Israel Declines Visa Extension for Top UN Humanitarian Official
Eri Kaneko also noted that there were growing threats of reduced access to suffering civilians.
'Last week, it was indicated to us that our current Head of Office, Jonathan Whittall, won't have his visa extended by Israeli authorities beyond August. This came immediately after remarks he made at a press briefing about starving people being killed while trying to reach food,' Kaneko said.
He added that Isarel has recently renewed visas for UN staff for shorter periods than usual. Meanwhile, it denied access requests to Gaza for multiple agencies. Moreover, Israel withheld permits for Palestinian staff to enter East Jerusalem.
Israel has been under growing criticism from the UN during its war in Gaza that has internally displaced Gaza's entire population and caused one of the worst humanitarian crises worldwide. Call for Abolishing Investigation Body
In a response, Israel has urged the UN Human Rights Council to abolish the commission of inquiry into human rights violations in the Palestinian territories and Israel, according to Reuters. It also accused the council of bias and discrimination.
In the message sent on Wednesday, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Daniel Meron, said The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, discriminated against his country.
Israel has repeatedly criticized findings by the UN-mandated commission, that has denounced the Israeli military's actions since it has launched its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023.
Council spokesperson Pascal Sim said that Council President Jurg Lauber had already received the letter, but it would be up to the Council's 47 members to abolish the commission.
In March, the commission concluded that Israel had carried out 'genocidal acts' against Palestinians during its war in Gaza.
Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 137,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Related Topics:
Israel Seeks US Support to Expel Palestinians out of Gaza: Report
Syria, Israel Agree on Ceasefire amid Sweida Clashes: US Envoy
Slovenia Announces 2 Israeli Ministers Persona Non Grata
Short link :
Post Views: 100
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leaders
an hour ago
- Leaders
Italian PM Calls Recognizing Palestinian State Before its Establishment ‘Counterproductive'
After the French President's surprise plan of recognizing the Palestinian state in September, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that the recognition of the state before its establishment could be 'counterproductive'. Italy Prioritizes Establishing Palestinian State Meloni said that she supported the Palestinian state, but she is not in favor of recognizing it prior to establishing it, according to Al Arabiya. 'If something that doesn't exist is recognized on paper, the problem could appear to be solved when it isn't,' she told Italian daily La Repubblica. Meloni's remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced his plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. On Friday, Italian Foreign Minister revealed that recognizing a Palestinian state must align with recognition of Israel by the new Palestinian entity. UK Faces Mounting Pressure to Declare Recognition Meanwhile, the British PM has been facing mounting pressure to officially recognize Palestinian statehood, both from opposition lawmakers and from members of his own Labour Party government. On Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held an 'emergency call' with France and Germany to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The joint statement, issued after a call between Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, urged for an immediate ceasefire and said that 'withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.' Crucially, approximately 60 British Labour MPs have recently urged the UK government to immediately recognize the Palestinian state and halt what they labeled as 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza, according to The Guardian. Germany Takes Different Path On the contrary, Germany is not planning to recognize the Palestinian state in the short term, according to Reuters. A German government spokesperson said on Friday that his country's top priority now is to make 'long-overdue progress' towards a two-state solution. Germany's position on Israel in the context of the Gaza war is deeply shaped by its sense of special responsibility to atone for the Holocaust, during which six million European Jews were killed under Hitler's regime between 1933 and 1945. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 137,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: UK, France, Germany Urge Israel to End Gaza's Humanitarian Catastrophe Gaza Talks at Crossroads: US Pulls Negotiators as Mediators Report Progress UK to Hold Urgent Talks with France, Germany over Gaza War Short link : Post Views: 3
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamas Rejects Trump Remarks on Gaza Talks Breakdown
Hamas officials expressed surprise on Saturday at US President Donald Trump's accusation that the group "didn't really want" a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza. Trump made the allegation of Friday a day after Israel and the United States quit indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar that had lasted nearly three weeks. "Trump's remarks are particularly surprising, especially as they come at a time when progress had been made on some of the negotiation files," Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP. "So far, we have not been informed of any issues regarding the files under discussion in the indirect ceasefire negotiations", he added Nunu, who is close to Hamas's most senior political officials, said he was "surprised" that Israel and the United States had left the talks. Announcing the recall of US mediators on Thursday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not "acting in good faith". Though not part of the Hamas negotiating team, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishq insisted the group had shown "flexibility" in the talks. "The American statements deliberately ignore the real obstructionist to all agreements, Netanyahu's government, which continues to put obstacles, deceive and evade commitments," he said. Both Hamas officials called on the United States to be more even-handed in its role as mediator in the quest for a ceasefire after more than 21 months of fighting. "We call for an end to the US bias in favour of Netanyahu, who is obstructing any agreement", Nunu said.
Leaders
2 hours ago
- Leaders
UK, France, Germany Urge Israel to End Gaza's Humanitarian Catastrophe
Britain, France and Germany are currently pressing on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and put an immediate end to a 'humanitarian catastrophe,' according to The Associated Press. Urgent Call This move came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced his plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he would hold an 'emergency call' with France and Germany to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 'I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace,' he said in a statement on Thursday. The joint statement, issued after a call between Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, urged for an immediate ceasefire and said that 'withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.' The three leaders also stressed their readiness to take more steps to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that ensures lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region. Macron's Surprise Announcement Crucially, Macron's unexpected announcement revealed some differences among the European allies concerning how to end the Israel-Hamas war that has started in October 2023. The E3 supports the establishment of a Palestinian state in principle. However, Germany is not planning to recognize the Palestinian state in the short term, according to Reuters. A German government spokesperson said on Friday that his country's top priority now is to make 'long-overdue progress' towards a two-state solution. Germany's position on Israel in the context of the Gaza war is deeply shaped by its sense of special responsibility to atone for the Holocaust, during which six million European Jews were killed under Hitler's regime between 1933 and 1945. Mounting Pressure in UK As for the UK, the British PM has been facing mounting pressure to officially recognize Palestinian statehood, both from opposition lawmakers and from members of his own Labour Party government. British MP Jeremy Corbyn has recently unveiled an independent 'Gaza tribunal' to investigate the UK's involvement in Israeli genocide in Gaza, according to Arab News. The Independent MP, who was the former Labour Party leader, has been criticizing Israeli military operation in Gaza since October 2023. On June 4, Corbyn introduced a bill into the UK House of Commons urging the government to establish an independent inquiry into UK's complicity in Israeli war in Gaza, including the supply of weapons, surveillance aircraft and use of Royal Air Force bases. Independent Gaza Tribunal However, the bill was rejected at its second reading earlier this month. As a result, Corbyn announced that he would hold a Gaza tribunal in September as 'the public deserves to know the full scale of their government's complicity in genocide.' The British government has been facing increasing pressure from MPs, including many from its own Labour Party, to take a decisive step against Israel. Call for Palestinian State Recognition Approximately 60 British Labour MPs have recently urged the UK government to immediately recognize the Palestinian state and halt what they labeled as 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza, according to The Guardian. A group of centrist and left-wing MPs write a letter this week to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy asking him to act immediately to stop Israel's reported plan to establish a so-called 'humanitarian city' of tents in the ruins of Rafah, in southern Gaza. 'By not recognizing [Palestine] as a state, we undermine our own policy of a two-state solution and set an expectation that the status quo can continue and see the effective erasure and annexation of Palestinian territory,' the letter said. The MPs also described the plan as 'ethnic cleansing' warning that such a move means the forcible transfer of civilians and the erasure of Palestinian presence as well. It is with great urgency and concern that we are writing to you regarding the Israeli Defense Minister's announcement on Monday of his plans to forcibly transfer all Palestinian civilians in Gaza to a camp in the ruined city of Rafah without allowing them to leave,' the letter added. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 137,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: Gaza Talks at Crossroads: US Pulls Negotiators as Mediators Report Progress Canada Condemns Israel over Gaza's 'Humanitarian Disaster' UK to Hold Urgent Talks with France, Germany over Gaza War Short link : Post Views: 34
