By Maayan Lubell, Nidal al-Mughrabi
JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Israel’s parliament handed a regulation on Monday to ban the UN reduction company UNRWA from working contained in the nation, alarming a few of Israel’s Western allies who concern it can worsen the already dire humanitarian state of affairs in Gaza.
Israeli officers cited the involvement of a handful of the United Nations Aid and Works Company for Palestine Refugees’ hundreds of staffers within the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel and some staffers’ membership in Hamas and different armed teams.
“UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned.
The top of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, mentioned the vote opposes the U.N. constitution and violates worldwide regulation. “This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to #Palestine Refugees,” he wrote on social media platform X.
The vote got here the identical day Israeli tanks thrust deeper into northern Gaza, trapping 100,000 civilians, the Palestinian emergency service mentioned, in what Israel’s navy mentioned have been operations to remove regrouping Hamas militants.
The Israeli navy mentioned troopers captured round 100 suspected militants in a raid on a hospital within the Jabalia camp. Hamas and medics have denied any militant presence on the hospital.
The Gaza Strip’s well being ministry mentioned at the very least 19 folks have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and bombardment on Monday.
The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service mentioned round 100,000 folks have been marooned in Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun with out medical or meals provides. Reuters couldn’t confirm the quantity independently.
The emergency service mentioned its operations had come to a halt due to the three-week Israeli assault into northern Gaza, the place Israel had mentioned it worn out Hamas fight forces earlier within the year-long conflict.
CEASEFIRE TALKS
Talks led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar to dealer a ceasefire resumed on Sunday after a number of abortive makes an attempt. Egypt’s president proposed a two-day truce to change 4 Israeli hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners, adopted by talks inside 10 days on a everlasting ceasefire.
Netanyahu had mentioned mediators would resume talks in coming days “in a continued attempt to advance a deal.”
Israel has repeatedly mentioned the conflict will go on till Hamas is eradicated whereas the Islamist motion has dominated out any finish to combating till Israeli forces depart Gaza.
Gaza’s conflict has kindled wider battle within the Center East, elevating concern about world oil provides, with Israel bombing Lebanon and sending forces into its south to disable Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.
At the very least 16 folks have been killed in Israeli strikes on three villages in jap Lebanon’s metropolis of Baalbek, the Lebanese well being ministry mentioned on Monday.
The battle additionally triggered uncommon direct clashes between regional arch-foes Israel and Iran. Israeli warplanes pounded Iranian missile manufacturing websites throughout the weekend in retaliation for an Oct. 1 Iranian missile volley at Israel.
Iran’s International Ministry mentioned Tehran would “use all available tools” to reply.
‘EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY’
Israel continued battering Lebanon on Monday, together with an early-morning airstrike on a district within the southern port of Tyre that left seven lifeless, the Lebanese well being ministry mentioned.
Lebanon’s well being authority mentioned Israeli assaults in Lebanon have killed at the very least 2,710 folks and injured 12,592 others prior to now yr.
The Israeli navy later issued an evacuation order for a lot of Tyre, together with areas that included neighborhoods close to a seaside resort the place journalists are often based mostly.
Footage circulated on-line of civil defence staff urging folks to go away. “For your safety, because of the warning, evacuate immediately!” one shouted right into a megaphone hooked up to a automobile.
Israel’s increasing evacuation warnings have made ghost cities out of a lot of southern Lebanon, together with Tyre, and the bombing marketing campaign has left many cities in ruins.
Hezbollah carried out assaults on Israeli troops inside Lebanese territory and on navy targets inside Israel.
‘NONSENSE TALK’ OF CEASEFIRE
North Gaza’s three main hospitals, whose officers refused Israel’s orders to evacuate, have been hardly working. At the very least two have been broken and had run out of medical, meals and gasoline shares. At the very least one physician, a nurse and two youngster sufferers had died.
North Gaza residents mentioned Israel was besieging shelters housing displaced households, ordering them out earlier than rounding up males and pushing ladies and kids to go away.
Just a few households headed towards southern Gaza as the bulk most well-liked to relocate quickly in Gaza Metropolis, fearing they might in any other case by no means regain entry to their properties.
Some mentioned they’d written their dying notices.
“While the world is busy with Lebanon and new nonsense talk about a few days of ceasefire (in Gaza), the Israeli occupation is wiping out north Gaza and displacing its people,” a resident of Jabalia informed Reuters by way of a chat app.
The Israeli navy says its forces function in step with worldwide regulation and accuses militants of hiding fighters and weapons in hospitals and faculties, which Hamas denies.
The north was the primary a part of Gaza hammered by Israel’s floor offensive after Hamas’ cross-border assault on Oct. 7, 2023. Intensive bombing largely flattened cities.
Nonetheless, Hamas-led militants proceed to assault Israeli forces in hit-and-run operations.
Hamas’ 2023 assault killed 1,200 folks and resulted in additional than 250 hostages being taken into Gaza, in accordance with Israeli tallies.
The dying toll from Israel’s retaliatory air and floor onslaught in Gaza has reached 43,020, the Gaza well being ministry mentioned on Monday.
