UN General Assembly presses Security Council to give ‘favourable consideration’ to full Palestinian membership
What does the resolution mean? Here’s a quick recap of what this means: by adopting this resolution the General Assembly will upgrade the rights of the State of Palestine within the world body, but not the right to vote or…
Gaza: As exodus from Rafah continues, UN urges reopening of aid lines
“As Israeli Forces bombardment intensifies in Rafah, forced displacement continues,” said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in a post on X. “Around 110,000 people have now fled Rafah looking for safety. But, nowhere is safe in the Gaza…
UNRWA staff ‘not going anywhere’ despite forced closure of East Jerusalem compound
For roughly two months, demonstrations have been held outside the East Jerusalem compound, which is in an area where many Israeli settlements are located. The situation came to a head on Thursday evening when Israeli residents lit fires at two…
‘Outrageous’ arson attack forces UNRWA to temporarily shutter East Jerusalem compound
Posting on social media, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said “Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter” on Thursday evening. UNRWA personnel and staff from other UN agencies were inside the compound at the time. “Our director with the help of other staff had to put…
No aid getting into Gaza, says UN aid agency
“We’re not receiving any aid, the crossing area has ongoing military operations and is an active war zone,” said Scott Anderson, from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in a post on X. “We are hearing continued bombardments in…
Patients in Rafah ‘afraid to seek services’, WHO reports
The current situation has reached an “unprecedented emergency level”, he said, and the most recent evacuation order by Israel has forced tens of thousands to flee. As part of the contingency effort, WHO and partners have been establishing field hospitals…
Guterres urges Israel, Hamas ‘to show political courage’ and secure ceasefire
In the far south of the Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt, the town of Rafah has been hosting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from elsewhere in the enclave due to the ongoing Israeli military operation. There are also grave concerns…
Uncertainty in Gaza amplified by closure of key border crossings
In its latest warning to the Israeli authorities not to pursue mass evacuation orders from eastern Rafah, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, insisted that a mass evacuation on such a scale would be “impossible to carry out safely”. “There are…
Journey into the unknown: Thousands of Gazan families flee Rafah
Stranded, their homes demolished, loved ones killed and repeatedly displaced on their land, they had sought refuge in Rafah in the far southern reaches of the Strip to escape death and destruction and to find a safe place that does…
Unexploded ordnance leaves dark legacy for Gaza, warn mine action experts
Briefing reporters late last month, UN Mine Action Service officers said the war has already left behind around 37 million tonnes of debris, and it could take 14 years to make Gaza safe from unexploded bombs. The development comes amid…