Middle East latest: Israel ends agreement with UN agency providing aid in Gaza

Israel said Monday it had terminated nan statement facilitating nan activity of nan U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main assistance supplier successful Gaza, successful what appeared to beryllium a measurement to instrumentality authorities passed past period that would sever ties pinch nan agency and forestall it from operating successful Israel.

Israel says nan agency, known arsenic UNRWA, has been infiltrated by Hamas. UNRWA denies nan allegations and says it takes measures to guarantee its neutrality.

On Sunday, Israel said its troops had carried retired a crushed ambush into Syria to prehend a Syrian it accuses of moving pinch Iran. It was nan first clip successful nan existent warfare that Israel announced its troops operated successful Syrian territory.

Despite growing pressure from nan United States and others successful nan world organization for a cease-fire successful Gaza and Lebanon, intensified Israeli strikes against nan Hezbollah militant group are expanding beyond Lebanon’s separator areas. Israel is besides fighting a seemingly endless war against Hamas successful bluish Gaza.

Since nan conflict betwixt Israel and Hezbollah erupted past year, astatine slightest 2,900 group person been killed and 13,150 wounded successful Lebanon, nan Health Ministry reports, not including Friday’s toll. Health authorities opportunity that a 4th of those killed were women and children.

More than a twelvemonth of Israel's warfare against Hamas successful Gaza has killed much than 43,000 people, Palestinian wellness officials say. They do not separate betwixt civilians and combatants, but opportunity much than half of those killed were women and children. The warfare began aft Palestinian militants stormed into Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 group — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others.

___

Here’s nan latest:

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel said Monday it had terminated nan statement facilitating nan activity of nan U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the main assistance supplier successful Gaza.

It appeared to beryllium nan first measurement successful implementing authorities passed past period that would sever ties pinch nan agency, which Israel says has been infiltrated by Hamas, and forestall it from operating successful Israel.

The agency, known arsenic UNRWA, denies nan allegations and says it takes measures to guarantee its neutrality.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said successful a connection that it had notified nan U.N. of nan cancellation of an statement making love backmost to 1967 that facilitates UNRWA’s work. It said UNRWA “is portion of nan problem successful nan Gaza Strip and not portion of nan solution.”

Aid groups person warned that nan authorities could severely hamper UNRWA’s work, creating further obstacles to addressing a terrible humanitarian situation successful Gaza. Israel has said different U.N. agencies and assistance groups tin capable nan gap, but those organizations opportunity UNRWA is essential.

The agency provides education, wellness and different basal services to Palestinian refugees from the 1948 warfare surrounding Israel’s creation and their descendants, who now number astir 6 million. Refugee families dress up nan mostly of Gaza’s population.