Photo: AFP file
Israel's parliament enacted a law on Monday to prohibit the UN relief agency UNRWA from functioning within the country, a move that has alarmed some of Israel's Western allies who are concerned it will exacerbate the already severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israeli authorities pointed to the participation of a few UNRWA employees in the October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel and the affiliation of some staff members with Hamas and other armed groups.
"UNRWA workers implicated in terrorist activities against Israel must face accountability," stated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Hamas attack in 2023 claimed the lives of 1,200 individuals and led to over 250 hostages being taken into Gaza, according to Israeli records.
The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, criticized the vote, stating it contravenes the UN charter and breaches international law. "This represents the most recent effort in the continuous campaign to undermine UNRWA and invalidate its mission in providing humanitarian aid and services to Palestinian refugees," he posted on X.
On the same day, Israeli tanks advanced further into northern Gaza, according to the Palestinian emergency service, trapping 100,000 civilians in operations aimed at eliminating regrouping Hamas militants, as per the Israeli military. Soldiers reportedly captured around 100 suspected militants during a raid on a hospital in the Jabalia camp, a claim denied by Hamas and medical personnel.
The Gaza Strip's health ministry reported at least 19 fatalities from Israeli airstrikes and bombardments on Monday. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service stated that approximately 100,000 people were stranded in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun without access to medical or food supplies. The emergency service's operations have been halted due to the three-week Israeli assault into northern Gaza, where Israel claimed to have neutralized Hamas combat forces earlier in the year-long conflict.
The death toll from Israel's retaliatory air and ground offensive in Gaza has climbed to 43,020, according to the Gaza health ministry on Monday. Israel has consistently asserted that the war will continue until Hamas is eradicated, while the movement insists on no cessation of hostilities until Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza has ignited broader hostilities in the Middle East, raising concerns about global oil supplies, with Israel bombing Lebanon and deploying forces into its south to dismantle Iran-backed Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas.
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