Latest news with #StéphaneDujarric
Saba Yemen
3 days ago
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
UN: Israel Refuses to Renew Visas of UN Officials in Gaza
New York - Saba: The United Nations said that Israel has refused to renew visas for the heads of at least three of its agencies in Gaza, a decision UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher attributed to their efforts to protect Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric confirmed Thursday evening that the visas of the local heads of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) have not been renewed in recent months. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told the Security Council on Wednesday that the UN's humanitarian mandate is not limited to delivering aid to civilians in need and reporting on what its staff observe, but extends to advocacy and advocacy for international humanitarian law. He added: "Every time we report what we see, we face threats of further curtailment of our access to the civilians we are trying to assist. Nowhere is the difficulty of reconciling our mandate of humanitarian advocacy for the people of Gaza on the one hand and providing them with assistance on the other more evident than in Gaza." Fletcher explained that Israel explicitly denies or shortens visa renewals in response to our efforts to protect civilians. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Euronews
3 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Israel refuses to renew visas for agency heads in Gaza, UN says
Israel has refused to renew the visas for the heads of at least three United Nations agencies in Gaza, which the UN humanitarian chief said was "explicitly in response to our work on protection of civilians." Visas for the local leaders of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the human rights agency OHCHR and the agency supporting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have not been renewed in recent months, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed. Tom Fletcher, UN head of humanitarian affairs, told the Security Council on Wednesday that the UN's humanitarian mandate is not just to provide aid to civilians in need and report what its staff witnesses, but to advocate for international humanitarian law. "Each time we report on what we see, we face threats of further reduced access to the civilians we are trying to serve," he said. "Nowhere today is the tension between our advocacy mandate and delivering aid greater than in Gaza." Israel's UN Mission said it is looking into the issue. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies have claimed that UNRWA is deeply infiltrated by Hamas and that its staffers participated in the 7 October 2023 incursion into southern Israel. Israel formally stopped UNRWA from operating in its territory and its commissioner general, Swiss-Italian humanitarian Philippe Lazzarini, is subject to a ban on entering Gaza. The UN identified the other two local agency chiefs affected as Jonathan Whittall, a South African humanitarian expert for OCHA, and Ajith Sunghay, a British-educated international lawyer for OHCHR. At Wednesday's Security Council meeting, Fletcher called conditions in Gaza "beyond vocabulary," with food running out and Palestinians seeking something to eat being shot. He said Israel, the occupying power in Gaza, is failing in its obligation under the Geneva Conventions to provide for civilian needs. In response, Israel accused OCHA of continuing "to abandon all semblance of neutrality and impartiality in its statements and actions, despite claiming otherwise." Ravina Shamdasani, chief spokesperson for the Geneva-based UN human rights body, confirmed on Thursday that the head of its office in the occupied Palestinian territories "has been denied entry into Gaza." Fletcher, the UN humanitarian chief, told the Security Council that Israel is also not granting "security clearances" for staff to enter Gaza to continue their work and that UN humanitarian partners are increasingly being denied entry as well. He noted that "56% of the entries denied into Gaza in 2025 were for emergency medical teams — frontline responders who save lives." "Hundreds of aid workers have been killed; and those who continue to work endure hunger, danger and loss, like everyone else in the Gaza Strip," Fletcher said. But in a rare entrance to the territory by a delegation of outsiders, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza on Friday morning to express the "shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land." The delegation said it was also planning on sending hundreds of tons of food aid, medical supplies and equipment to families in Gaza, the patriarchate said, adding they also had "ensured evacuation" of individuals injured in the attack to hospitals outside the Strip. Funerals for Christians killed in church attack Meanwhile, funerals were held at the Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza for two of the three Christians killed in an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church on Thursday. The three people killed in the Israeli attack were Christian Orthodox living at the Holy Family Church together with dozens of others people who had been displaced. The shelling also damaged the church compound, which was being used as a shelter for both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, the acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital which received the casualties. US President Donald Trump called Netanyahu to express his frustration with Israel's military striking the church, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Leavitt said Trump did not have a "positive reaction" to the strike and that Netanyahu "agreed" to put out a statement as part of the conversation. Netanyahu later released a statement saying Israel "deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church." The Israeli military said an initial assessment indicated that "fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly" and said it was still investigating. The military said it only strikes militant targets and "makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and regrets any unintentional damage caused to them." Israel has repeatedly struck schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them for civilian deaths.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Syria: UN Chief Urges De-escalation As Sweida Violence Escalates, Israel Strikes Damascus
16 July 2025 News reports estimate that the sectarian violence in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, south of the capital, has killed more than 200. Israel explained its attacks in the heart of the capital and on pro-government forces in Sweida as a defensive move in support of the Druze community, which has a significant presence within Israel and in the Israeli-occupied Golan. The strikes on the defence ministry in Damascus also hit an area near the presidential palace, according to news reports and Syrian authorities. Pledging to protect the Druze minority but also following up on its threat to attack any Syrian military operations taking place south of the capital, Israel said it would intensify strikes if government forces did not withdraw from the region, according to news reports. Syrians 'robbed' of opportunity for peace ' The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Sweida ' and 'unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians,' said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Wednesday. It was the second day in a row that the UN chief has intervened to highlight the increasing civilian toll and 'reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace.' Mr. Guterres further condemned Israel's 'escalatory airstrikes' on Sweida, Daraa and central Damascus, together with 'reports of the IDF's redeployment of forces in the Golan,' the highly-contested mountainous region along the border of the two countries. The UN also called on Israel to cease any violations of Syria's sovereignty and respect for the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. The UN chief also reiterated the need to support 'a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria in line with the key principles of Security Council Resolution 2254.' Extending his condolences to the people of Syria, the Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate de-escalation of violence measures to facilitate humanitarian access. Civilians in peril Mr. Dujarric said UN humanitarians were warning that 'the deadly hostilities continue to put civilians at risk, with ongoing reports of significant displacement and damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and telecommunications networks,' Mr. Dujarric said. Access to Sweida and the impacted areas remains severely constrained due to insecurity and road closures, and civilians are unable to reach shelters. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said that the UN and its humanitarian partners plan to assess the needs and provide essential assistance in Sweida as soon as conditions allow. Mr. Dujarric underscored that medical services in Sweida and the neighbouring Daraa Governorate are overstretched and hospitals are almost at capacity. While the World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched emergency medical supplies to Daraa, deliveries to Sweida have yet to get through due to the fighting.
Euronews
5 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Rival leaders of divided Cyprus seek progress on future
The rival leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus are meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday to discuss the future of the island and build upon talks in March, which marked the first step toward renewed dialogue after years of deadlock. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the latest meeting "will provide an opportunity to continue the dialogue and exchange views on the progress made since March. At that last meeting in Geneva, Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar agreed to trust-building measures on issues like energy, environment, youth affairs and demining, as well as opening four new crossing points along a UN-controlled buffer zone that divides the Mediterranean island. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Greek-backed coup triggered a Turkish military intervention. This led to a split between the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot-controlled Republic of Cyprus and the self-declared entity in the north. Only Turkey recognises the island's breakaway state of North Cyprus, and it maintains more than 35,000 troops in the territory. While the Republic of Cyprus is part of the European Union, EU law does not apply in the breakaway northern entity, which remains under Turkish military presence. Negotiations between the rivals have been stalled since 2017. As with the meeting in March in Geneva, guarantors from Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom will be at the two-day meeting in New York at the request of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Ahead of the latest talks, the Republic of Cyprus' deputy government spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou — who serves under Christodoulides — told Euronews that the Greek side's main aim was to agree on specific outcomes for the trust-building measures. "The aim is to go to the next step, which is to create the conditions for direct negotiations," Antoniou said in an exclusive interview. "For us, this is the most important thing. That is to go to the negotiating table in search of a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem," he added. Concern over crossing points The primary obstacle to peace is Turkey's and Northern Cyprus' insistence on a two-state solution. This goes against Cyprus' desire for a federation — a model endorsed by the UN Security Council — that foresees Greek-speaking and Turkish-speaking zones. Greek Cypriots say they won't agree to any accord that formally partitions the island, allows for a permanent Turkish troop presence, gives Turkey rights to militarily intervene or offers the minority Turkish Cypriots a veto right on all government decisions. The rivals have made some progress since March on the trust-building measures, which also include work on a photovoltaic park inside the buffer zone and restoration work on cemeteries on both sides of the divide. However, the opening of four new crossing points has proved to be a sticking point. Antoniou told Euronews that the Turkish Cypriot side had deployed a "delaying policy". "They claim that they cannot decide for themselves and that it is a matter for the Turkish army. We cannot accept this argument," he said. "We can't agree to the opening of just one roadblock, because there must be an element of reciprocity, that is to say, we must accept the opening of crossing points, but these must serve the inhabitants on both sides of Cyprus, in the occupied and free areas." On the issue of the photovoltaic park within the buffer zone, Antoniou said his government objected to the Turkish Cypriot side's stance on the matter. "The other side essentially wants this photovoltaic park to operate in the conditions of two separate sovereign states, which we will certainly not accept," he said. 'Lack of trust' In the light of geopolitical challenges and conflicts ranging from the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in Sryia to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Turkey has increasingly positioned itself as a point of stability and powerbroker in the Middle East. For the Greek Cypriots, this is a concern, according to Antoniou. "We see the Turkish side, after the fall of the al-Assad regime in Syria, approaching things with more political and diplomatic arrogance," he told Euronews. "What concerns us at the moment is that it seems that Tatar is following a delaying policy because he may be serving his own agenda due to the upcoming 'elections'," he added. Tatar faces reelection in October and says he is running on the same two-state platform — with the backing of Ankara — that first got him elected in 2020. Antoniou said he believed the mediators in New York intended to maintain dialogue during this meeting in the expectation that after the elections in Northern Cyprus "there may be a political environment that allows us to move forward". "We are not expecting anything drastic in New York, or any substantial change due to the attitude of the Turkish side", he added. In a recent interview with Politis, a daily Greek-language newspaper published in Cyprus, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus María Angela Holguín said she was worried about "the growing gap between the two communities at a societal level". Antoniou said that there was a lot of work to be done by both sides on this issue, although he stressed that the two very different situations should not be equated. "For our part, as far as possible, we are trying to work creatively around these issues with respect for the rights of Turkish Cypriots and respect for religious freedoms in the free areas for all the inhabitants of the island," he said. "Turkish Cypriots are free to come to the free areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus and pray, visit their mosques and so on, while on the other side the same is not exactly the case. Consequently, they are two completely different worlds a lot of times, which exacerbates this feeling of lack of trust, unfortunately," Antoniou added.
Al Mayadeen
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
UN urges press freedom amid arrest of Al Mayadeen's Nasser Al-Lahham
The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, called for clarity surrounding the arrest of Al Mayadeen's bureau chief in occupied Palestine, Nasser Al-Lahham, emphasizing the necessity of allowing journalists to operate freely, without fear of imprisonment or any form of intimidation. His remarks came during a press conference in response to Al Mayadeen's inquiry about whether UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been urging the release of detained media personnel, including Al-Lahham. Dujarric expressed serious concern regarding the situation of journalists in occupied Palestine, stating: 'Not only is there a shortage of journalists in Gaza, but there has also been harassment against journalists in both Gaza and the West Bank throughout the conflict in general.' The Israeli military court at Ofer has extended the detention of Al-Lahham until next Sunday to allow for "continued interrogation," according to a joint statement by the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS).Al Mayadeen had previously submitted an official letter to the UN spokesperson on the day of Al-Lahham's arrest, urging the United Nations to take a clear position on the arbitrary and unjustified detention. No formal response was received. During the most recent press briefing, Al Mayadeen reiterated its demand for a concrete stance, especially in light of the ongoing targeting of Palestinian media professionals. Hundreds of Palestinian journalists have been killed or detained by Israeli authorities during the ongoing war in Gaza and the West Bank. Despite this alarming toll, the UN response remained general, urging an end to the harassment of journalists and calling for their right to work freely to be respected. More journalists and media workers have been murdered in the besieged Gaza Strip since October 2023, when "Israel" began its continuing genocidal assault there, than in both World Wars and other major conflicts combined, according to a recent report, titled "News Graveyards: How Dangers to War Reporters Endanger the World," published by Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Read more: Wartime journalism: The choices we make and the price we pay
