US-led negotiators are moving closer to a deal under which Israel would suspend the war in Gaza for about two months in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas. The New York Times wrote, reporting that the deal could be signed within the next two weeks. Negotiators drafted a draft agreement that takes into account the proposals presented by both parties in the last 10 days. Meanwhile, thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv against the government to denounce the executive’s failure after the events of October 7 and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. Around 200 people clashed with the police: the officers forcibly removed the protesters.
In addition to the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Finland also announced that they will suspend funding to the United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) following allegations that twelve of its employees may have been involved in the attack. by Hamas on October 7th. UNRWA has already removed the suspects, terminated their contracts and launched an internal investigation. But this was not enough to reassure foreign financiers who said they were “deeply disturbed”, as in the case of Canada, or “concerned”, as the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. “The United Kingdom is shocked,” London said in a statement, while Helsinki stressed the need for “an independent and thorough investigation.” Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that the Netherlands will also block funding to the agency, while Italy, through Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, announced that it had suspended funding to UNRWA months ago, shortly after the October 7 attack, ensuring , however, that it had not for this reason withdrawn “from humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population, protecting the security of Israel”.
Precisely from Israel, Foreign Minister Katz promised to “promote a policy that ensures that UNRWA does not operate in the post-war period” in the Gaza Strip, and urged other countries to block funds allocated to the agency. “We will work to rally global support to stop their activities in Gaza,” Katz added, calling on the UN to “take personal action against the leadership” of the agency. “Do not give in to threats and blackmail from Israel”, is the appeal made by Hamas to the UN before attacking UNRWA itself, guilty of having removed employees based on “Zionist accusations”.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
