Jerusalem: On Monday, Israel announced that it had ended the agreement enabling the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the main aid provider in Gaza, to operate. This decision seems to be part of a move to enforce legislation passed last month aimed at cutting ties with the agency and blocking its operations in Israel.
Israel claimed that the agency, known as UNRWA, has been infiltrated by Hamas. UNRWA refused the allegations, stating that it implements measures to maintain its neutrality.
On Sunday, Israel reported that its troops conducted a ground raid in Syria to capture a Syrian individual accused of collaborating with Iran. This marked the first instance during the ongoing conflict that Israel confirmed its forces operated on Syrian soil.
Despite growing pressure from the United States and others in the international community for a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, intensified Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group are expanding beyond Lebanon’s border areas. Israel is also fighting a seemingly endless war against Hamas in northern Gaza.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted last year, at least 2,900 people have been killed and 13,150 wounded in Lebanon, the Health Ministry reports, not including Friday’s toll. Health authorities say that a quarter of those killed were women and children.
More than a year of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but say more than half of those killed were women and children. The war began after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others.
(with PTI inputs)
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