„UN chief António Guterres issued an appeal on Monday to “actively support” the UN agency for Palestinians, UNWRA, adding that he accepted the final findings of an independent probe into the organization, launched in response to unproven allegations that UNRWA staff had participated in the 7 October attacks against Israel.“
from#WashingtonPost [gift article link below]
Leaders of #Jordan, #France and #Egypt: Cease fire now in #Gaza
By King Abdullah II, Emmanuel Macron and Abdel Fatah El-Sisi
April 8, 2024
It demands immediate ceasefire, respect and protection for [#UN agencies including #UNWRA, respect for Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, etc.]
And there we have it. Netanyahu's plan to abolish UNRWA, one of the real aims of this war.
"If we allow this, it is the slippery slope to us being completely managed directly by the Israelis, and the UN directly being complicit in undermining Unrwa, which is not only the biggest aid provider but also the biggest bastion of anti-extremism in Gaza,” one UN official said. “We would be playing into so many political agendas if we allowed this to happen”
Loay Elbasyouni is a Spacecraft Design Engineer who helped to design "Ingenuity", the first aircraft in history to fly on a planetary body other than the Earth. He's a Palestinian whose education started with #UNWRA in #Gaza.
"While hundreds of thousands of #Palestinian children face starvation in #Gaza, this bill actually prohibits funding to #UNWRA, the key United Nations aid agency delivering life-saving humanitarian support... This bill also provides another $3.3 billion in U.S. military aid for Netanyahu’s right-wing government to continue this barbaric war. The #Netanyahu government should not receive another penny from U.S. taxpayers." -- Bernie Sanders https://www.commondreams.org/news/sanders-the-netanyahu-gov-t-should-not-receive-another-penny-from-us
Michael Chong (Conservative) is now opposing #Canada restoring aid to #UNWRA repeating every party line Israel and the CIJA has fed him. Chong for those people who have forgot spent considerable time in Washington undermining Canadian interests last year and accusing China of all sorts of outrageous things. #cdnpoli
Today, at least one staff member of the UNRWA humanitarian aid organization was killed and 22 were injured in an Israeli air strike on a food and basic resources distribution center in Gaza.
“[...] food supplies are running out, hunger is widespread and, in some areas, turning into famine.”
“The Israeli Army received the coordinates including of this facility yesterday.”
— Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General [1]
This comes four days after UNRWA members accused the Israeli military of torturing them to make false allegations about a supposed cooperation between the UNRWA and Hamas terrorists. [2] [3]
"Angus Robertson has urged the UK Government to resume funding for #UNWRA the UN agency which provides humanitarian aid in #Gaza.
"The Scottish Government’s External Affairs Secretary has written to Andrew Mitchell, the UK minister for overseas development, warning that people in Gaza are starving as supplies are not reaching them."
Fellow Americans: Please call your representatives again to demand that the US restore its funding to #UNWRA, and demand that Biden/US Admin halt aid to Israel until the Netanyahu government allows in sufficient aid to starving families in Gaza.
The US needs to face up to the consequences of our foreign policies.
Readers outside the US: there are probably people in your governments that you can call, too!
"To be clear, defunding [#UNWRA] should itself be considered genocidal. UNRWA is #Gaza’s main humanitarian agency. It is absolutely essential to the lives and welfare of Gaza’s population at the best of times. Well, these times are apocalyptic"
World Court hearing on legality of Israeli occupation ends following week of testimony
Over 50 nations presented testimony to the ICJ on the legality of the Israeli occupation, with the majority offering stirring arguments for Israeli accountability and justice for the Palestinians. An Advisory Opinion is expected sometime this summer.
Sometime today (while I am at work) I expect my e-Petition asking #CDNpoli Parliament to restore ##UNWRA humanitarian Aid Funding will go live.
Search for e-4802 here:
ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/
When you see it, please share as widely as possible. Thank you.
@pilaraymara It gets ‘better’. A tory who was on the last Question Time (BBC) stated that 10% of UNWRA in Palestine were Hamas. It went uncorrected by the witless and supine Fiona Bruce (chair). The reality being that originally 10 people were accused, later dropped to 6.
I have just made a personal donation to #UNWRA. Obviously, people voluntarily donating will not make up for the loss of funding from governments, and I urge you also to write to your representatives if you live in one of the countries which have suspended funding, but seriously, to prevent disease and famine and to stand against #genocide UNWRA urgently need every penny you can spare.
Keep making the point that the defunding of UNWRA is
1: performative contempt for the #ICJ;
2: a stake through the heart of the rules based international order;
3: a very serious risk to world peace;
4: very probably in itself an act of #Genocide.
While Palestinians in Gaza face genocidal violence, the collapse of medical care, and the prospect of starvation, Biden just chose to stop funding the UN agency that serves them.
Mere hours after the International Court of Justice’s announcement that Israel is plausibly committing genocide, the Israeli propaganda machine hit back with a deflective and malicious attack of UNRWA.
Francesca Albanese, warned that the decision taken by several countries to pause the funding to the UNRWA “overtly defies” the order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to allow effective humanitarian assistance to reach Gazans.
“This will entail legal responsibilities - or the demise of the (international) legal system,” said the UN expert, in a post on X.
So let me see if I've got this right. There is an "International Rules-Based Order". The key institution which underpins this order is the #ICJ. The ICJ has ruled that #Israel must take action to prevent #Genocide in #Gaza. The main agency succouring those at risk of genocide in Gaza is #UNWRA. In an apparently-coordinated demonstration of contempt for the ICJ ruling, a number of key nations have withdrawn financial support for UNWRA, citing unproven allegations against some staff. >>>