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☆ Macklemore criticizes Biden in new song supporting pro-Palestinian student protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Across the US, pro-Palestinian protesters have been occupying lawns and buildings on campuses, and many are requesting that their universities divest from Israel. Nic Antaya/Getty Images Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate on the New York University campus in New York on Friday, May 3. Before police were deployed to campus, pro-Palestinian protesters and Israel supporters were clashing at the school , according to multiple reports. Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images Columbia University students gather for a picket organized by the Student Workers Union (UAW Local 2710) on Monday, April 29. Stefan Jeremiah/AP Israeli flags are reflected in the sunglasses of a demonstrator in front of Columbia University on April 22.

Persons: Macklemore, Joe Biden, ” Macklemore, Donald Trump, Columbia’s Hamilton, Hind Rajab, Hind, who’ve, ”, He’s, Biden, Jon Batiste, Selena Gomez, Annie Lennox, “, Melissa Overton, Nic Antaya, Seth Harrison, Jenny Kane, Chip Somodevilla, Mathieu Lewis, Rolland, Craig Hudson, Emma, Roberto Schmidt, Etienne Laurent, Mike Blake, Spencer Platt, Frederic J . Brown, Caitlin Ochs, David Dee Delgado, Charly Triballeau, Kena Betancur, Seyma, Alex Kent, Joseph Prezioso, Suzanne Cordeiro, Diane Handal, Cliff Owen, Qian Weizhong, Mike Stewart, Sarah Reingewirtz, Jay Janner, Brandon Bell, Brian Snyder, Mike Johnson, Timothy A, Clary, Matthew Hatcher, Nuri Vallbona, Jordan Vonderhaar, Zaydee Sanchez, Cameron Jones, Stephanie Keith, Andres Kudacki, Tayfun, Joe Buglewicz, Fatih Aktas, Michael M, Mary Altaffer, Scott Eisen, Columbia's, Stefan Jeremiah, Selcuk, Seattle concertgoers, Seth Rogen Organizations: CNN, Columbia University, Biden, University of California, University of Arizona, Dua Lipa, Scottish, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Hamas, Protesters, University of Michigan's, New York University, Westchester County Journal, USA, Network Police, Portland State University, AP, George Washington University, Getty, The George Washington University, Israel, AFP, Police, UCLA, Reuters, Fordham, Lincoln Center, Getty Images Police, Hamilton, Reuters Police, Columbia, The City College of New, Getty Images, Columbia Students, Justice, Hamilton Hall, Brown University, Getty Images Columbia University, Student Workers Union, UAW, University of Texas, Low, Sunday, Rueters Georgia State Patrol, Emory University, MediaNews, Los Angeles Daily News, Austin Statesman, Network, Austin, University, Emerson College, Swarthmore College, Bloomberg, University of Southern, Reuters New York, Reuters Columbia, New York Times, Sproul Hall, Yale University, University police, York University, The New School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Library, Seattle, Trump Locations: Gaza, Israel, University of California Los Angeles, Palestine, Dua, Ann Arbor , Michigan, New York, Westchester, Portland , Oregon, Washington ,, Portland, The, Los Angeles, AFP, The City College of New York, Columbia, Columbia's, Providence , Rhode Island, Texas, Austin, New, Rueters Georgia, Atlanta, Getty Images Texas, Boston, Swarthmore , Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, Berkeley, Sproul, Anadolu, New Haven , Connecticut, Cambridge, Washington

☆ UN’s top court rejects call for Germany to immediately halt arms exports to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The United Nations’ top court struck down a demand by Nicaragua that Germany immediately halt its arms exports to Israel on Tuesday, saying it cannot issue emergency measures against Berlin under the current circumstances. However, the court also rejected Germany’s demand to strike the lawsuit from its list, meaning the case will now move on. The ruling on Tuesday only concerned whether or not Berlin should be ordered to immediately stop selling arms to Israel. Germany “welcomed the ICJ ruling” according to a statement posted by the German Foreign Ministry on X shortly after the announcement. The ICJ is still considering whether Israel is guilty of violating the Genocide Convention, a legal process that could take years.

Persons: “, Nawaf Salam, Salam, Netherlands Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, Alain, Piroschka Van De Wouw, Germany “, Israel, CNN’s Abel Alvarado, Tamar Michaelis Organizations: CNN, United Nations ’, Berlin, International Court of Justice, The Hague, Reading, Central, Israel, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Reuters, UN, German Foreign Ministry Locations: Nicaragua, Germany, Israel, The, Netherlands, Berlin, Gaza, Central American, Nicaraguan, Reuters Germany, South Africa

☆ Here’s what aid the House would provide Israel, Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Katie Lobosco | Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —House Republicans released the text of three bills Wednesday that would provide aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific region, with the latter intended to help deter Chinese aggression in the area. Taken together, the House bills add up to about $95 billion in aid – the same amount the Senate bill included – with an adjustment that $10 billion in Ukraine economic assistance is in the form of a repayable loan, CNN has reported. Nearly $14 billion included in the bill would help Ukraine buy advanced weapons systems and other defense equipment. The Senate bill, by comparison, would provide $14.1 billion in assistance to Israel, including funds for missile defense systems and foreign military financing to help Israel reestablish territorial security and deterrence, and $9.2 billion in humanitarian aid. The Senate bill contained very similar provisions to bolster security in the region.

Persons: Joe Biden, Here’s what’s, Russia –, Israel, CNN’s Lauren Fox, Haley Talbot, Melanie Zanona Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, CNN, House Republicans, Ukraine, Israel, House, Foreign, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Senate Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Russia, Iran, Taiwan

☆ 'Uncommitted' Democrats may dump Biden over the war in Gaza. They say it's not their fault if Trump wins.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

AdvertisementFor the leading voices in the uncommitted movement, that's missing the point — and it's insulting. The "Listen to Michigan" campaign was originally conceived in a memo drafted by Waleed Shahid, a progressive strategist and former spokesman for the left-wing group Justice Democrats. "There is an entire menu of things that President Biden could do to move in the direction of discontinuing the funding of the killing," he said. What uncommitted voters are ultimately looking for is a sense of seriousness and clarity that they feel has been lacking from Biden. Uncommitted movement organizers do not seem to be taking glee in embarrassing Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Layla Elabed, Abbas Alawieh, Donald Trump, Mitch Landrieu, uncommitted, Trump, Abdullah Hammoud, Waleed Shahid, Jeff Kowalsky, Rashida Tlaib, —, Cori Bush, Missouri —, Elabed, Mayor Hammoud, that's, Hammoud, haven't, I've, James Zogby, We're, Alawieh, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Andy Levin, Zogby, Ronald Reagan, Menachem Begin, Seth Meyers, he's, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Service, Democratic, Democratic National Convention, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Dearborn, Biden, Movement, Michigan, Democrats, Getty, Democratic Party, Trump, Arab American Institute and, Union, UN, Democrat, Israel Locations: Gaza, Detroit, Michigan, Israel, American, United States, Dearborn, AFP, Missouri, Dearborn Heights, Hamtramck, —, Biden's, Arab, Chicago, Paterson, Rafah, Beirut, New York

☆ U.N. Peacekeepers Injured in Lebanon Blast as Tensions Rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Euan Ward | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The Israeli authorities have denied blocking UNRWA, but Israel and the aid agency have been locked in a dispute over not only responsibility for the crisis, but also the status of UNRWA itself. UNRWA suspended the staff members and opened an investigation, but some of its biggest donors have since suspended funding. U.N. officials and international aid groups have reported severe and deadly malnutrition in Gaza and have blamed Israel, which inspects every truckload aid. In some cases, crowds of people have swarmed the trucks, stripping them of supplies. The World Food Program said that only 11 of its convoys carrying food had reached the north since the start of the year.

Persons: Philippe Lazzarini, Israel, Lazzarini, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Natalia Kanem, “ Organizations: Nations, International Court of Justice, United Nations, UNRWA, “, Food Program Locations: Israel, Gaza, The Hague

☆ Israel to Attend New Ceasefire Talks as UN Says Gaza Hunger Crisis Worsens
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

DOHA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The main U.N. aid agency operating in Gaza said on Saturday that acute malnutrition is rising more quickly in the north of the enclave as Israel prepared to send a delegation to Qatar for new ceasefire talks. Israel said on Friday it would send a delegation to Qatar for more talks with mediators after its enemy Hamas presented a new proposal for a ceasefire with an exchange of hostages and prisoners. Israel's ground and air campaign has killed more than 31,500 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Israel says it puts no limit on humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and blames slow aid delivery on incapacity or inefficiency among U.N. agencies. Air and sea relief deliveries into Gaza have started, but aid agencies say these are no substitute for bringing in supplies by land.

Persons: David Barnea, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ramadan, Olaf Scholz, Jordan, Andrew Mills, Angus McDowall, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: The United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Hamas, Air, Maayan Locations: DOHA, JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Rafah, Cyprus, United States, Doha, Jerusalem

☆ First ship carrying aid approaches Gaza Strip as Israel accused of stalling supplies
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Dalya Al Masri | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Video footage from the AFP news agency showed the ship visible off the shore of the Gaza Strip on Friday morning London time. Israel last year agreed to work with Cyprus in setting up an aid corridor across the sea between the European Union member and the Gaza Strip. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid and food supplies at the Kerem Shalom Crossing on the Israel-Gaza border. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesA spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said it continues to expand its efforts to enable the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Earlier this month, Refugees International released a report that alleges that Israel is obstructing the entry of life-saving supplies into the Gaza Strip.

Persons: —, Juliette Touma, Ahmad Hasaballah, Nebal Farsakh, Farsakh, Israel, Touma, Menahem Kahana, Philippe Lazzarini, Jesse Marks, Jordan, José Andrés, Jose Andres, Sen, Chris Coons, Peter Welch, Andres, Chip Somodevilla Organizations: Afp, Getty, AFP, European Union, Israeli Foreign Ministry, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, CNBC, Palestinian Health Ministry, Palestine Red Crescent Society, West Bank, Bloomberg, Israel Defense Forces, United Arab Emirates, ., IDF, Palestinian, Refugees International, UN, Gaza, Arms, U.S, Capitol Locations: Cypriot, Larnaca, Gaza, Spanish, Cyprus, Israel, Rafah, Egypt, Palestine, Israeli, Kerem, U.S, United States, Israel's, Morocco, Israel's Ben Gurion, WASHINGTON, DC, Washington ,

☆ Israeli forces claim to assassinate a Hamas commander in a strike on a U.N. aid warehouse in Rafah.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Anushka Patil | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Israeli military confirmed that it had bombed an aid warehouse in Rafah in southern Gaza on Wednesday, saying it had “precisely targeted” and killed a Hamas commander in an attack that the United Nations said also killed at least one aid worker and injured 22 others. The Israeli military said the Hamas commander, whom it identified as Muhammad Abu Hasna, was “involved in taking control of humanitarian aid” and coordinating “the activities of various Hamas units.”UNRWA, the U.N. agency that supports Palestinians, said the strike in Gaza’s southernmost city hit one of its facilities that serves as both an aid warehouse and a food distribution center. The agency, formally the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, is the largest provider of aid on the ground in Gaza and the chief lifeline for the enclave’s 2.2 million residents, more than half of whom have been forced by Israeli military orders or fighting to cram into Rafah. The UNRWA facility was not distributing food to civilians on Wednesday, but more than 50 staff members were working at the facility when it was hit by Israeli forces around noon, according to Juliette Touma, an UNRWA spokeswoman. Physical damage to the facility appeared to be minimal, but the human toll was “quite high” and some of the 22 wounded aid workers were “severely injured,” she said.

Persons: Muhammad Abu Hasna, Juliette Touma, “, ” Organizations: United Nations, UNRWA, United Nations Relief, Works Agency Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Gaza’s

☆ This Ramadan, American Muslims say they feel urgent need to send aid to Gaza as threat of mass starvation looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Monica Haider | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

On Friday, the European Union announced it’s opening an emergency maritime aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza with allies including the US. The day prior, President Joe Biden announced the US Military is planning to build a temporary port along the Gaza coast to try to deliver much-needed humanitarian relief. In 2023, the nonprofit Islamic Relief raised more than $30 million in online donations during Ramadan, according to a spokesman for the organization. The charity, Human Appeal, has provided humanitarian relief in Gaza since 1991, according to Samina Taj, the organization’s associate director of communications. Since the start of the war in Gaza, Taj said their teams have mobilized to try to meet the desperate need for aid.

Persons: Nadia Duwaik, Duwaik, Joe Biden, Israel, Rashid, Dawoud Abo, Jad Shaheen, they’re, ”, ” Duwaik, she’s, Awrad Saleh, “, ” Saleh, Khan, It’s, it’s, Allah, Nasma, Shehadeh, ” Shehadeh, Ashraf Amra, Taj, Ramadan, Noor Traina, Traina Organizations: CNN, Ministry of Health, United Nations, European Union, Military, Dawoud Abo Alkas, Anadolu Agency, Getty, West Bank, Palestinian Children’s Relief, United Nations Agency, Islamic Relief, Islamic, The United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees Locations: Israel, Gaza, United, Cyprus, al, Gaza City, Palestinian American, West, Palestine, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Bethlehem, New York, East, Egypt, Washington , DC, Libya

☆ Plan to Deliver Aid by Sea Faces Big Hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

“It constitutes tacit consent and encouragement on the part of the governments of Canada and Sweden to continue to ignore the involvement of UNRWA employees in terrorist activity,” the statement said. In a government statement on Saturday, Sweden said that it would disburse a conditional first payment of some $20 million. The United Nations has also commissioned an external review. The United States and other countries announced plans this week to try to get aid into northern Gaza by sea through the Mediterranean coast. In recent weeks, nations have been sending in aid via airdrops attached to parachutes.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ” Philippe Lazzarini, Aaron Boxerman Organizations: United Nations, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNRWA, Nations, European Union, United, Palestinian Locations: Canada, Sweden, Gaza, Israel, United States, Jerusalem

☆ Israel Hamas War: Latest Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Distribution of humanitarian aid from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, in Rafah, Gaza, earlier this week. But aid workers say that the maritime project is not ambitious enough to alleviate the humanitarian disaster unfolding as Israel continues to bombard the Gaza Strip. The floating pier, General Ryder said, would be built and assembled alongside an Army ship off the Gaza coast. Israeli officials have denied they are hampering the flow of aid, saying the United Nations and aid groups are responsible for any backlogs. “We want to see the amount of aid going via land increase significantly,” General Ryder said.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, Pat Ryder, General Ryder, Sigrid Kaag, “, Israel, ” General Ryder, “ We’re, ” Organizations: United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Pentagon, U.S ., 7th Transportation Brigade, Base, Army, Defense, U.S . Army, . Security Council, Israel ., United Nations, ” Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Eustis, Va, Norfolk, Egypt, Kerem, Israel, United, U.S, ”

☆ Middle East Crisis Head of U.N. Aid Agency Says Israel Is Trying to Undermine Its Work
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

He warned on Monday that the worst might be yet to come in Gaza if humanitarian services collapse. The head of the United Nations agency providing aid for Palestinians in Gaza has said that his organization was being targeted with a “deliberate and concerted campaign” to undermine its operations when its services are most needed. Israel’s accusations in January prompted 16 donor countries, including the United States, to suspend about $450 million in funding. The court, the United Nations’ highest judicial body, has ordered Israel to take immediate steps to facilitate the aid Gaza desperately needs and is weighing whether Israel has committed genocide in its war in Gaza. Israel has a long history of friction with UNRWA, which was founded in 1949 and is one of the oldest U.N. agencies.

Persons: Philippe Lazzarini, Lazzarini, Israel, ”, ” Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu, Matthew Miller, Biden, “ Organizations: UNRWA, United Nations, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, General Assembly, International Court of Justice, Palestinian, U.S . State Department Locations: Geneva, Gaza, New York, Israel, United States

☆ Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh resigns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh speaks during a press conference after several key donor countries halted funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in the West Bank city of Ramallah on January 28, 2024, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Monday he was resigning to allow for the formation of a broad consensus among Palestinians about political arrangements following Israel's war against the Islamist group Hamas in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority, formed 30 years ago under the interim Oslo peace accords, exercises limited governance over parts of the occupied West Bank but lost power in Gaza following a struggle with Hamas in 2007. A senior Hamas official said the move had to be followed by a broader agreement on governance for the Palestinians. So far, almost 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza fighting, according to Palestinian health authorities, and almost the entire population has been driven from their homes.

Persons: Mohammad Shtayyeh, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas, Fatah, Sami Abu Zuhri Organizations: Palestinian, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, West Bank, Hamas, Gaza . Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Reuters Locations: Ramallah, Israel, Gaza ., Gaza, Palestine, Oslo, Moscow

☆ Israel Presents Video Allegedly Showing UN Aid Worker Taking Body of Israeli on Oct. 7
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A video made public by Israeli officials allegedly shows a U.N. relief worker loading the limp body of a shot Israeli man into the back of an SUV and driving away from a southern Israeli village during Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border attack. Jonathan Fowler, an UNRWA spokesperson, said in response to the video: "It is not possible for UNRWA to verify the footage or photographs and ascertain who the person is. In the CCTV footage, a white SUV drives into Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the communities hardest hit on Oct. 7. A screen shot of the video was posted on X by an Israeli military spokesperson and a clip of it was posted by a Foreign Ministry official. Reuters did not and could not independently verify the identities of the men in the video.

Persons: Faisal Ali Mussalem Al Naami, Jonathan Fowler, Kibbutz, Yoav Gallant, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Giles Elgood Organizations: Washington Post, United Nations Relief Works Agency, UNRWA, UN, Be'eri, Foreign Ministry, Reuters, Israeli Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, Kibbutz Be'eri

☆ Biden and Jordanian king look to move Israel-Hamas war to a new phase
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden and King Abdullah II of Jordan met Monday aiming to figure out how to move the Israel-Hamas war into a new phase in which Israeli hostages are released and fighting stops for a prolonged period of time. “The key elements of the deal are on the table,” Biden said while addressing reporters alongside the king at the White House. “We cannot stand by and let this continue,” the Jordanian king told reporters. The president’s supporters have frequently pointed to the Israel-Hamas war as evidence of Biden’s mental faculties being in good shape. The Jordanian and Egyptian governments have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, while Biden has resisted making a similar call.

Persons: Joe Biden, King Abdullah II, Jordan, ” Biden, I’ve, “, Biden, Abdullah, ”, ” Abdullah, Robert Hur’s, Biden’s amped, King Abdullah, Kamala Harris, Hur, ” Harris, Daniel Goldman, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Blinken, CNN’s MJ Lee, Priscilla Alvarez, Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak Organizations: Washington CNN, White, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, United Nations, Wing, Biden, Democratic, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israeli, US, CNN Locations: Israel, United States, Gaza, Rafah, Jordanian, “, New York, Jordan, Egypt, Amman, Gaza’s Al, Ahli, Iran

☆ Tunnel complex with rows of computer servers discovered under UN aid agency HQ in Gaza, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it discovered a Hamas complex under a UN agency HQ in Gaza. AdvertisementThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it discovered a Hamas complex under a UN aid agency's headquarters in Gaza. An Israeli soldier gestured in what the military described as a Hamas command tunnel running partly under UNRWA headquarters. The WSJ report published a photo of a room containing eight black server racks "inside what Israeli military officials say is a Hamas intelligence hub." The Israeli military has nicknamed the subterranean world "the Gaza metro."

Persons: —, gestured, António Guterres, Israel's Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, UN, IDF, Street Journal, Service, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, Street, Associated Press, Hamas, New, Reuters, Cross, Rafah, Business Locations: Gaza, East, Gaza City, Israeli, Palestinian, Israel

☆ UN Agency Says Aid Shipment Blocked in Israeli Port
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The main United Nations agency providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza is facing growing administrative hurdles from Israel, with a shipment amounting to a month's supply of food blocked in port, the agency's chief said. UNRWA has dismissed staff accused of involvement in the attack and launched an investigation. He said UNRWA had been informed by a contractor that provided handling services in the port of Ashdod that it could no longer continue working with UNRWA, following instructions from the Israeli authorities. Last week, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on social media platform X that Israel was cancelling tax breaks previously offered to UNRWA. The decision was not formally communicated to the agency which only learned about it when the statement appeared on the platform, Lazzarini said.

Persons: Israel, Philippe Lazzarini, Lazzarini, Bezalel Smotrich, James Mackenzie, Steve Scheer Organizations: United Nations, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, UNRWA, Israel, West Bank Locations: JERUSALEM, Gaza, Israel, East, Ashdod, Turkey, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria

☆ Live updates: The latest on the Israel-Hamas news
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Chris Lau | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A woman and children sit outside tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Rafah, Gaza, on February 8. Satellite images showed this week how a tent city has swelled in size in just a few weeks. Also, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about the expansion into Rafah during meetings with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials this week, two Israeli officials told CNN on Wednesday. Non-governmental organizations issue warnings: Several non-governmental organizations have warned about the humanitarian consequences of Israeli operations in Rafah. Half of UNRWA requests to deliver aid in Gaza denied: The UN's main relief agency in Gaza said Friday that half of its aid mission requests to deliver aid in Gaza since the beginning of the year have been denied.

Persons: Mohammed Abed, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Vedant Patel, Antony Blinken, Netanyahu, won’t, Philippe Lazzarini Organizations: Getty, United Nations, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, Wednesday, Norwegian Refugee Council, Hamas, The United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees Locations: Rafah, Gaza, AFP, ”, Israel, United States, Egypt

A bipartisan coalition of senators over the weekend released a long-awaited and highly anticipated bill that spans border security and international aid for Ukraine and Israel in their wartime efforts. The proposed deal would substantially change immigration laws and also provide $60 billion for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel. Some Republicans have grown skeptical of additional funding for Ukraine, which President Joe Biden proposed in a supplemental spending package. But GOP hard-liners insisted on border reforms before any consideration of Ukraine aid – which is how the border bill originated. Additionally, it includes $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel and some pockets of money for humanitarian aid in war-torn regions.

Persons: Mike Johnson, ” Johnson, Johnson, Don’t, Chuck Schumer, MSNBC’s, Joe ”, ”, Here’s, Joe Biden Organizations: Israel, of Homeland Security, International, Ukraine, Russia, United Nations Relief, Agency, Asylum Locations: Ukraine, Israel, U.S

☆ The 8 Days That Roiled the U.N.’s Top Agency in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | Ronen Bergman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When a senior U.S. diplomat called the Israeli military last week to request further details about Israeli allegations against a United Nations agency in Gaza, military leaders were so surprised that they ordered an internal inquiry about how the information had reached the ears of foreign officials. The allegations were grave: 12 employees of the organization, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, were accused of joining Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel or its aftermath. The claims reinforced Israel’s decades-old narrative about UNRWA: that it is biased against Israel and influenced by Hamas and other armed groups, charges that the agency strongly rejects. But while most Israeli officials oppose UNRWA, some military leaders did not want to see it shuttered amid a humanitarian disaster in Gaza. In fact, it was not the military that disclosed the information to the United States but UNRWA itself.

Persons: Israel Organizations: United, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Hamas’s, UNRWA Locations: U.S, United Nations, Gaza, Israel, United States

☆ Opinion: UNWRA’s day of reckoning is near
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Opinion Michael Bociurkiw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Editor’s Note: Michael Bociurkiw (@WorldAffairsPro) is a global affairs analyst and former UNICEF spokesperson for Gaza and the West Bank. But UNRWA funding differs from other UN agencies such as UNICEF, in that it’s mostly dependent on government funding. And that’s why countries pulling funding — as they have done this past week — is such a potentially fatal blow to its operations. Tiny Jordan already hosts at least 2 million Palestinians, including many from Gaza who arrived decades ago. Note: This op-ed has been updated to reflect the latest number of UNRWA employees Israel alleges were associated with Hamas’ October 7 attack.

Persons: Michael Bociurkiw, Read, Michael Bociurkiw Chrystia Chudczak, Khan Younis, Mohammed Talatene, Israel —, there’s, Abed Zagout, Tiny Jordan, Ashraf Amra Organizations: UNICEF, West Bank, CNN, United Nations, UNICEF —, Toyota, Cruisers, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Israel Defense Forces, UNRWA, West, UN, Assembly, Palestinian Authority, UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, Getty, World Health Organization Locations: Gaza, East, Children’s, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Philadelphia, City, Canada, Germany, Rafa, Anadolu, Egypt, Qatar, Deir al Balah

☆ What Withholding Funds to UNRWA Means for Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Adam Rasgon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since the start of the war, UNRWA has coordinated the distribution of relief to Gazans suffering from displacement, hunger and illness. “Withdrawing funds from UNRWA is perilous and would result in the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza,” U.N. officials in a statement on Wednesday. Here’s a closer look at how the agency, formally the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, spends its funds. UNRWA operates across the Middle East, providing aid and services to Palestinian refugees, but it employs the most people in Gaza, where 1.7 million refugees resided before the war. The bulk of UNRWA’s regular budget for Gaza goes to pay the salaries of 13,000 employees, including teachers, health care specialists, engineers and sanitation workers.

Persons: U.N, Here’s, Juliette Touma Organizations: United Nations, Gaza, UNRWA, United Nations Relief, Works Agency Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian

☆ UNRWA Could Shut Down by End of February if Funding Does Not Resume
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA (Reuters) - The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said on Thursday that it will most likely be forced to shut down its operations in the Middle East, including in Gaza, by the end of the month if funding does not resume. A string of countries including the United States, Germany and Britain have paused their funding to the aid agency in the wake of allegations that some UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel. "The agency remains the largest aid organization in one of the most severe and complex humanitarian crises in the world," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement. "If the funding remains suspended, we will most likely be forced to shut down our operations by end of February not only in Gaza but also across the region." Israeli authorities have long called for the agency to be dismantled, arguing that its mission is obsolete and fosters anti-Israeli sentiment, something UNRWA has vigorously denied.

Persons: Philippe Lazzarini, defunding, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nidal Al, Jana Choukeir, Clauda Tanios, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Kevin Liffey Organizations: DOHA, Reuters, United Nations Palestinian, World Health Organization, WHO, UNRWA, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, General, West Bank Locations: Gaza, United States, Germany, Britain, Israel

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) assists Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, as well as in Gaza. Some $440 million of funding has been suspended, according to UNRWA, which has 13,000 staff in Gaza. The agency said the severe humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza would likely deteriorate further if the funding is not restored. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called for UNRWA to be dismantled and replaced by other aid groups. And we have discovered in the last few weeks that UNRWA officials were complicit in the massacre,” he said.

Persons: –, Philippe Lazzarini, Khan Younis, Thomas White, ” White, ”, Khaled Omar, Lazzarini, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Israel, “, Yoav Hallant Organizations: CNN, United Nations, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, West Bank, UNRWA Affairs, Training Center, UNRWA, Getty, ”, International Court of Justice, Israel, UN Locations: Gaza, Israel, East, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, United States, Rafah, Amman, Xinhua, South Africa, Israeli, The Hague

☆ Palestinians are eating grass and drinking polluted water as famine looms across Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sana Noor Haq | Rosa Rahimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“They are weak now, they always have diarrhea, their faces are yellow,” El Jamara, whose family was displaced from northern Gaza, told CNN on January 9. “Unfortunately, many relatives and friends are still in the northern Gaza Strip, suffering a lot,” Hamouda, a father-of-three, told CNN. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are “absolutely critical” for physical growth and cognitive development, Inglis told CNN. “It is not enough to meet my family’s needs at all,” the student, who is sheltering in a tent in Rafah, told CNN. “We simply don’t have enough, and we cannot keep up with the overwhelming needs of people on the ground,” she told CNN.

Persons: CNN — Hanadi Gamal Saed El Jamara, El Jamara, Arif Husain, Martin Griffiths, “, ”, El, Mohammed Hamouda, Odeh Al, Haw, Hamouda, Yahya Hassouna, Israel, ” Hamouda, Jabalya, Gihan, Baz, ” El Baz, Hoor, Hazem Saeed Al, Mohammed Hamouda Hamouda, Abu Youssef Al, Rebecca Inglis, Inglis, Shadi Bleha, Khan Younis, OCHA, Mohammed Hamouda Juliette Touma, Naizi Organizations: CNN, Food Programme, Integrated Food Security, UN, of Health, “, Getty, United Nations Relief, Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, Najjar Hospital, UNICEF, World Health Organization, United Nations Population Fund, WFP, OCHA, World, Al Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Egypt, “, Gaza City, AFP, East, Britain, Al, Territories, Deir al, Balah

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