Israel bans UN relief agency from operating within its borders – POLITICO

The USA has additionally expressed considerations in regards to the laws, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified by citing the alleged involvement of UNRWA employees within the Oct. 7, 2023 assaults by Hamas on Israel wherein greater than 1,200 folks have been killed.

“UNRWA employees concerned in terrorist actions in opposition to Israel should be held accountable,” Netanyahu mentioned in an announcement on X.

Israel and the UNRWA have an acrimonious historical past, which has worsened since Oct. 7. A number of European nations suspended funding to the UNRWA after Israel first alleged, with out presenting proof, that a number of the company’s employees have been concerned within the Hamas assaults.

After most nations resumed funding to the company, a U.N. investigation discovered that 9 workers “might have been concerned within the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led assaults in opposition to Israel.” All have been fired from their UNWRA positions.

Israel has killed at the very least 230 UNRWA workers throughout its navy marketing campaign in Gaza.

The humanitarian state of affairs in Gaza is dire and deteriorating, the UN mentioned Monday, with Israel stopping help employees from reaching folks trapped underneath rubble over the weekend. Famine is imminent within the enclave, with half of Gaza’s inhabitants going through catastrophic meals insecurity, watchdogs say.

Netanyahu’s assertion on X additionally mentioned: “Since avoiding a humanitarian disaster can also be important, sustained humanitarian help should stay accessible in Gaza now and sooner or later.”