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UNRWA confirms terrorist killed by IDF who led Re’im shelter massacre was a staffer

AMMAN, Oct 25: UNRWA on Thursday confirmed that one of its staffers was killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza a day earlier, after Israel named him as a Hamas Nukbha force commander.

The IDF and Shin Bet said that Muhammad Abu Attawi, who led the killing and kidnapping of Israelis from a roadside bomb shelter near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7 last year, had been employed by UNRWA since July 2022 while serving as a Nukbha commander in Hamas’s Bureij Battalion.

According to UNRWA, Attawi’s name was included in a letter the Palestinian refugee agency received from Israel in July that included a list of 100 staff members who were also allegedly members of terror groups, including Hamas.

But the agency said it did not take any action against Attawi — who worked as a driver — because Israel did not respond to a request for further information.

“The UNRWA commissioner general responded to that letter immediately stating that any allegation is taken seriously. He urged (the government of Israel) to cooperate with the agency by providing more information so he could take action. To date, UNRWA has not received any response to that letter,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications.

During the October 7 onslaught that started the ongoing war in Gaza, Attawi commanded the attack on a bomb shelter near Re’im where partygoers from the Nova festival had fled.

The shelter was one of several that became infamous in the aftermath of the attack, having become deathtraps for many Israelis who huddled there amid the onslaught.

Nearly 30 were in the Re’im shelter when Hamas terrorists stormed it, hurling in grenades and firing on those inside. (Warning: Graphic video below.) Sixteen were murdered, four were kidnapped — including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was executed many months later in Gaza — and seven survived.

UN Secretary General, India, US, Italy Condemn Israel Attack On UN Facility In Lebanon

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 11: UN Secretary General, India, US, Italy have condemned the Israeli attack on UN peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon. Two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured in the attack.

Among the UN peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon, there are approximately 900 Indian soldiers. They were, however, not at the UN facility at the time of the Israeli attack.

Addressing a press conference in Vientiane, the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the shooting against the UN premises in which the two peacekeepers were wounded, adding that it was a violation of international humanitarian law. Peacekeepers must be protected by all parties of the conflict, he said.

India’s External Affairs Ministry said in statement on Friday "We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line," adding that "We continue to monitor the situation very closely."

New Delhi underscored the importance it attaches to United Nations' peacekeeping initiatives saying UN premises cannot be allowed to be targeted, and respecting its sanctity is a mandate.

"Inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate," said the Ministry.

Among the UN peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon, there are approximately 900 Indian soldiers. It is important to note that they were not at the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon or UNIFIL headquarters at the time it was attacked by Israeli forces. Besides the soldiers, there are around 25 staff officers, including medical experts deployed there.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, has said in a statement that its headquarters and positions “have been repeatedly hit” by Israeli forces. It said an Israeli tank “directly” fired on an observation tower at the force’s headquarters in the town of Naqoura, Lebanon, and that soldiers had attacked a bunker near where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system. It said an Israeli drone was seen flying to the bunker’s entrance.

The two UNIFIL troops wounded in the attacks and hospitalized are Indonesian, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.

From Italy, which has about 1,000 soldiers deployed as part of UNIFIL, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto went further, claiming Israel ‘deliberately targeted’ the UNIFIL base in southern Lebanon in strikes that “could constitute war crimes.”

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said: “We are deeply concerned about reports that Israeli forces fired on two positions and a tower used by UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.”

UNFIL said that these peacekeepers are serving in south Lebanon at the request of the Security Council under Resolution 1701 (2006). This is a serious development, and UNIFIL reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed, and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times.

Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701.

Israel however, has defended its actions, with the Israeli Defense Forces or IDF claiming that "Since the beginning of the war, Hezbollah has fired more than 130 rockets in close proximity" to 26 United Nations facilities."

The IDF also put out a map in which it has identified these places as being "less than 300 meters" from the UN facilities.

UN Security Council Backs Antonio Guterres After Israel Declares Him Persona Non Grata

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 3: The United Nations Security Council on Thursday expressed its full support for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Israel's foreign minister Katz said he was barring him from entering the country. Katz had declared Guterres persona non grata.

The 15-member council said in a statement that "any decision not to engage with the U.N. Secretary-General or the United Nations is counterproductive, especially in the context of escalating tensions in the Middle East."

The statement urged countries to refrain from actions that undermine Guterres’ work.

The statement did not name Israel. Such statements by the council are agreed by consensus.

Katz announced the ban on Wednesday, stating that Guterres had failed to unequivocally condemn Iran’s missile strikes during a brief statement referencing the broader conflict in the region. Under this designation, Guterres is barred from entering Gaza and the West Bank.

This latest dispute is part of a series of tensions between Israel and the UN. Israeli officials have alleged that many UN workers have ties to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claims that the UN has requested evidence for. Additionally, Israel has halted visa issuance for UN officials seeking to visit Gaza.

While countries like France and the UK quickly defended Guterres, this marked the first time the United States — Israel’s main ally — has publicly supported the UN chief in this context.

Guterres has been vocal about the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and has condemned both Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the collective punishment of Palestinians. He has called for protecting civilians and ensuring humanitarian aid flows freely into affected areas in Gaza.

UN Chief Antonio Guterres condemns ‘escalation after escalation’ in the Middle East

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed his extreme concern with the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon and has appealed for an immediate ceasefire, according to Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Briefing news persons here, the spokesperson informed that Antonio Guterres said "an all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs and the territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected....moreMore

Antony BlinkenAntony Blinken Reiterates Permanent UN SC Seat For India, Japan, Germany, Africa

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS: Reiterating support for the reformation of the United Nations Security Council to better represent the world, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States has long endorsed permanent seats in the council for India, Japan and Germany. Speaking at the 'Summit of the Future' at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, Blinken put forward the US' idea of two permanent seats for Africa, one rotating seat for Small Island Developing States, and permanent representation for Latin America and the Caribbean....moreMore

Modi at UNGA'Global Action Must Match Global Ambition': Modi At UN Summit

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that terrorism continues to be a serious threat to global peace and security and in the same breath, he added "cyber, maritime and space are emerging as new areas of conflict". Speaking at the United Nations Summit of the Future on Monday here, Modi said alongside terrorism, new areas of conflict are emerging and it is high time that "global action must match global ambition"....moreMore

Taiwan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwangTaiwan Seeks Role In Fullfilling U.N. Sustainable Development Goals: Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang

TAIPEI: Ahead of the opening of the United Nations' 79th General Assembly beginning September 10, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang has once again sought Taiwan's role in contributing towards U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Speaking to news persons in Taipei City to detail Taiwan’s annual U.N. campaign, Minister Tien Chung-kwang said the theme of the UN General Assembly general debate, set to kick off from September 24, is “Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations.” Ironically, he said Taiwan’s 23.5 million people are still excluded from the global organization....moreMore

10 nations support Taiwan's inclusion in UN

NEW YORK: Taiwan has welcomed the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell’s reiteration of his country’s long-standing support of stability in the Taiwan Strait together with backing from ten allies for Taiwan’s inclusion in the United Nations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During a September 18 congressional hearing, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell voiced his disapproval of China’s distortion and misuse of U.N. Resolution 2758 to suppress Taiwan and deny its legitimacy, according to a statement by the MOFA....moreMore

AI Has Potential to Rescue SDGs: UN Chief

By Deepak Arora

UN Secretary-General António GuterresSHANGHAI: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to help rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and usher in a more durable and equitable future. Recent research estimates that AI can help accelerate nearly 80 per cent of the SDGs. Yet, he said “we face a stark reality: AI opportunities are not evenly shared. AI capacities today are concentrated in a handful of powerful companies – and even fewer countries. However, too many countries face significant challenges in accessing AI tools.”...moreMore

 

 

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Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill 6 UN staffers, 28 others
UNGA's 79th Session Begins; President Philemon Yang Assumes Office


 
     
  

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