UN appoints envoy to assess aid for Palestinians
United Nations – The United Nations on Tuesday appointed an envoy to complete a 'strategic assessment' of the agency charged with aiding Palestinians, a spokesman said.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed Ian Martin of the United Kingdom to review the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, to gauge the 'political, financial, security' constraints the agency faces.
The organization, broadly considered to be the backbone of humanitarian aid delivery for embattled Palestinians, has withstood a barrage of criticism and accusations from Israel since Hamas's deadly October 7, 2023 attack inside Israel and the devastating war in Gaza that followed.
Israel cut all contact with UNRWA at the end of January, and has accused 19 of its 13,000 employees in Gaza of being directly involved in the October 7 attacks.
'We're trying to see how in this very complex environment, UNRWA can best deliver for the Palestine refugees it serves. For the communities it serves, they deserve to be assisted by an organization, by an UNRWA that can work in the best possible manner,' spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
The review is being carried out as part of the UN80 initiative launched last month to address chronic financial difficulties, which are being exacerbated by US budget cuts to international aid programs.
Not all agencies will undergo a strategic assessment, but UNRWA's operations in Gaza are unique, Dujarric said.
'We will not question UNRWA's mandate. We will see how UNRWA can better operate and better serve the communities that rely on' it, Dujarric added.
The agency was created by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1949, in the wake of the first Israeli-Arab conflict, shortly after the creation of Israel in 1948.
Throughout decades of sporadic but ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, UNRWA has provided essential humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
Educated at Cambridge and Harvard universities, Martin has previously served the UN on missions in Somalia, Libya, Timor-Leste, Nepal, Eritrea, Rwanda and Haiti.
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Israeli airstrikes kill civilians, bomb kills Israeli soldiers
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At Anti-Israel Protests In Pakistan, Islamic Religious Scholars Call For Jihad Against Israel, Urge Rulers Of Islamic Nations To Use Their Armies To Help Palestinians
In April and May 2025, Pakistan's Islamic religious organizations, especially Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JeIP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), held a series of conferences and mass rallies in several Pakistani towns and cities where Islamic scholars and community leaders expressed support for Hamas and called for jihad against Israel. A national Palestine conference was held on April 10 in Islamabad, while protests and events were also held at Rawalakot and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir as well as in the cities of Karachi, Hyderabad, and Quetta, among others. At these events, the religious scholars called for supporting Palestinians and Kashmiris. Islamic scholars address the National Palestine Conference in Islamabad on April 10, 2025 On April 10, a national Palestine conference was held in Islamabad to express solidarity with the Palestinians, where Hamas representative Dr. Naji Zaheer, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, President of the Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabiya Mufti Taqi Usmani, prominent Islamic scholar Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, and other eminent personalities delivered speeches.[1] According to a report in the Urdu daily Roznama Express: "In the declaration adopted by the national conference, Muslims were called upon to boycott Israel and its supporting countries… According to shari'a, under the principle of 'Al-Aqrab Fal-Aqrab [i.e., jihad becoming obligatory on those on and near the crisis site and its scope expanding gradually to cover wider regions],' jihad has become obligatory on all Muslims."[2] The declaration stated: "Regarding Palestine, no pact prevents participation in this jihad [against Israel]. In the name of Palestine, no armed-struggle against our own governments will be legitimate. The entire region, including Israel, belongs to Palestinians."[3] At the conference, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, the head of Tanzeem Al-Madaris, read out the declaration adopted on the occasion. Dr. Naji Zaheer, the Hamas representative, who was a star speaker at the conference, said: "Palestinians have great hopes from Pakistan. Israel is afraid of Pakistan, otherwise it wants to complete the project of Greater Israel."[4] Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose organization Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) has led many anti-Israel pretests in Pakistani towns over the past few years, told the gathering: "If Pakistan does not fight for the Palestinians, it is denying its ideology. The [so-called] philosophers of our country ask how the economy will function if relations with Israel are not improved. What is there to fear? Pakistan's position on Israel should be clear. We also want to know the position of the state of Pakistan."[5] Hamas representative Dr. Zuhair Naji, who lives in Pakistan, addresses the conference Calling the gathering "historic" and urging practical jihad, Maulana Fazlur Rehman promoted a hardline approach, inciting violence rather than fostering a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian issue. "Today's gathering is not a traditional gathering; history will not be able to ignore this gathering. The entire nation is united on the issue of Palestine. Practical jihad has become obligatory on the Ummah. Muslims should participate in jihad in any way possible," he added.[6] The JUI-F leader said: "In 1917, when the State of Israel was proposed, only two percent of Jews lived in Palestine. Correct history and do not spread the lie that Palestinian Muslims sold their lands themselves. There is a Jewish conspiracy behind any problem in Pakistan. In these circumstances, the purpose of the establishment of Pakistan should be understood."[7] The state of Pakistan was established as a homeland for Muslims; Maulana Fazlur Rehman's message was that the nuclear-armed Pakistan must support Palestinians practically. One of the leading speakers at the conference was Grand Mufti of Pakistan Taqi Usmani. The religious scholar questioned Muslim governments for not using their armies for jihad, saying: "Peaceful protests are allowed, throwing stones and harming someone's life and property is forbidden. Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israeli bombing continues. The Zionists do not have any faith, any religion, any international agreement or promise. What is the use of the armies of Muslim countries if they do not wage jihad?"[8] "The requirement was that instead of gathering here [in Islamabad], we would have gathered in Gaza. A ceasefire agreement was reached in Palestine; despite the ceasefire agreement, the bombing continues. Israel has no moral values nor the value of international laws. [U.S. President Donald] Trump has now started considering the entire world his property. Despite seeing death, the Palestinians have not backed down from their position," Mufti Usmani said.[9] Mufti Taqi Usmani (left) and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman address the National Conference on Palestine on April 10, 2025. The Grand Mufti accused Israel of implementing a plan for Greater Israel, saying: "Today, preparations are being made to implement the Greater Israel plan. According to the United Nations, no one has human rights except those with fair skin. The [Hamas] brave-hearts in Gaza have created a new history. Will jihad not be obligatory even after seeing more than 55,000 Muslims being slaughtered?"[10] Mufti Taqi Usmani added: "The founder of Pakistan [M.A. Jinnah] had called [Israel] an illegitimate child. Our position will not change under any circumstances, no matter how much power Israel gets. When we do not have any pact with Israel, there is no excuse [for Jihad]. Muslim countries should know that when it has broken agreements, then by what agreement are you bound?"[11] The Islamic religious scholar also said: "The U.S. Secretary of State has said that no matter how many Muslims Israel kills, we will not stop supporting it. After Israel, America has also broken its agreements. We do not say to launch a nuclear attack on anyone. Governments have a thousand ways; they should realize that jihad is our duty."[12] Earlier, on February 5, to mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day, several events were held in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir by militant groups and the Pakistani military and government. These events were also attended and addressed by jihadi commanders and Hamas leaders. One of the biggest events was held in the town of Rawalakot in Pakistani Kashmir. Hamas spokespersons Dr. Khalid Qaddoumi and Dr. Naji Zaheer, along with Hamas leaders Mufti Azam and Bilal Alsallat, participated in the event, according to an Indian media report.[13] The event was also attended by Talha Saif, brother of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) emir Maulana Masood Azhar, JeM commander Asghar Khan Kashmiri, senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Masood Ilyas, and other top LeT commanders. Jihadi leaders address a rally in Rawalakot, Pakistani Kashmir, on February 5, 2025. "The entire event was an effort to build a narrative to equate the Gaza Strip with Jammu and Kashmir," Indian media outlet News 18 reported.[14] "The conference had been organised to spin a common tale of Pakistan and Palestine as well-knit united fronts against Israel and India," the report said.[15] In a video of the Rawalakot event available on the internet, several militant leaders can be seen delivering speeches.[16] One militant leader, speaking Urdu, warns India: "I want to tell [Indian Home Minister] Amit Shah that the mujahideen of Kashmir and Palestine have become united…"[17] Not far from Rawalakot, on the same day in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended another conference to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day. Speaking on the occasion, General Asim Munir warned India, saying: "Today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or in the near future, you may commit atrocities in occupied Kashmir, but this will not go on forever. The decision of Kashmir must be made by the people of Kashmir, not by any occupying force in Kashmir. Three wars have been fought for Kashmir, and if ten more need to be fought, we will fight, Allah willing."[18] He made these remarks at the at the martyrs' memorial in Muzaffarabad. In his speech to mark Kashmir Solidarity Day, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed support for Kashmiris, saying: "Pakistan will continue to offer its unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support to the Kashmiri people till the realization of their right to self-determination."[19] Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir (third from left) attends an event in Muzaffarabad on February 5, 2025, held as part of the Kashmir Solidarity Day commemorations On April 13, just three days later, another public rally on the theme of "Solidarity with Gaza" was organized by JeIP on Shahrah-e-Faisal Road in Karachi. Addressing the protestors, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said: "Israel is committing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, while Pakistan's political leadership and the international community remain silent. PML-N, PPP, and PTI must also raise their voices for Gaza and condemn the U.S. and Israel."[20] PML-N refers to Pakistan Muslim League (N) Party of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while PPP stands for Pakistan's People Party led by Bilawal Bhutto, son of President Asif Zardari, and PTI for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman further said: "[Israel] has shredded the United Nations charter. Even today, Israel cannot face Hamas. The brutality in Gaza has exposed the true face of Western leaders. Even in the U.S., 50 percent of people support Palestine. Every child around the world is expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza. All political parties should condemn Israel."[21] The JeI leader reminded the protestors that Pakistan's first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was asked to recognize Israel, but he replied: "Our foundation is not for sale" – referring to the religious foundation of the newly created Islamic state of Pakistan.[22] JeI, which is the largest religious organization in Pakistan, also held a nationwide shutter-down strike, in which shops and other businesses close to halt commercial activity as a form of protest, on April 27 to signal popular consensus and pressure the government into adopting a firmer anti-Israel stance.[23] Business centers remained closed in most cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Quetta. Lawyers in various cities also observed a complete strike and boycotted court proceedings. Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, addressed a press conference at the Jamaat headquarters Mansoorah in Lahore, where he declared the nationwide shutter-down strike as successful, stating that the success of the strike was a proof that the entire Pakistani nation stands against Israel and India.[24] The strike was held just five days after the April 22 jihadi terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir in which more than two dozen Hindu males were shot dead.[25] JeI emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman raises slogans during the Gaza Million March on April 20, held to express solidarity with Palestinians As part of the April 27 nationwide strike, local JeI leaders in the city of Hyderabad, Pakistan's Sindh province, held a Press Conference in front of the Hyderabad Press Club. On this occasion, Hafiz Tahir Majeed, the Emir of JeI for Hyderabad district, and other JeI leader Aqeel Ahmad Khan, Abdu Quayyum Sheikh, Muhammad Hanif Sheikh, Abdul Basit Khan, and Hafiz Sufiyan Nasir were present. According to a report in the Urdu daily Roznama Jasarat, Hafiz Tahir Majeed said: "Today's strike was a referendum that has told the entire world that we are standing shoulder to shoulder with Palestine. I salute the citizens of Hyderabad, whose hearts beat with the Muslims of Gaza."[26] "America, Israel, and India play the role of security guards – they have destroyed the peace and order of the entire world," he said, adding: "With America's support, Israel is planning to destroy Gaza. The fate of America, Israel, and India is bringing them toward Pakistan."[27] Hafiz Tahir Majeed slammed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for terminating the Indus Water Treaty. "If India shows an eye to Pakistan, we have the capability to gouge out both its eyes. We will wipe India from the map. Tomorrow we have to take back Delhi, which belonged to Muslims. Insha'Allah, very soon Pakistan's flag will unfurl over Delhi."[28] The JeI leader said: "The world will see that India, Israel, and America will not find two metres of land on earth. After Pharaoh, they are the people who will be most ashamed in the world."[29] Hafiz Tahir Majeed also accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians, adding: "On the issue of Gaza, the entire Pakistani nation stands in unison… If Islamic countries do not make joint efforts regarding a ceasefire, the situation will not be in anybody's control."[30] JeI leaders in Hyderabad city talk to the media on April 27 In Lahore, on April 13, Pakistan's leading religious scholar Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, addressed a Press Conference where he called for the boycott of Israeli products. "We must boycott Israeli products. We want a free Palestinian state. The elders of the entire Muslim world should be gathered in Mecca [to formulate a joint response on Israel]," he said and also expressed support for an independent Kashmir.[31] Calling for "practical steps" for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said: "The army, government, and people of Pakistan stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Palestine. Palestine and Gaza are ours – they were and will remain so… Our hearts are with the people of Palestine. May Allah grant freedom to the people of Palestine and Kashmir."[32] He added: "Palestine belongs to the people of Palestine, and no conspiracy to expel the people of Gaza from their land can be accepted. The government and various organizations are sending aid for the people of Palestine. We have remained peaceful in our protest demonstrations. At this time, there is a need to unite the Muslim Ummah, and we appeal to all Muslims to pray."[33] One of the largest anti-Israel protests was organized by JUI-F on May 15 in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan. Addressing the protestors, JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman said: "The alliance between India and Israel is part of history. The Modi government, acting as an Israeli representative, carried out attacks in Pakistan but we took revenge for Gaza by giving a befitting reply."[34] It should be noted that in response to the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir, India launched strikes at nine terror centres in Pakistan on May 7, leading to a four-day war with Pakistan.[35] "Israel has been Pakistan's enemy from Day One," Maulana Fazlur Rehman said, adding: "The rulers of Israel were busy in a rabbit's dream but we opposed Israel from Day One and will continue to do so in future, while Jews and Hindus are one…"[36] He added: "Pakistan should be cautious of the India-Israel axis. If Muslim rulers gather courage, then Israel's power can be eliminated."[37] * Mantasha Ansari is a Research Assistant at MEMRI's South Asia Studies Project.
Memri
12 hours ago
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Editor Of Qatari Government Daily: Hamas Must Not Disarm – It Will Defeat Israel With The Strength Of Its Weapons Like The Taliban Defeated Both The U.S. And The West
According to numerous recent reports in Arab media, a demand to disarm has been presented to Hamas, as part of the contacts for a ceasefire in Gaza, and this demand was rejected by Hamas officials.[1] Joining Hamas in its position are journalists in Qatar, who call the weapons of the Palestinian resistance an "existential necessity" that "are not to be bargained over"; they also refer to them as "honor" and that "relinquishing them is humiliation" and as a means that "caused heavy losses to the occupation." Particularly noticeable among these journalists was the position of Jabar Al-Harmi, editor of the Al-Sharq government daily, who called on Hamas not to give up its weapons and not to disavow its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, because "what was taken by force will be restored only by force." He called on Hamas to act like the Taliban in Afghanistan, which despite its sacrifices never gave up its weapons and, "armed from head to toe," forced the U.S. to sit at the negotiating table with it to discuss "not what it [the U.S.] would achieve and what it would gain, but how it would escape [from Afghanistan]." Hamas's holding on to its weapons, he said, would stop Israel from recovering from October 7; he added that in any case, Israel's disappearance was nearer than people think. It should be noted that Al-Harmi also holds antisemitic views and has called for the destruction of Israel. In his articles in the newspaper, and on his X account, he regularly expresses support for Hamas and its October 7, 2023 attack, in which 1,200 were killed and 251 were taken to Gaza as hostages.[2] This mirrors Qatar's absolute support for Hamas.[3] Cartoon in Qatari daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi: Resistance fighter stands fast against attempts to take "the weapons of the resistance" from him. (Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, April 25, 2025) This report will present the positions of writers in Qatar on the subject of the "weapons of the resistance," particularly the position of Al-Sharq editor Jabar Al-Harmi: Al-Sharq Editor Al-Harmi On X, May 24, 2025: Like The Taliban, Hamas Must Not Give Up Its Weapons – And Must Not Disavow Its October 7 Attack Al-Sharq editor Jabar Al-Harmi called on Hamas not to give up its weapons and not to disavow its October 7, 2023 attack. He likened Hamas's situation to that of the Afghan Taliban, who never relinquished their weapons and even, he said, forced the U.S. to negotiate with them by force of their weapons, in addition to "defeating Russia and then the U.S. and the West all together" who today seek "the love of the Afghans – love that comes by force of arms." In a May 24, 2025 post on X, Al-Harmi wrote: "Had the Afghans agreed to solutions of submission during the invasion of their country by two of the strongest countries – the U.S.S.R. in 1979 and the U.S. in 2002 [sic[4]] – and had they said 'We have no strength against these two countries, we are a poor country, and if we are in a position of inferiority, we have no weapons and the world is set against us,' they would not today have a state that is respected by all those who invaded them previously. "The Afghans opposed [the invaders] with their force and might, defeating Russia and then the U.S. and the West all together. Although the invaders used the most criminal weapons, including weapons banned by international conventions, the Afghans did not surrender, despite all the victims. This is what ultimately forced the invaders to sit at the negotiating table with them, by force of arms – not to negotiate over what it [the U.S.] would achieve and what it would gain, but how it would escape [from Afghanistan]. "This did not happen by virtue of the Afghans' consent to disarm – it was by virtue of their strong opposition to the invaders and their defense by means of everything they had, and by means of the weapons of the enemies that they had seized. This is the path to liberation. What was taken by force will be restored only by force, and anything else is an attempt to anesthetize and distract the occupied peoples. Today, Russia and the U.S. seek the love of the Afghans – a love that comes by force of arms. "Consent to disarm the resistance in Gaza and to disavow the October 7 [attack] means that the enemy [Israel] will revive, [and will continue to exist] for the next 100 years. Even if the Palestinian people is wounded, and if the Gazans are dead, do not think that the enemy is relaxed – on the contrary, its fear is greater, and it is now focusing on its entity's future. Will this entity, which is [weaker than] a spiderweb,[5] survive, or will it disappear and not see out its eighth decade? Its disappearance is nearer than you think. 'If you should be suffering – so are they suffering as you are suffering' – but the difference [between the two comes at the end of the verse]: 'You have hope of reward, help, and support from Allah, which they cannot hope for.'[6]"[7] Post by Jaber Al-Harmi ( May 24, 2025) Al-Harmi On X, April 14, 2025: The "Weapons Of The Resistance" In Gaza Are Not For Sale And Are Nonnegotiable In a previous X post, on April 14, 2025, Al-Harmi rejected the demand that Hamas disarm, using the same parallel to the Taliban's refusal to negotiate over disarming. He wrote: "The resistance in Gaza, whether Hamas or another [resistance movement], will not fall into the trap of disarmament, no matter what guarantees [it receives]... "[In the case of the] Taliban in Afghanistan, the U.S. tried to set this [disarmament] as the main condition for negotiations, [but the] Taliban would not negotiate at all about this, and the U.S. was forced to go back to the negotiating table with the Taliban while the latter was armed from head to toe. They told the U.S.: 'It was only the weapons that brought you to sit at the negotiating table with us. Therefore, the resistance must not negotiate over its weapons in any way.' The weapons of the resistance in Gaza are not for sale and are nonnegotiable."[8] Article In Al-Sharq, April 23, 2025: The Weapons Of The Resistance Are An Existential Necessity And An Influential Means Of Action Opposition to disarming Hamas was also seen in many articles in the Qatari government press. For example, Palestinian writer Hadir Rashad explained in his column in Al-Sharq, under the headline "The Weapons Of The Resistance Are Not For Bargaining," that "it is not easy to raise the issue of disarming the resistance without this proposal crashing into the obvious wall of reality, according to which weapons in the hands of peoples under occupation are not a choice but an existential necessity... The weapons of the resistance in Gaza will never be a mere symbol or slogan – they are an influential means of action that caused the occupation heavy losses in lives and in [its] economy... "The call to disarm the resistance in Palestine before the occupation departs is a call for surrender, not peace; for permanent consent to the aggression and not for stopping it; for apparent calm whose hidden meaning is seizing the trump card from the hands of the people that has only force of will and arms."[9] Article In Al-Watan, May 16, 2025: Weapons Are Honor, Relinquishing Them Is Humiliation In his May 16, 2025 column in the Qatari government daily Al-Watan, Palestinian writer Samir Al-Barghouti presented the results of a Palestinian poll that showed widespread Palestinian support for Hamas amid the decline in the prestige of the Palestinian Authority and of Fatah. He stated that "82% of the Palestinian [respondents] said that they oppose handing over the weapons of the resistance." He summarized the survey, stating: "Since the first and second intifadas, and the [Al-Aqsa] Flood [the October 7 attack], Palestinians have believed that they have no other choice but resistance, and that weapons are honor, and relinquishing them is humiliation."[10]
