In a major action impacting funding for the UN aid agency, at least nine European nations including top donors like the US, Britain, Canada, and Germany have paused funding for the UNRWA refugee agency after Israel made serious allegations of its 13,000 staff in Gaza being involved in the Oct 7 genocide in Israel. Meanwhile, UN Officials urged countries to reconsider their decision to pause the funding for the UN agency for Palestinians, it also said that those involved in the Oct 7 Attacks in Israel by Hamas would be punished.
As the allegations against UN Staff were raised by Israel, the countries- United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, Canada, and many more acting upon the same have withdrawn funding crucial for supporting individuals in Gaza and asked for more countries to join. In response to this major crisis, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres requested the following nations at least guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s life-saving aid. He also gave his word that criminal prosecution (a rare move) could be considered against those who were involved in any act of terror.
Meanwhile, reflecting on Israel’s allegations, on Saturday, the UN terminated nine out of its 12 staff over the claim and also expressed its shock at the funding cut by several Western countries amid a humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
In the wake of ICJ’s verdict, Israel held a ceasefire discussion on Sunday with the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. While PM Netanyahu said that there were ‘significant gaps’ and that the nations would continue the talk in the upcoming weeks, there is no official statement from Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu to define what these ‘significant gaps’ mean.
Defying the International Court of Justice orders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has clearly said that “we decide and act according to what is required for our security.” Following the ongoing Isreal-Hamas war, on January 26, the ICJ issued a notice to Israel to stop acts of genocide against Palestinians and suggested providing aid to civilians. Despite this, the ICG didn’t mention implementing a ceasefire as requested by South Africa on December 29. The ICJ, which doesn’t have the power to enforce its rulings, has asked Israel for a compliance report within a month, resulting in Israel’s military being under high scrutiny.
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