UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called in a letter on Tuesday for the cancellation of the new law banning in Israel the activities of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), considered a terrorist stronghold by Israel and as the backbone of humanitarian aid by the international community.
Meanwhile, Israel is increasing deadly attacks on all fronts. A single strike left around a hundred dead in Gaza, while others in southern Lebanon caused around fifteen victims during the day on Tuesday. Barely announced as head of Hezbollah, the new leader of the movement Naïm Qassem was immediately threatened by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Information to remember
⇒ Antonio Guterres calls for the reversal of the UNRWA ban in a letter
⇒ Up to 100 dead in massive IDF strike on Gaza residence
⇒ The new leader of Hezbollah Naïm Qassem immediately threatened
07:30
A hundred dead in a strike in Gaza
Nearly 100 people, including women and children, were killed in an Israeli strike on Tuesday in the Gaza Strip, local emergency services said, with the United States deploring a “horrible” raid in the Palestinian territory devastated by a year of war . It was “the Abu Nasr family residence”, a five-story family building in Beit Lahia, in the north of the Gaza Strip, which was hit. Dozens of people are still believed to be under the rubble.
The building collapsed in the night, “surprising residents in their sleep” according to a neighbor’s testimony to AFP. “Most of the victims are women and children. People are trying to save the injured, but there are no hospitals or adequate medical care.” Israel’s main military supporter, the United States said it had “contacted” its ally to demand accountability after this “horrible strike with horrible results”. The Israeli army said it was examining “information about an incident” in Beit Lahia. She also claimed Tuesday to have killed “around 40 terrorists” in Jabalia in the north of the strip.
07:10
UN chief calls for UNRWA to be maintained
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to request the continuation of the activities of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), after the announcement on Tuesday October 29 of its ban by the Israeli Parliament on its soil. The latter is considered by the international community as the “backbone” of humanitarian aid in Gaza, and as the stronghold of Hamas by Israel, which has long sought to have it banned.
“The law as we understand it gives 90 days before coming into force. We are in contact with the Israeli authorities. The Secretary General sent a letter a few hours ago to the Israeli Prime Minister to highlight his concerns, the questions raised under international law,” declared its spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, hoping that the law passed by the Israeli parliament on Monday which bans the agency in Israel will “not be applied.”
07:05
Gulf states condemn UNRWA ban
Several Gulf countries were outraged in the hours following the announcement of the UNRWA ban. “The international community cannot remain silent in the face of this contempt for international institutions” whose role is “vital” in the besieged Gaza Strip, affirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, stressing that its country had recently committed itself to provide $100 million to the agency. Qatar is mediating the war between Israel and Hamas and has been trying for months to negotiate a truce agreement and a release of Israeli hostages.
In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the Israeli decision in a statement, calling it a “blatant violation of international law.” While the United Arab Emirates “strongly condemned” the Israeli law, which will “worsen the humanitarian situation” in Gaza.
06:55
Israel threatens to hit Iran “very hard” in the event of an attack
Israeli Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevi on Tuesday threatened to hit Iran “very hard” if the country responded to Israel’s attack on Saturday against military targets on Iranian territory. “If Iran makes the mistake of launching another salvo of missiles at Israel, we will once again know how to reach Iran […] and we will hit very, very hard,” said Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.
Addressing military personnel who participated in the Oct. 26 strike, he said the military did not carry out strikes against certain targets in Iran that day in case “we might be forced (to hit) again”. “This story is not over; we are still in the middle of it,” he added, according to a statement released by the army.
06:45
New Hezbollah leader Naïm Qassem immediately threatened
On Tuesday, Naïm Qassem was appointed head of Hezbollah to replace Hassan Nasrallah, killed on September 27 in an Israeli strike near Beirut. Having just been appointed, he was immediately threatened with the same fate as his predecessor by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. “The countdown has begun,” said the latter, referring to X as a “temporary appointment”.
For his part, the Iranian president, whose country is the main military and financial support of the Lebanese movement, estimated that this appointment would “strengthen resistance” against Israel. “I am convinced that the presence of a brilliant personality like yours, at the head of the movement […] will lead to strengthening the determination of the resistance” against Israel, Massoud Pezeshkian said in a statement, saying he hoped for “peace, tranquility and security in Gaza, Lebanon and the entire region.”