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Israel Demands UNRWA Cease Activities in East Jerusalem by January 30
View of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) building in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: Abed Rahim Khatib / Flash90.
i24 News – Israel has officially demanded that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) cease all activities in East Jerusalem within six days.
The directive, conveyed in a letter from Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, calls for the agency to vacate its premises in the city by January 30.
This marks the enforcement of legislation passed by the Knesset in October 2024 that bans UNRWA’s operations within Israel’s jurisdiction.
In his letter, Danon justified the action by citing serious national security risks, alleging that Hamas and other terrorist organizations have infiltrated the ranks of UNRWA. “This decision is a response to the grave danger posed by the widespread infiltration of terrorist organizations into UNRWA’s structures and operations. UNRWA has consistently refused to address these critical concerns raised by Israel,” Danon wrote.
The ambassador underscored Israel’s readiness to cooperate with other UN agencies not implicated by similar security threats. “Israel remains committed to international law and is prepared to work collaboratively with the United Nations and its agencies, provided they are free from the influence of terrorist organizations,” Danon added.
The Knesset’s legislation, passed in late October 2024, explicitly prohibits UNRWA from operating within Israeli territory and bars Israeli officials from engaging with the agency’s personnel. This move represents a significant escalation in Israel’s long-standing critique of UNRWA, which it accuses of perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and fostering anti-Israel sentiment.
Israel has also raised concerns about the misuse of UNRWA facilities, claiming they have been used for incitement against Israel and, in some cases, to store weapons or facilitate militant activities. These allegations have fueled a broader campaign by Israeli officials to diminish UNRWA’s presence in the region.
The UNRWA was established in 1949 to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Over the decades, its mandate has expanded to include education, health care, and social services for millions of Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. However, critics argue that its operations have become politicized and that it has failed to contribute to resolving the refugee issue.
The UN has yet to formally respond to Israel’s demand. It remains unclear how this directive will impact the refugees reliant on UNRWA’s services in East Jerusalem, where the agency runs schools, clinics, and other critical facilities.
The post Israel Demands UNRWA Cease Activities in East Jerusalem by January 30 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Riding Anti-Trump Wave, Australia’s Albanese Secures 2nd term
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Aug. 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy
i24 News – Australia’s Anthony Albanese claimed a second term as prime minister on Saturday, in a comeback against once-resurgent conservatives that commentators said was powered by voters’ concerns about the impact of US President Donald Trump.
Peter Dutton, leader of the conservative Liberal party, conceded defeat and the loss of his own seat, echoing the fate of Canada’s conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre, whose election losses last week were also widely attributed to a Trump backlash.
Supporters at Labor’s election party in Sydney cheered and hugged each other as Albanese claimed victory and said his party would form a majority government.
“Our government will choose the Australian way, because we are proud of who we are and all that we have built together in this country,” Albanese told supporters.
The Australian Electoral Commission website projected Labor would win 81 of 150 seats in the House of Representatives, increasing its majority in parliament, with 68% of the vote counted.
The post Riding Anti-Trump Wave, Australia’s Albanese Secures 2nd term first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli PM Netanyahu Postpones Upcoming Visit to Azerbaijan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerusalem, Feb. 16, 2025. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed next week’s visit to Azerbaijan, his office announced on Saturday, in part due to recent developments in Gaza and Syria.
The prime minister’s office also cited “the intense diplomatic and security schedule” and said that the visit would be rescheduled, without announcing a new date.
Netanyahu was to visit Azerbaijan from May 7-11 and was expected to meet with President Ilham Aliyev. Israel and Azerbaijan maintain close security and energy ties.
The post Israeli PM Netanyahu Postpones Upcoming Visit to Azerbaijan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Says It Intercepted Missile Fired from Yemen; Houthis Claim Responsibility
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
Israel’s military said on Saturday it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen and Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the attack, the third of its kind by the Iran-aligned group in 24 hours.
The Israeli military said sirens were activated in a number of areas in Israel after the missile was launched. No casualties or serious damage have been reported from the missile salvos.
The claim of responsibility, announced by the Houthis’ military spokesperson, came amid an intensification of US airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
In March, US President Donald Trump ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to reduce their capabilities and deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The deadly strikes on the group have been the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January.
The Houthis say their attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping are in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Hamas terrorists and Israel in Gaza.
The group pledged to expand its range of targets in Israel in retaliation for a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza launched in mid-March, breaking a two-month-old ceasefire after the mediated talks on terms for extending it broke down.
The post Israel Says It Intercepted Missile Fired from Yemen; Houthis Claim Responsibility first appeared on Algemeiner.com.