Aid workers accused of taking part on 7/10 attack on Israel - appalling !

[Lanabigbanana]

https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/serious-allegations-against-unrwa-staff-gaza-strip

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-investigates-staff-suspected-role-israel-attacks-2024-01-26/

From the Guardian 5 hours ago;

"UK suspends UNRWA support after Israeli allegations The UK has temporarily paused future funding of UNRWA, saying it is “appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel”.
A statement sent to the Guardian by the UK’s foreign, commonwealth and development office said:
'The UK is appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK government has repeatedly condemned.

The UK is temporarily pausing any future funding of UNRWA whilst we review these concerning allegations.'

We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it."

All that shows is that UN doesn't vet it's staff properly - you can't blame Israel for that.

It seems like Israel can’t be blamed for anything doesn’t it ? Not Extra judicial assassinations, or forced starvation, or forced displacement, or the genocidal rhetoric from its government, or the communications blackouts, electricity blackouts, or killing journalists, or the refusal to allow in international journalists, or killing doctors, killing children, killing paramedics, killing men, killing women, bombing hospitals.

This is an appalling read

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/18/israel-starvation-used-weapon-war-gaza
I can’t see any reason to demolish the only remaining wheat mill nor blaze agricultural land and destroy greenhouses. Why? Are the Gazans going to bake weapons from flour and grow them in the fields?

News about Canada sending aid via other organisations, instead of withdrawing it.
I have not spotted news about other countries doing the same, but I have not been following.
I have heard from other sources, including some mentions in the newspapers that the movement of lorries and aid was not fluid enough due to IDF slow checks and acceptance of the loads. That was prior to the UNRWA dismissing some of their employees.

I was just about to post this. I hope that other countries make an announcement about what they plan to do, so that UNRWA and any other organisations can get themselves organised.

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canada-aid-gaza

It also really does not make that much of a difference. No other organisation has the level of infrastructure and workforce on the ground that would be required to pull off the level of aid operation required.

Not that UNRWA really does anymore either - their facilities have been flattened, too, and more than 100 of their staff have been killed. But they do have by far the most of what is even still left!

If you have never worked in the humanitarian space: stuff like this is nowhere near as easy as "getting a few bags of flour in and dumping it right across the border". Having worked (albeit as an unpaid volunteer) in emergency relief, you need warehousing facilities, some sort of a system to prioritise recipients, security to make sure the guy who punches the hardest does not end up getting it all, etc, etc, etc.

Yes, I get how difficult that is going to be.

I saw it on television and radio at the time.

Here's Barry Andrews MEP filming from Rafah and quoting the "one truck an hour" line that you were querying. There's more information on his social media and probably if you google it.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231220-member-of-the-european-parliament-says-aid-trucks-are-being-delayed-at-rafah-crossing/

I have met this MEP ,Barry Andrews , in the context of overseas humanitarian work and my family who are involved in politics think very highly of him, even though from a different party. I would consider him a 100% reliable source

This is down to Hamas and not Israel.

We all know that Hamas repurposes some goods coming in to Gaza to make weapons, so Israel has a right to check what's coming in.
They have also been smuggling in arms for years.

https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/01/23/egypt-claims-it-destroyed-hamas-tunnels-but-smuggling-continues/

Israel has a right to defend itself, and the International community agree with that.

Unfortunately it is civilians who suffer.

Israel is an illegal occupier. It does not have a right to self defence under international law.

This is an attempt to justify aid being prevented from reaching the Palestinian population. Posting this as though it is factual is really quite terrible.

@Desertrose2023 "Israel is an illegal occupier. It does not have a right to self defence under international law."

😆😆😆

https://www.jns.org/the-truth-about-israels-occupation-its-legal-its-moral-and-its-not-an-occupation/

Please note ;-
According to international law, an occupation is when one country takes over the sovereign territory of another country. But Judea and Samaria was never legally part of another country. Certainly, the Palestinian Arabs never owned or controlled it. Instead, it was unlawfully seized by Jordan during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
In 1950, Jordan formally annexed Judea and Samaria, renaming it the West Bank. The annexation was almost universally rejected by the international community, though no one suggested that Jordan illegally occupied the territory. Yet, when Israel captured the stolen territory in 1967, the world suddenly screamed “occupation.” ( ! )

I think you need to check your history instead of spreading misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric.

@BackandForthRoundandRound This is an attempt to justify aid being prevented from reaching the Palestinian population.

It's certainly slowing it down, but it's not preventing it. Maybe if Hamas hadn't spent years stealing Aid it wouldn't be necessary ?

Posting this as though it is factual is really quite terrible.

It is a fact. It's also a fact that Hamas created this situation, not Israel.

Hamas are such a jolly bunch aren't they ?

https://www.hrw.org/news/2007/06/12/gaza-armed-palestinian-groups-commit-grave-crimes

@Desertrose2023 Another history lesson here ;-

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jun/15/israel4

as I said in my previous post, what a jolly bunch Hamas are. (Sarcasm)

"Last night, Hamas said it had executed the top Fatah militant in Gaza, Samih al-Madhoun.
Witnesses said the conquest of the security headquarters was followed by many executions."

That is what you are doing... you are simply repeating the line claiming that Hamas are stealing aid etc and doing so at a time when there are people conveniently blocking the crossings (after Israel have been told to allow aid in ~ what timing) who are also coming out with the same line is a deliberate attempt to justify starving innocent people.

Imagine being so proud of trying to prevent aid from reaching innocent women, men and children. I will never understand some people.

Palestine has been under seige for a very long time. The list of items on the banned list has grown enormously over time and includes some very questionable items. One country dictating what another country is allowed in is completely wrong particularly in this day and age. Nothing gets away from that fact.

You can link to all the questionable articles that you want... It is the age-old line that oh no, Hamas steals aid. The gathering of people blocking the aid lorries repeat this along with stating that they should not be allowed any at all. Some add until the hostages are returned. Which is a very interesting remark as then they would also be without food and so on.

It is so ingrained in some people that they are unable to see the truths. Much the same as their ingrained hatred.

"Maybe if Hamas hadn't spent years stealing Aid it wouldn't be necessary" is yet another claim that is an attempt to minimise what has been done to Palestine by Israel all of these years. It is an attempt to take the focus off of that, along with the blame, and put it at them.

You are aware that Hamas didn't exist all of the many years that this has been going on for?

So it couldn't be them stealing aid before as they did not exist.

Palestine should not be forced to be in this situation at all and the fact it has lasted for all of these years is utterly shameful.

"Yet, when Israel captured the stolen territory in 1967, the world suddenly screamed "occupation." (!)

So does that mean that everyone who recognises it as an occupation is wrong, then?

Is that really what you are saying?

Israel is an illegal occupier. It does not have a right to self defence under international law.

So according to your take, are you suggesting that Israelis let themselves get slaughtered en masses, or pack up and flee in their millions?
Because without self defence those are the two remaining options.
Which one would you prefer for them?

@BackandForthRoundandRound
"You are aware that Hamas didn't exist all of the many years that this has been going on for?"

That makes no sense, How what years are you talking about?

What makes no sense?

The same could be said for the Palestinian people....

Well, no-one shouted 'occupation!' when Jordan illegally annexed it in 1950.

But when Israel took it after the Yom Kippur War, everyone started jumping up and down.

So it's OK for Arabs to 'occupy' land but not Jews?

Double standards, methinks.

Hmmmmm....

No, it's down to Israel. Bad things Israel does are Israel's fault. I don't know why this is such a difficult concept for some.