Live blog: Suspending UNRWA funding will only hurt people of Gaza – WHO

Sunday, January 28, 2024

1908 GMT — The head of the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) has called on donors not to suspend financial support to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees or UNRWA.

The call came after some Western donor countries halted funding to the agency following Israeli allegations that some of its staffers were involved in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Calling on donors not to cut off funds they provide to the agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X: "We appeal to donors not to suspend their funding to UNRWA at this critical moment.

"Cutting off funding will only hurt the people of Gaza who desperately need support."

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1907 GMT — 'Gaps' remain after meeting on hostage deal: Israeli PMO

Talks initiated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt to broker a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas were "constructive" but meaningful gaps remain, the Israeli prime minister's office has said.

"There are still significant gaps in which the parties will continue to discuss this week in additional mutual meetings," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns and the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, along with the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamel, the statement said.

1903 GMT — Arab bloc in Israeli Knesset seeks no-confidence vote in Netanyahu's government

An Arab bloc in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, has said it will seek a no-confidence vote in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a statement, the Arab Movement for Renewal, known as Ta'al, said it will submit a proposal on Monday for a no-confidence vote in Netanyahu's government.

According to the statement, the proposal will call for ending the Gaza war, reaching a hostage swap deal, and launching a political path for peacemaking.

1859 GMT — US, Israel, Egypt, Qatar officials in Gaza talks in Paris: sources

The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency as well as top Egyptian, Qatari and Israeli officials were in Paris working towards a ceasefire in Gaza, officials close to the participants have said.

French authorities were also in touch with these four countries with the aim of negotiating a halt to hostilities between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas in the besieged territory, the sources said.

A security source on Friday told AFP that CIA chief William Burns would meet his counterparts from Israel and Egypt, as well as Qatar's prime minister "in the coming days."

1621 GMT — Mediators make fresh ceasefire offer to Israel, Hamas – report

A new proposal has reportedly been made to Israel and Palestinian group Hamas suggesting a four-month ceasefire in Gaza in return for the release of all Israeli hostages.

The new proposal has been conveyed to Israel and Hamas by mediator countries, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, citing Egyptian officials.

Under the proposal, a six-week halt to hostilities is proposed initially for the release of Israeli hostages in need of urgent medical attention, including children, women and the elderly, with Israel being asked in return to release a significant number of Palestinian prisoners and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The report said the next phase of the proposal proposes that Hamas release Israeli female prisoner soldiers followed by male prisoner soldiers, and hand over the bodies of those who have died in Gaza to Israel.

The report also said the new proposal includes Hamas seeking international guarantees, including from the US.

1734 GMT — Suspension of funding aims to liquidate UN refugee agency: Arab League

The Arab League has warned of the grave consequences of suspending funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

In a statement, the Cairo-based league said the suspension of funding aims to abandon relief efforts for millions of Palestinian refugees.

"This campaign is not new and aims to liquidate the work of the agency, which serves millions of Palestinian refugees," Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said.

1623 GMT — Saudi Arabia accuses Israel of starving Gaza's population

Saudi Arabia has accused Israel of pursuing a systematic policy of starving the population of Gaza.

"Israel is pursuing a systematic policy of starvation in Gaza," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.

He called for obligating Israel "to do what we are all committed to, which is adherence to international law and humanitarian law."

1603 GMT — Suspension of funding to halt lifesaving aid to Palestinians: UNRWA

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that the suspension of funding would lead to halt of its lifesaving aid to Palestinians.

"UNRWA is the primary humanitarian agency in Gaza, with over 2M people depending on it for their sheer survival," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philip Lazzarini said in a statement.

"Many are hungry as the clock is ticking towards a looming famine. The Agency runs shelters for over 1M people and provides food and primary healthcare even at the height of the hostilities."

1513 GMT — Israel arrests 22 more Palestinians in West Bank, tally tops 6,300

The Israeli army rounded up 22 more Palestinians in military raids carried out in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to prisoners' affairs groups.

The new arrests brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli forces since October 7 to 6,330, the Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a joint statement.

1442 GMT — Jordan calls for continued support for UN refugee agency

Jordan has called for continued support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) for its "indispensable" role in Gaza.

"The UN agency plays an indispensable role in delivering humanitarian aid to more than two million Palestinians facing a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of the Israeli aggression on Gaza," Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said during a phone call with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

1209 GMT — Defunding UNRWA could violate Genocide Convention: UN expert

A UN expert has warned that countries defunding the UN agency for Palestinian refugees were breaching a court order to provide effective aid in Gaza and could be violating the international genocide convention.

A number of donor countries, including Australia, Britain, Finland, Germany and Italy on Saturday followed the lead of the United States in suspending additional funding to UNRWA.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, warned that the decision to pause funding to UNRWA "overtly defies" the order by the International Court of Justice to allow effective humanitarian assistance" to reach Gaza.

"This will entail legal responsibilities or the demise of the (international) legal system," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

1219 GMT — Israeli army withdraws two reserve brigades from Gaza

The Israeli army has withdrawn two reserve brigades from Gaza, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN said the withdrawal of the 4th and 55th Brigades came after the completion of their mission in the Palestinian enclave.

There was no comment from the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on the report.

On Saturday, the Israeli army withdrew its 7107th Combat Engineering Battalion from Gaza, two weeks after pulling out the 36th division.

1214 GMT — UK warships 'repel' Houthi drone attack in Red Sea

A British warship, the HMS Diamond repelled a drone attack on from Yemen's Houthi group in the Red Sea, British officials said.

"Deploying her Sea Viper missile system, Diamond destroyed a drone targeting her with no injuries or damage sustained to Diamond or her crew," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

1202 GMT — Israeli jets strike Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army said its fighter jets had struck two Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon.

A military statement said the strikes targeted military positions belonging to the Lebanese group in the towns of Zibqin and Houla.

The army said its forces also shelled a number of areas in southern Lebanon with artillery to "remove threats."

0822 GMT — Death toll in Israel's attacks on Gaza reaches 26,422

The health ministry in Gaza has said at least 26,422 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory by Israel since October 7.

The ministry statement said that another 65,087 have been wounded since the beginning of the assaults.

"The Israeli occupation committed 19 massacres against families in Gaza, leaving 165 martyrs and 290 injured during the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. "Many people are still trapped under rubble as rescuers are unable to reach them."

0707 GMT — 'Ceasefire in Gaza' chanted Palestine supporters near Blinken's house

A group of protesters supporting Palestine has set up camp outside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's house and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Protesters displayed banners reading "Blinken Supports Israel's Terrorism," "Bloody Blinken," and "Occupy Blinken's House, Long Live Gaza."

Hazami Barmada, one of the protesters, said that the US is not only "complicit" with Israel in "war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity" but also "has a responsibility."

0502 GMT — UN chief asks for donor 'continuity' in UNRWA operations

UN chief Antonio Guterres has pleaded for donor states to "guarantee the continuity" of the body's Palestinian refugee agency after several halted funding over Tel Aviv's accusations of staff involvement in Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.

"While I understand their concerns — I was myself horrified by these accusations — I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA's operations," Guterres said in a statement, referring to the agency's acronym.

UNRWA fired several staff over Israel's accusations, promising a thorough investigation into the claims, which were not specified, while Tel Aviv vowed to stop the agency's work in Gaza after the war. The row between Israel and UNRWA follows the UN's International Court of Justice ruling on Friday that Israel must prevent possible acts of genocide in the conflict and allow more aid into Gaza.

0200 GMT — UN agency warns its aid operation in Gaza is 'collapsing'

The head of the main UN aid agency in the war-battered Gaza warned that its work is collapsing after nine countries decided to cut funding over allegations that several agency employees had participated in the attack against Israel four months ago.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said he was shocked such decisions were taken as “famine looms” in the ongoing Israel war on the tiny enclave. "Palestinians in Gaza did not need this additional collective punishment," he wrote on X.

"This stains all of us."

The agency, which has 13,000 employees in Gaza, most of them Palestinians, is the main organisation aiding Gaza’s population amid the humanitarian disaster.

More than 2 million of the territory's 2.3 million people depend on it for "sheer survival," including food and shelter, Lazzarini said, warning this lifeline can "collapse any time now."

0100 GMT — Protestors 'pressure' US Secretary of State Blinken for Gaza ceasefire outside his home

Pro-Palestinians continued to demand a ceasefire in Gaza as they set up camp across from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s home in the state of Virginia.

Protestors carrying Palestinian flags, chanted against Blinken while unfurling banners that said: "30,0 00 Killed By USA and Israel”, “Blinken Supports Israel’s Terror”, “Bloody Blinken”, “Occupy Bliken’s House Let Gaza Live” and “Full Ceasefire in Gaza Now.”

"We are camping in front of the house of the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken because he is complicit in supporting and enabling war crimes and genocide against Palestinian people done by the State of Israel," activist Hazami Barmada told Anadolu.

2200 GMT — Netanyahu lashes out at protests by families of hostages in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised protests by families of hostages held in Gaza as “useless and contributing to the demands of Hamas.”

Netanyahu said in a news conference that “protests by the families of the hostages do not help but rather increase the demands of Hamas and delay their recovery.”

He noted giving directives within his government to “boost activation of local defence industries to rely more on local arms.”

For our live updates from Saturday, January 27, click here.