Israel-Gaza - live: UN says evidence of Gaza mass graves must be preserved as five killed in Rafah strikes
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The UN has called for the preservation of evidence of mass graves in the Gaza Strip after 390 bodies were found at two different burial sites outside the Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals.
The Israeli army said any suggestion of its responsibility was “baseless” and “unfounded” and the graves were “dug by Gazans” a few months ago.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said “it’s important that all forensic evidence be well preserved”.
Earlier, the US demanded “answers” from Israel after mass graves were found outside two hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, at least five people have been killed following Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Palestinian hospital officials have said.
More than half of the territory’s population of 2.3 million have sought refuge in Rafah, where Israel has conducted near-daily raids as it prepares for an offensive in the city.
In central Gaza, four people were killed in Israeli tank shelling.
Key Points
Five dead as Israel strikes Rafah
Hamas releases video of Israeli-American hostage
Palestinian civilians were fleeing their homes in northern Gaza
Israeli strikes intensify across Gaza
Gaza mass graves: UN calls for preservation of forensic evidence
Gaza mass graves: UN calls for preservation of forensic evidence
06:41 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The UN has emphasised the preservation of evidence of mass graves in the Gaza Strip after 390 bodies were found at two different burial sites outside the Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals.
Mohammed Al Mighayyer, an official from the Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza, said so far 165 bodies have been identified at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area earlier this month.
They are still examining the remaining 227 bodies to determine their identities, he said.
“We found three mass graves, the first in front of the morgue, the second behind the morgue, and the third north of the dialysis building,” he added.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric yesterday told at a news conference that “it’s important that all forensic evidence be well preserved”.
Citing the UN’s call for an international investigation on the mass graves, Ms Dujarric said it was “unclear” how that would take place.
Hamas will lay down arms if Palestinian state is established, says official
06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Hamas is willing to lay down its weapons and agree to a five-year-truce with Israel if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders, a top official with the militant group said.
Khalil al-Hayya said Hamas wants to join the Palestine Liberation Organization, headed by the rival Fatah faction, to form a unified government for Gaza and the West Bank.
He told the Associated Press that Hamas would accept “a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the return of Palestinian refugees in accordance with the international resolutions”.
If that happens, he said, the group’s military wing would dissolve.
“All the experiences of people who fought against occupiers, when they became independent and obtained their rights and their state, what have these forces done? They have turned into political parties and their defending fighting forces have turned into the national army,” he said.
Israel willing to accept release of 20 hostages in truce’s first phase - report
06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel is willing to reduce its demand for Hamas to release 40 hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza after the militant group refused the suggested deal, local media reported.
Israel was now willing to accept the release of just 20 hostages in the first phase of the ceasefire deal. The hostages should be either women, men over 50 years old and those who are seriously ill, according to the Times of Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet has authorised negotiators team to discuss a flexible approach with the Egyptian team scheduled to arrive in Tel Aviv today for ceasefire talks.
Pro-Palestine protests grow across US universities
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Israel ‘doubly responsible’ for Belgian aid worker’s death, says PM
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said Israel was “doubly responsible” for killing a Belgian humanitarian worker and his family in the Gaza Strip.
Abdallah Nabhan and members of his family died overnight following an Israeli airstrike in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, prompting the foreign minister to summoned Israel’s ambassador.
Nabhan, whose father, brother, niece and son were also killed, was on the list of people eligible to leave Gaza, according to Belgian development agency Enabel.
Mr De Croo described the deaths as “tragic news” during a plenary session in the lower chamber of the parliament, 7sur7 reported.“They have been refusing it for four months,” he said.
“Everyday, innocent people and children are being killed. Dear Israeli government: This must stop. Now.”
Belgium was eager to recognise the state of Palestine, Mr De Croo reportedly said, adding: “This must be part of a peace process, a process of political reforms necessary on both sides.
Over 100 arrested as police crack down on pro-Palestinian protests at US college
04:13 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least 108 people were arrested and four police officers were injured yesterday when Boston police moved to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment at Emerson College.
Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up on an increasing number of college campuses following last week’s arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University.
The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.
The protests have erupted throughout the US at a dozen universities, including Yale, Harvard, along with New York University, University of Texas at Austin and University of Southern California and more.
UN report says 282 million people faced acute hunger in 2023, with the worst famine in Gaza
Thursday 25 April 2024 17:00 , Matt Mathers
Nearly 282 million people in 59 countries suffered from acute hunger in 2023, with war-torn Gaza as the territory with the largest number of people facing famine, according to the Global Report on Food Crises released Wednesday.
The U.N. report said 24 million more people faced an acute lack of food than in 2022, due to the sharp deterioration in food security, especially in the Gaza Strip and Sudan. The number of nations with food crises that are monitored has also been expanded.
Full report:
UN report says 282 million people faced acute hunger in 2023, with the worst famine in Gaza
EU military officer says a frigate has destroyed a drone launched from Yemen's Houthi-held areas
Thursday 25 April 2024 16:30 , Matt Mathers
A top European Union military officer said that a frigate that’s part of an EU miliary mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant shipping destroyed a drone launched from an area in Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels on Thursday morning.
Austrian Gen. Robert Brieger, who is chair of the EU’s military committee, said that it would be crucial for the bloc to “conserve resources” over the long haul because the threat posed by Houthi attacks “will not disappear” due to its connection to the Israel-Hamas war.
EU military officer says a frigate has destroyed a drone launched from Yemen's Houthi-held areas
ICYMI: Bodies found with ‘hands tied’ in mass graves in Gaza
Thursday 25 April 2024 16:00 , Matt Mathers
Bodies with their hands tied and without clothes were reportedly found among hundreds of corpses discovered in mass graves in Gaza, the United Nations said.
The organisation said it was reviewing claims more than 300 bodies were discovered at two different burial sites outside the Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals, some of whom were women and elderly people.
Full report:
Bodies found with ‘hands tied’ in mass graves in Gaza
UK issues new sanctions against Iran’s drone and missile industry
Thursday 25 April 2024 15:58 , Matt Mathers
The UK has announced new sanctions against Iran’s drone and missile industry, Archie Mitchell reports.
Two people linked to the country’s network of drone production, Seyed Mohsen Vahabzadeh Moghadam and Abbas Abdi Asjerd, will be subject to a UK travel ban and asset freeze.
Four companies - Bonyan Danesh Shargh, Pishro Sanat Aseman Sharif Company, Alvand Motorbuilding Industries Company and Moj Gostar Aseman Parvaz Company - will also face a UK asset freeze.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said: "The Iranian regime’s dangerous attack on Israel risked thousands of civilian casualties and wider escalation in the region.
"Today the UK and our partners have sent a clear message - we will hold those responsible for Iran’s destabilising behaviour to account.
"Alongside our partners, we will continue to tighten the net on Iran’s ability to develop and export these deadly weapons."
Israel ‘moving ahead’ with Rafah attack despite US plea
Thursday 25 April 2024 15:33 , Matt Mathers
Israel looks to be readying troops for an offensive in the last remaining corner of the Gaza Strip untouched by heavy fighting.
A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was moving ahead with its plans for a ground operation in Rafah as the Israeli military said that it had mobilised two more reservist brigades for missions in Gaza.
Full report:
Israel ‘moving ahead’ with Rafah attack despite US plea
ICYMI: Gaza and Ukraine wars sparking breakdown of international law, Amnesty warns
Thursday 25 April 2024 15:30 , Matt Mathers
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned as it published its annual report on Wednesday.
The human rights organisation said the most powerful governments, including the United States, Russia and China, have led a global disregard for international rules and values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with civilians in conflicts paying the highest price.
Full report:
Gaza and Ukraine wars sparking breakdown of international law, Amnesty warns
Watch: IDF call for ‘urgent action’ after Hamas video of Israeli-American hostage missing part of arm
Thursday 25 April 2024 15:00 , Matt Mathers
IDF call for ‘urgent action’ after Hamas video of hostage missing part of arm
ICYMI: Hamas hostage’s parents tell him to ‘stay strong, survive’ after video shows Israeli-American alive in Gaza
Thursday 25 April 2024 14:18 , Matt Mathers
The Hamas militant group has released a propaganda video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, showing him alive but with an amputated left arm.
Mr Goldberg-Polin was among the hundreds of people abducted by Hamas and other Islamist groups during their 7 October attack on southern Israel that led to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Full report:
Hamas hostage’s parents tell him to ‘stay strong, survive’ after video released
Palestinian authorities seek probe into mass graves at Gaza hospitals
Thursday 25 April 2024 13:05 , Matt Mathers
A Palestinian civil defence team on Thursday called on the United Nations to investigate what it said were war crimes at a Gaza hospital, saying nearly 400 bodies were recovered from mass graves after Israeli soldiers departed the complex.
"There are cases of field execution of some patients while undergoing surgeries and wearing surgical gowns at the Nasser Medical Complex," the civil defence forces said at a press conference, without presenting any evidence.
Palestinian authorities have this week reported finding hundreds of bodies in mass graves at Nasser hospital, the main medical facility in central Gaza, after Israeli troops pulled out of the city of Khan Younis.
Bodies were also reported to have been found at the Al Shifa hospital in northern Gaza, which was targeted in an Israeli special forces operation.
UN rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday he was "horrified" by the destruction of the Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities and by the reports of the mass graves, according to a spokesperson.
The Israeli military said claims by Palestinian authorities that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had buried the bodies were "baseless and unfounded".
Hamas hostage’s parents tell him to ‘stay strong, survive’ after video shows Israeli-American alive in Gaza
Thursday 25 April 2024 12:30 , Matt Mathers
The Hamas militant group has released a propaganda video of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, showing him alive but with an amputated left arm.
Mr Goldberg-Polin was among the hundreds of people abducted by Hamas and other Islamist groups during their 7 October attack on southern Israel that led to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Full report:
Hamas hostage’s parents tell him to ‘stay strong, survive’ after video released
Picture shows explosion amid Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon
Thursday 25 April 2024 12:03 , Matt Mathers
A picture shows thick clouds of smoke billowing into the sky following an explosion amid Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.
The image appears to show the aftermath of a strike on the village of Alma al-Shaab amid ongoing tensions on the border, exacerbated by the war in Gaza.
Israeli strikes kill 5 in Rafah - Palestinian hospital officials
Thursday 25 April 2024 11:31 , Matt Mathers
Palestinian hospital officials said Israeli airstrikes on the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip killed at least five people.
More than half of the territory’s population of 2.3 million have sought refuge in Rafah, where Israel has conducted near-daily raids as it prepares for an offensive in the city.
In central Gaza, four people were killed in Israeli tank shelling.
Loud bang heard and smoke seen in sea southwest of Yemen’s Aden, UKMTO reports
Thursday 25 April 2024 11:04 , Matt Mathers
A ship’s captain reported hearing a loud bang and seeing a splash and smoke coming from the sea on Thursday around 15 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden, Britain’s maritime agency said.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) added that the crew and vessel were safe and military authorities were supporting it.
Yemeni Houthi militants have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The Houthis said on Wednesday they had carried out three military operations in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
UK maritime agency reports incident in sea southwest of Yemen’s Aden
Thursday 25 April 2024 10:00 , Matt Mathers
Britain’s maritime agency and the security firm Ambrey have received reports of an incident on Thursday around 15 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden, advisory notes said.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) advised ships to proceed with caution and report any incident.
Yemeni Houthi militants have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The Houthis said on Wednesday that they had carried out three military operations in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
US plans to build Gaza aid pier branded ‘smokescreen’ to allow Israeli invasion of Rafah
Thursday 25 April 2024 09:30 , Alexander Butler
US plans for Gaza aid pier branded ‘smokescreen’ to allow Israeli invasion of Rafah
Israel says it is poised to move on Rafah
Thursday 25 April 2024 09:09 , Alexander Butler
Israel’s military is poised to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and assault Hamas hold-outs in the southern Gaza Strip city despite international warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe.
A spokesperson for prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government said Israel was “moving ahead” with a ground operation, but gave no timeline.
The defence official said Israel’s Defence Ministry had bought 40,000 tents, each with the capacity for 10 to 12 people, to house Palestinians relocated from Rafah in advance of an assault.
IDF call for 'urgent action' after Hamas release video of Israeli hostage missing part of an arm
Thursday 25 April 2024 08:27 , Alexander Butler
Columbia’s president, no stranger to complex challenges
Thursday 25 April 2024 08:00 , Namita Singh
Columbia University president Minouche Shafik is no stranger to navigating complex international issues, having worked at some of the world’s most prominent global financial institutions.
At the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, for example, she tackled both the European debt crisis and the Arab Spring.
It remains to be seen, however, if her experience with world conflicts has sufficiently equipped her to navigate the thorny challenges she faces amid ongoing student protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
Report:
Columbia's president, no stranger to complex challenges, walks tightrope on student protests
Speaker Mike Johnson calls for Columbia president to quit
Thursday 25 April 2024 07:45 , Namita Singh
House speaker Mike Johnson visited Columbia University amid ongoing pro-Palestine protests to call for the university’s president to resign and to address Jewish students.
He called the protests “disgusting” and “unnecessary” ahead of his visit. The day before his visit, the UN issued a report that it had found “mass graves” in Gaza, where Palestinians — including women, the elderly, and the wounded — had been found dead. Some of the remains allegedly had their hands bound.
Report:
Speaker Mike Johnson booed at Columbia University as he calls for president to quit
UN report says 282 million faced by hunger in 2023, with worst famine in Gaza
Thursday 25 April 2024 07:30 , Namita Singh
Nearly 282 million people in 59 countries suffered from acute hunger in 2023, with war-torn Gaza as the territory with the largest number of people facing famine, according to the Global Report on Food Crises released today.
The UN report said 24 million more people faced an acute lack of food than in 2022, due to the sharp deterioration in food security, especially in the Gaza Strip and Sudan. The number of nations with food crises that are monitored has also been expanded.
More here:
UN report says 282 million people faced acute hunger in 2023, with the worst famine in Gaza
Hamas releases video of Israeli-American hostage
Thursday 25 April 2024 07:14 , Namita Singh
Hamas released a hostage video showing a well-known Israeli-American man who was among scores of people abducted by the militants in the attack that ignited the war in Gaza.
The video was the first sign of life of Hersh Goldberg-Polin since Hamas’ 7 October attack on southern Israel, and its release ignited new protests in Jerusalem calling on the government to do more to secure the captives’ release.
Report:
Hamas releases video showing well-known Israeli-American hostage
UK needs to see Israeli plan for Rafah offensive, Lord Cameron says
Thursday 25 April 2024 06:58 , Nina Lloyd, PA
Britain has still not seen a plan for Israel’s expected ground offensive in Rafah and the operation would “not work” without one, foreign secretary Lord David Cameron has said.
Lord Cameron, who met with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu last week, echoed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he insisted “we need to see a plan” to protect civilian life, as the Israeli military seemingly prepares for a long-expected offensive on the southern city, where hundreds of thousands of people have taken refuge during the war.
Asked about his talks with Mr Netanyahu last week, Lord Cameron told the PA news agency: “He has made a series of commitments in terms of flooding Gaza with aid. My main message was that we want to work with you to make sure all of these things really happen.
“That we get to 500 trucks a day, open Ashdod port, we open a new crossing near Erez, we have proper deconfliction inside Gaza so aid can move around, we switch back on the water, we make the Jordan corridor work properly.
“These are all things that we discussed and I said how important it was that we really progress them, and that was really the heart of the conversation we had.
“It doesn’t work unless there’s a proper plan to safeguard people in Rafah. That’s the most important thing ... as the Americans would say, we haven’t yet seen a plan. We need to see a plan.”
UK needs to see Israeli plan for Rafah offensive, Lord Cameron says
A look at Gaza war protests across US college campuses
Thursday 25 April 2024 06:40 , Namita Singh
Student protests over Israel’s war with Hamas have popped up at an increasing number of college campuses following last week’s arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University.
The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself.
Protests on many campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of student groups. The groups largely act independently, though students say they’re inspired by peers at other universities.
A look at protests on campuses in recent days:
A look at the Gaza war protests that have emerged on US college campuses
Biden meets 4-year-old Abigail Edan, an American who was held hostage by Hamas
Thursday 25 April 2024 06:20 , Namita Singh
President Joe Biden met with Abigail Edan, the 4-year-old American girl who was held hostage in Gaza for several weeks at the start of the war.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the White House meeting with Abigail and her family was “a reminder of the work still to do” to win the release of dozens of people who were taken captive by Hamas in a 7 October attack on Israel and are still believed to be in captivity in Gaza.
More here:
Biden meets 4-year-old Abigail Edan, an American who was held hostage by Hamas
EU joins calls for independent probe into mass graves
Thursday 25 April 2024 05:59 , Namita Singh
The European Union has joined the UN in calling for an independent investigation of mass graves discovered at two Gaza hospitals destroyed in Israeli operations.
“This is something that forces us to call for an independent investigation of all the suspicions and all the circumstances because indeed it creates the impression that there might have been violations of international human rights committed,” EU spokesperson Peter Stano said yesterday.
Earlier, Palestinian authorities said 300 bodies were discovered at two different burial sites outside the Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals.
The Israeli military said the claim was “baseless and unfounded”.
Israel criticises Germany’s decision to resume cooperation with UNRWA
Thursday 25 April 2024 05:48 , Andy Gregory
Israel’s foreign ministry has criticised Germany’s decision to resume cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) as “regrettable and disappointing”, insisting that Israel had shared detailed information about “many hundreds” of UNRWA employees who were members of Hamas.
Berlin said on Wednesday it would resume cooperation UNRWA after a review said Israel had yet to provide evidence to support accusations made on the basis of an UNRWA staff list given to it in March that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of what it called Gaza terrorist groups.
The review found that UNRWA had “a more developed approach” to neutrality than other similar UN or aid groups, although “neutrality-related issues persist” such as staff publicly expressing political views.
The United Nations is investigating the accusations against the 12 employees accused of participating in Hamas’s attack on 7 October. After these allegations surfaced in January, UNRWA said it had sacked 10 of those named, and that the other two were dead.
Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying that more than 450 UNRWA employees were fighters in what it termed terrorist groups in Gaza.
Riot police arrest students as Palestine protests spread
Thursday 25 April 2024 05:40 , Namita Singh
Riot police arrested a number of students at campuses across the US yesterday as protests over the Israel-Hamas war continue to grow.
Police arrived at the University of Texas, Austin’s campus on horseback and detained at least 20 people participating in the protest, which was organised by the university’s Palestinian Solidarity Committee, according to The Texas Tribune.
The students were demanding that the institution divest from manufacturers supplying Israel weapons in attacks against Palestine, a call that’s been echoed on campuses nationwide. The students gathered at a gym with plans to march through the university and hold a sit-in. By lunchtime around 200 students had banded together.
Report:
Riot police arrest students in Texas, California as Palestine protests spread
Nancy Pelosi calls for Netanyahu to resign
Thursday 25 April 2024 05:20 , Namita Singh
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has called on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, the most high-profile Democrat to do so over his “terrible” actions in Gaza.
“We recognize Israel’s right to protect itself. We reject the policy and the practice of Netanyahu — terrible. What could be worse than what he has done in response?” Ms Pelosi told Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE, during a visit to the country on Monday.
My colleague John Bowden reports:
Nancy Pelosi calls for Netanyahu to resign, slams his ‘terrible’ actions in Gaza
UNRWA 'so grateful' as Germany resumes funding of Palestinian aid agency
Thursday 25 April 2024 05:05 , Namita Singh
The UNRWA employs 32,000 people in the Palestinian territories and nearby countries, including 13,000 in the Gaza Strip, where it is by far the biggest aid agency, running schools and social services for the refugees who make up the majority of Gazans.
Hailing Germany’s decision to resume cooperation with UNRWA, its communications director Juliette Touma said UNRWA was “so grateful”. “Germany has been a very committed donor to the agency,” she added.
Funding to the agency was frozen after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas-led 7 October attack.
A review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into the accusations said Israel had yet to provide evidence to support allegation made on the basis of an UNRWA staff list given to it in March that a significant number of UNRWA staff were members of what it called Gaza terrorist groups.
The review found that UNRWA had “a more developed approach” to neutrality than other similar UN or aid groups, although “neutrality-related issues persist” such as staff publicly expressing political views.
The United Nations is investigating the accusations against the 12 employees. After these surfaced in January, UNRWA said it had sacked 10 of those named, and that the other two were dead.
Israel stepped up its accusations in March, saying that more than 450 UNRWA employees were fighters in what it termed terrorist groups in Gaza.
Israel’s foreign ministry spokesperson called Germany’s decision “regrettable and disappointing”. He said Israel had shared detailed information about “many hundreds” of UNRWA employees who were members of Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs Gaza, and another group, Islamic Jihad.
Accepting the recommendations of the review on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all countries to support UNRWA as a “lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region”.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday that UNRWA currently has enough funding to pay for operations until June.
Germany signals it will resume funding UN agency for Palestinians
Thursday 25 April 2024 04:45 , Namita Singh
Germany yesterday said it would resume cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), signalling a resumption of funding that was frozen after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas-led 7 October attack.
The allegations prompted 16 donor states, including the biggest, the United States, to freeze some $450m of funds, a blow to UNRWA’s operations as it grapples with the humanitarian crisis unleashed by Israel’s assault on Gaza.
A review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA’s procedures for ensuring adherence to principles of neutrality was published on Monday.
In a statement, the German foreign and development ministries urged UNRWA to swiftly implement the report’s recommendations, including strengthening its internal audit function and improving external oversight of project management.
“In support of these reforms, the German government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,” it said. Germany is UNRWA’s second-biggest donor.
Another ex-State Department official alleges Israeli military gets ‘special treatment’ on abuses
Thursday 25 April 2024 04:16 , Namita Singh
A former senior US official who until recently helped oversee human-rights compliance by foreign militaries receiving American military assistance yesterday said that he repeatedly observed Israel receiving “special treatment” from US officials when it came to scrutiny of allegations of Israeli military abuses of Palestinian civilians.
The allegation comes as the Biden administration faces intense pressure over its ally’s treatment of Palestinian civilians during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. And matters because of who said it: Charles O Blaha.
Before leaving the post in August, he was a director of a State Department security and human rights office closely involved in helping ensure that foreign militaries receiving American military aid follow US and international humanitarian and human rights laws.
Mr Blaha said his departure from the State Department after decades of service was not related to the US-Israeli security relationship.
He is the second senior State official involved in that relationship to assert that when it comes to Israel, the US is reluctant to enforce laws required of foreign militaries receiving American aid.“In my experience, Israel gets special treatment that no other country gets,” Mr Blaha said.
“And there is undue deference, in many cases, given” to Israeli officials’ side of things when the US asks questions about allegations of Israeli wrongdoing against Palestinians, he added.
Germany to resume cooperation with UNRWA
Thursday 25 April 2024 04:12 , Reuters
Germany has said it will resume cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), signalling plans to recommence funding which was frozen after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas attack on 7 October.
The allegations prompted 16 donor states, including the biggest, the United States, to freeze some $450m of funds, a blow to UNRWA’s operations as it grapples with the humanitarian crisis unleashed by Israel’s assault on Gaza.
A review led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna into UNRWA’s procedures for ensuring adherence to principles of neutrality was published on Monday.
In a statement, the German foreign and development ministries urged UNRWA to swiftly implement the report’s recommendations, including strengthening its internal audit function and improving external oversight of project management.
“In support of these reforms, the German government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,” it said. Germany is UNRWA’s second-biggest donor.
US army downs anti-ship ballistic missile launched from Yemen
Thursday 25 April 2024 04:04 , Namita Singh
A coalition vessel successfully engaged one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched from the Iranian-backed Houthi “terrorist-controlled areas” in Yemen over the Gulf of Aden, the US Central Command (US Centcom) said today.
“The ASBM was likely targeting the MV Yorktown, a US-flagged, owned, and operated vessel with 18 US and four Greek crew members,” US Centcom said in a statement.
“There were no injuries or damage reported by US, coalition, or commercial ships,” it added.
Separately, US Centcom said it “successfully engaged and destroyed four airborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen”.
The ASBM and UAVs presented an imminent threat to the US, the wider coalition and merchant vessels in the region, it said.
Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen attacked the US ship Maersk Yorktown, an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden and Israeli ship MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised speech yesterday.
Family of captured hostage urge ‘bravery’ from negotiators as Hamas releases propaganda clip
Thursday 25 April 2024 02:21 , Andy Gregory
Hamas has published a propaganda video appearing to show Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was seized during Hamas’s attack on 7 October
The short, undated video showed the 23-year-old missing a lower arm, but otherwise apparently healthy. He was shown saying he had sustained serious injuries during the October attack “after I tried using my body as a shield to protect myself and other fearful civilians”.
His mother Rachel Goldberg-Polin has been campaigning for the release of her son, who was abducted at the Nova music festival and is one of 133 Israeli hostages still in captivity after more than 100 were released last year.
Responding to the video on Wednesday, his parents urged leaders involved in ceasefire negotiations to reach a deal. “Seeing a video of Hersh today is overwhelming. We’re relieved to see him alive but we’re also concerned about his health and wellbeing as well as that of all of the other hostages and all of those suffering in this region,” said his father Jonathan Polin in a video message.
“We’re here today with a plea to all of the leaders of the parties who have been negotiating to date. That includes Qatar, Egypt, the United States, Hamas and Israel. Be brave, lean in, seize this moment and get a deal done.”
Biden meets girl, 4, held hostage for seven weeks by Hamas
Thursday 25 April 2024 00:23 , Andy Gregory
Joe Biden met with a four-year-old American on Wednesday who had been held hostage by Hamas, the White House has said.
Abigail Edan, who turned four while in captivity, was freed by Hamas militants last November after being held for seven weeks in Gaza.
Watch: SNP’s Mhairi Black grills deputy PM over Gaza mass graves
Wednesday 24 April 2024 23:28 , Andy Gregory
White House ‘wants answers’ over ‘deeply disturbing’ Gaza mass grave reports
Wednesday 24 April 2024 22:32 , Andy Gregory
US officials have been in touch with Israeli counterparts about deeply disturbing reports of mass graves being found in Gaza, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said.
“Those reports were deeply disturbing,” Mr Sullivan told reporters. “We have been in touch at multiple levels with the Israeli government.
“We want answers. We want to understand exactly what happened.”
Top White House official to visit Saudi Arabia to discuss normalising relations with Israel
Wednesday 24 April 2024 21:38 , Andy Gregory
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said he expects to travel to Saudi Arabia in the next few weeks.
He is to discuss with Saudi officials whether a deal to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia can be reached.
Mr Sullivan told reporters he was feeling much better after the rib injury which previously saw him postpone the trip.
