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US threatens arms sales to Israel over UNRWA ban
**Starving Gaza has no alternative to UN agency’s aid, ambassador tells Binyamin Netanyahu as food shipments plummet**
The United States has reiterated its threat to withhold arms from Israel and warned Binyamin Netanyahu there is “no alternative” to a UN aid agency the Knesset has voted to outlaw in Gaza.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, acknowledged the role of “some” United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff in the October 7 terror attacks.
But in an emotional speech reflecting on her personal experience of witnessing starvation 30 years ago, she warned Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, that he must address the “catastrophic humanitarian crisis” in Gaza.
Israel killed 93 Palestinians in an airstrike on Beit Lahiya Tuesday morning, the Hamas-run health ministry said. Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) said it was looking into the reports.
The significant death toll is the latest in a series of strikes that have claimed hundreds of Palestinian lives during an almost month-long offensive in northern Gaza.
The Kamal Adwan Hospital, which Israel alleges has been used to house Hamas fighters, was raided by the IDF last week, leading to the suspension of medical treatment. Israel claimed it captured 100 Hamas fighters there.
• What is UNRWA and is it really linked to Hamas? Amid concern that Netanyahu could effectively stage a siege on northern Gaza by withdrawing food and water from Palestinians trapped there, two weeks ago Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, and Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, demanded Israel increase the flow of aid within 30 days or the risk restrictions on arms sales. In the eight months after October 7, the Council on Foreign Relations estimates the US has provided more than $12.5 billion in military assistance to its long-time ally.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the State Department said the US had not seen enough progress on aid deliveries. In the US, suspicion has grown over Israel’s alleged adoption of the so-called “Generals’ plan”, a recommendation by a group of retired senior Israeli military figures to starve Hamas into submission in northern Gaza. Aid into Gaza has dramatically reduced this month, according to UN figures, which show only 704 truckloads entering in the month to October 22.
Last month 3,000 truckloads entered. “The United States rejects any Israeli efforts to starve Palestinians in Jabalia, or anywhere else,” Thomas-Greenfield told a meeting of the UN security council. “Israel’s words must be matched by action on the ground. Right now, that is not happening. This must change immediately.” Rebuking Israeli efforts to get aid into northern Gaza, she described an experience of seeing a starving girl 30 years ago. “It’s the kind of memory that one doesn’t forget,” she said. “Her rib bones poking out from under her skin, bloated belly, gaunt eyes. And I remember her mother’s eyes filled with despair. And I think about her as we’ve seen reports that no food assistance has reached Jabalia or Beit Lahiya since early October.
“About the ribs, and the bellies, the eyes of children in Northern Gaza. And about their parents — themselves, having gone days without food — desperate to save them,” she added. The IDF has denied adopting the “generals’ plan” and Israel insists it has increased the flow of aid into northern Gaza, where 100,000 people remain trapped, according to the Hamas-led Palestinian authorities. But a report released on Tuesday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that Gaza was on the verge of famine. “People in Gaza are starving to death right now. The speed at which this man-made hunger and malnutrition crisis has ripped through Gaza is terrifying,” said Cindy McCain, the World Food Programme executive director. “There is a very small window left to prevent an outright famine and to do that we need immediate and full access to the north. If we wait until famine has been declared, it’s too late. Thousands more will be dead.”
On Monday, Israeli parliamentarians voted by 92-10 to ban UNRWA within 90 days. The Knesset also voted to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organisation. Outlawing the aid agency means that Israel is likely to close its headquarters in east Jerusalem and block it from delivering food to Gaza.
It came after UNRWA fired nine of its 30,000 employees who “may” have been involved in the October 7 terror attacks. In total, Israel has alleged that over 450 UNRWA staff were members of “terrorist organisations” without providing evidence.
In her speech, Thomas-Greenfield said the US was “concerned” by the legislation banning UNRWA. “There is no denying the fact: some UNRWA personnel were involved in the October 7th attacks,” she said. “At the same time, we know that right now, there is no alternative to UNRWA when it comes to delivering food and other life-saving aid in Gaza. Therefore, we have concerns about this legislation being implemented.” Norway said it was requesting the UN’s International Court of Justice to clarify Israel’s obligations to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. Jonas Gahr Store, the prime minister of Norway, said he would submit a resolution to the UN’s general assembly.
On Tuesday night, Israeli parliamentarians passed further legislation seeking to prohibit the establishment of diplomatic missions, including consultants, in Jerusalem, unless they are embassies.
The move is part of a wider effort to get foreign countries to relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which the US did under Donald Trump in 2018. While Israel considers Jerusalem its capital only four other countries have their embassy there. The city’s sovereignty is contested and Palestinians want eastern Jerusalem to be the capital of an independent state.
Meanwhile, four Israeli soldiers were killed during fighting in northern Gaza, all from the Multidomain or “Ghost” unit, died in Jabalia. In Lebanon, at least ten people, mostly women and children, were killed in Israeli strikes on the southern Lebanese town of Sarafand, its mayor has said. Sixty people died during strikes on the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country. Hezbollah announced the election of Naim Qassem as leader of the Shia militia following the death of Hassan Nasrallah. Israel vowed to assassinate Qassem in a similar way to his predecessor, with Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, tweeting that it would be a “temporary appointment”.
#local
**Starving Gaza has no alternative to UN agency’s aid, ambassador tells Binyamin Netanyahu as food shipments plummet**
The United States has reiterated its threat to withhold arms from Israel and warned Binyamin Netanyahu there is “no alternative” to a UN aid agency the Knesset has voted to outlaw in Gaza.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, acknowledged the role of “some” United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff in the October 7 terror attacks.
But in an emotional speech reflecting on her personal experience of witnessing starvation 30 years ago, she warned Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, that he must address the “catastrophic humanitarian crisis” in Gaza.
Israel killed 93 Palestinians in an airstrike on Beit Lahiya Tuesday morning, the Hamas-run health ministry said. Israel’s Defence Forces (IDF) said it was looking into the reports.
The significant death toll is the latest in a series of strikes that have claimed hundreds of Palestinian lives during an almost month-long offensive in northern Gaza.
The Kamal Adwan Hospital, which Israel alleges has been used to house Hamas fighters, was raided by the IDF last week, leading to the suspension of medical treatment. Israel claimed it captured 100 Hamas fighters there.
• What is UNRWA and is it really linked to Hamas? Amid concern that Netanyahu could effectively stage a siege on northern Gaza by withdrawing food and water from Palestinians trapped there, two weeks ago Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, and Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, demanded Israel increase the flow of aid within 30 days or the risk restrictions on arms sales. In the eight months after October 7, the Council on Foreign Relations estimates the US has provided more than $12.5 billion in military assistance to its long-time ally.
On Tuesday, a spokesman for the State Department said the US had not seen enough progress on aid deliveries. In the US, suspicion has grown over Israel’s alleged adoption of the so-called “Generals’ plan”, a recommendation by a group of retired senior Israeli military figures to starve Hamas into submission in northern Gaza. Aid into Gaza has dramatically reduced this month, according to UN figures, which show only 704 truckloads entering in the month to October 22.
Last month 3,000 truckloads entered. “The United States rejects any Israeli efforts to starve Palestinians in Jabalia, or anywhere else,” Thomas-Greenfield told a meeting of the UN security council. “Israel’s words must be matched by action on the ground. Right now, that is not happening. This must change immediately.” Rebuking Israeli efforts to get aid into northern Gaza, she described an experience of seeing a starving girl 30 years ago. “It’s the kind of memory that one doesn’t forget,” she said. “Her rib bones poking out from under her skin, bloated belly, gaunt eyes. And I remember her mother’s eyes filled with despair. And I think about her as we’ve seen reports that no food assistance has reached Jabalia or Beit Lahiya since early October.
“About the ribs, and the bellies, the eyes of children in Northern Gaza. And about their parents — themselves, having gone days without food — desperate to save them,” she added. The IDF has denied adopting the “generals’ plan” and Israel insists it has increased the flow of aid into northern Gaza, where 100,000 people remain trapped, according to the Hamas-led Palestinian authorities. But a report released on Tuesday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that Gaza was on the verge of famine. “People in Gaza are starving to death right now. The speed at which this man-made hunger and malnutrition crisis has ripped through Gaza is terrifying,” said Cindy McCain, the World Food Programme executive director. “There is a very small window left to prevent an outright famine and to do that we need immediate and full access to the north. If we wait until famine has been declared, it’s too late. Thousands more will be dead.”
On Monday, Israeli parliamentarians voted by 92-10 to ban UNRWA within 90 days. The Knesset also voted to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organisation. Outlawing the aid agency means that Israel is likely to close its headquarters in east Jerusalem and block it from delivering food to Gaza.
It came after UNRWA fired nine of its 30,000 employees who “may” have been involved in the October 7 terror attacks. In total, Israel has alleged that over 450 UNRWA staff were members of “terrorist organisations” without providing evidence.
In her speech, Thomas-Greenfield said the US was “concerned” by the legislation banning UNRWA. “There is no denying the fact: some UNRWA personnel were involved in the October 7th attacks,” she said. “At the same time, we know that right now, there is no alternative to UNRWA when it comes to delivering food and other life-saving aid in Gaza. Therefore, we have concerns about this legislation being implemented.” Norway said it was requesting the UN’s International Court of Justice to clarify Israel’s obligations to facilitate humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. Jonas Gahr Store, the prime minister of Norway, said he would submit a resolution to the UN’s general assembly.
On Tuesday night, Israeli parliamentarians passed further legislation seeking to prohibit the establishment of diplomatic missions, including consultants, in Jerusalem, unless they are embassies.
The move is part of a wider effort to get foreign countries to relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which the US did under Donald Trump in 2018. While Israel considers Jerusalem its capital only four other countries have their embassy there. The city’s sovereignty is contested and Palestinians want eastern Jerusalem to be the capital of an independent state.
Meanwhile, four Israeli soldiers were killed during fighting in northern Gaza, all from the Multidomain or “Ghost” unit, died in Jabalia. In Lebanon, at least ten people, mostly women and children, were killed in Israeli strikes on the southern Lebanese town of Sarafand, its mayor has said. Sixty people died during strikes on the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country. Hezbollah announced the election of Naim Qassem as leader of the Shia militia following the death of Hassan Nasrallah. Israel vowed to assassinate Qassem in a similar way to his predecessor, with Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, tweeting that it would be a “temporary appointment”.
#local
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