Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-01-28 05:46:21
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees came under heavy criticism after staff members were accused of participating in the October 7 attacks, leading to increased fighting in Gaza and more people fleeing south towards the Egyptian border.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called for Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, to resign due to the escalating conflict, and several countries suspended funding to the agency.
The agency responded by firing several employees over Israel’s unspecified accusations and promised a thorough investigation. Donors, including Germany, Britain, Italy, Australia, and Finland, followed the United States in suspending funding to the agency.
Hamas criticized Israeli “threats” against UNRWA, urging the United Nations and other international organizations not to “cave in to the threats and blackmail.” The exchange of fire between Israel and Gaza resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, with militants also seizing about 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports.
The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza has resulted in at least 26,257 deaths, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and tensions further escalated after the UN body condemned tank shelling that hit a shelter in Gaza, resulting in numerous casualties.
The Israeli military campaign is now focused around Khan Yunis, where it claims numerous militants have been killed, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to eliminate Hamas from the region. As the conflict continues, diplomatic efforts to find a solution have also gathered pace, with US-led negotiators reportedly getting closer to an agreement under which Israel would suspend its war in Gaza for about two months in return for the release of more than 100 hostages.
Palestinians are fleeing further south from Khan Yunis towards Rafah, close to the Egyptian border, where most of Gaza’s estimated 1.7 million displaced people have sought refuge. The dire situation has led to overcrowding and desperate conditions, with reports of heavy gunfire and besieged hospitals in the region.
In the midst of this turmoil, the UN’s International Court of Justice ruled that Israel must prevent possible acts of genocide in the conflict, and allow in more aid, as the UN Security Council prepares to meet to address the situation. Diplomatic efforts are underway to seek a ceasefire and alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
