was fired in Gaza after he allegedly took half in Hamas’s assaults in opposition to Israel on October 7 final yr, and quickly halted its funding to the UN company, information company Related Press reported.
Washington is the most important donor of UNRWA and offered $340 million in 2022 and several other hundred million in 2023. The UNRWA has been the primary company offering humanitarian support for 1000’s of individuals in Gaza within the wake of Israel’s lethal counteroffensive in opposition to Hamas in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 assaults.
In a press release, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini mentioned the allegations in opposition to the UNRWA staffer had been “stunning” and asserted that any worker “concerned in acts of terror can be held accountable, together with by means of prison prosecution”, in line with AP.
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Lazzarini mentioned that contracts with “a number of” UNRWA staff had been suspended and an investigation into the matter was order after Israel gave details about the staffers’ alleged position within the Hamas assaults on Israel. The US State Division, which halted UNRWA’s funding, mentioned there have been such allegations in opposition to 12 staff, AP reported.
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In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice’s (ICJ) determination that Jerusalem ought to stop acts of genocide in opposition to the Palestinians in its army offensive in opposition to Hamas in Gaza, calling it “outrageous”. This got here after genocide costs in opposition to Israel had been introduced by South Africa on the world courtroom.
“Like each nation, Israel has the fundamental proper to self-defence. The Hague Tribunal rightly rejected the outrageous demand to deprive us of this proper,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by The Occasions of Israel.
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Although the UN’s high courtroom on Friday stopped wanting ordering a ceasefire in war-ravaged Gaza, it demanded that Israel should comprise “loss of life and harm” in Gaza and ordered unrestricted humanitarian entry to the besieged enclave. South Africa welcomed the ruling, with President Cyril Ramaphosa saying that Israel’s “crimes in opposition to Palestinians had been laid naked”.
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The World Well being Organisation on Friday rejected Israel’s declare that it was in “collusion” with Hamas and “turning a blind eye” to the struggling of hostages being held in Gaza. WHO Director Basic Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus mentioned such false claims had been dangerous and will endanger the worldwide physique’s workers who’re risking their lives to serve the susceptible.
WHO’s clarification got here a day after Israeli Ambassador Meirav Eilon Shahar accused the worldwide physique of working in “collusion” with Hamas and “conveniently ignoring” the proof offered by the Israeli authorities on the use of hospitals within the Gaza Strip by Hamas.
