Ahmed al-Soufi says nearby presence of Israeli troops and lack of basic living conditions make much of city ‘extremely dangerous’In the UK, the chair of the House of Commons international development committee has issued a statement today on Israel banning the UN’s aid agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa. As a reminder, Israel has ordered the UN agency to vacate its headquarters in East Jerusalem by Thursday, after the country’s parliament passed a law in October banning its operations in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Israel’s ban only directly covers Israeli territory, which Israel considers East Jerusalem to be. Unrwa also operates in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, but it was unclear how the law will affect Unrwa’s work there.The international development committee, which scrutinises the aid policy of the British foreign ministry, has warned that the Unrwa ban could cause the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to “deteriorate rapidly, possibly irreparably” and would “almost certainly lead to further conflict and increased displacement”.Let us be clear: this ban will be devastating for Palestinian refugees across the region. Food, water, education, even rubbish collection will all be affected.In the strongest possible terms, I urge the UK government to do everything it can to get all parties round the table and ensure that Unrwa can fulfil its UN-mandated work. The success of the current ceasefire hangs in the balance if not. Continue reading…
Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/jan/28/israel-gaza-netanyahu-trump-hamas-palestinians-middle-east-latest-live-news
Author : Christy Cooney (now) and Yohannes Lowe (earlier)
Publish date : 2025-01-28 13:43:00
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Middle East crisis live: Rafah mayor warns areas of city still too dangerous for Palestinians to return
