10:41
Germany resumes financial support to Palestinian aid organization UNRWA
The German government has decided to resume financial support to UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees. The responsible ministries reported this in a joint statement.
The decision follows the results of an independent investigation into Israeli allegations that UNRWA employees are members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. The investigation shows that Israel has provided no evidence for this. There is still an ongoing investigation by an internal UN watchdog into twelve UNRWA employees who, according to Israel, were involved in the October 7 terrorist attack.
Like more than fifteen countries, including the Netherlands, Germany paused its financial support for UNRWA after the Israeli accusations. The organization then warned that this would endanger the humanitarian aid it provides in the Gaza Strip. Last year, Germany was the organization’s largest donor after the United States, with almost 200 million euros.
A number of countries, including Australia, Canada and Sweden, also previously resumed their funding to UNRWA. The Netherlands (which had already transferred the annual contribution for 2024) will most likely make a decision on this later this week, outgoing Foreign Trade Minister Schreinemacher informed the House on Tuesday.
Thom Canters
Also read the profile of URNWA here: UNRWA is crucial for aid to Palestinians, but is also suspected of ties with Hamas. What’s up with that?
07:57
More than 100 protesters arrested at pro-Palestinian protest in New York
At least a hundred demonstrators have been arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest near the home of US Senate leader Chuck Schumer, according to US media. The protests were organized by Jewish organizations, including Jewish Voice for Peace, which oppose the war in the Gaza Strip.
The demonstrators denounce Schumer’s unconditional military support for Israel. While they were protesting in front of his home, the US Senate voted in favor of a new military aid package for Israel. Schumer, the country’s highest-ranking Jewish politician, voted in favor.
Last month, Schumer spoke out remarkably hard against the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who he believed was no longer suitable as prime minister. He therefore called for new elections in Israel, which Netanyahu did not appreciate.
There has been unrest in New York for days, where police are making widespread arrests at pro-Palestinian protests on several university campuses. More than a hundred people on the campus of New York University were arrested yesterday after refusing to leave a tent camp on campus. Last week, the police made mass arrests during the eviction of a tent camp at Columbia University.
Thom Canters
Also read America Correspondent’s report here Maral Noshad Sharifi: Protest wave at American universities escalates: ‘No idea if they will still let me graduate’
06:50
Israel thanks US Senate for new military aid package
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz holds the U.S. Senate Wednesday thanks for the approval of a military aid package of 13 billion dollars (12.14 billion euros). The US is thus sending a ‘strong message’ to Israel’s ‘enemies’, Katz wrote on X.
The US Senate last night approved a long-awaited aid package worth 95 billion euros. The largest part of this (61 billion) is for Ukraine, but aid is also provided for Taiwan and Israel.
US President Joe Biden had already said in a statement that the aid package “will make our nation and our world safer as we support our friends who defend themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin.” (Belga)
02:20
Israel steps up attacks on Gaza and orders evacuations in the north
The Israeli army intensified its attacks across Gaza on Tuesday with some of the heaviest shelling in weeks. This is reported by the news agency Reuters based on testimonies from Palestinian residents. The military also ordered new evacuations in the northern coastal area, warning civilians they were in a dangerous combat zone.
The Israeli army bombarded a house in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. In Beit Lahiya, continuous air raids forced hundreds of families to flee their homes. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said the actions targeted “the terrorist infrastructure and subversive elements” in the region.
The renewed shelling and bombing in northern Gaza comes almost four months after the Israeli army announced that it would remove its troops there precisely because Hamas would no longer have control over those areas.
Airstrikes and tank shelling were also reported in the central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip. According to locals, the bombings continued for almost 24 hours. Al Jazeera reports at least three deaths in the southern city of Rafah. According to the channel, several deaths were also reported in central Gaza City. (AP)
00:23
Dutch frigate Zr. Ms. Trump left the Red Sea
The mission of the air defense and command frigate Zr. Ms. Trump in the Red Sea has ended. De Tromp has been active for the American-led mission Prosperity Guardian for a month.
International shipping in the Red Sea is under attack from Houthis from Yemen. The Iranian-backed rebels are shooting at ships with a link to Israel, as well as American and British ships.
Minister Hanke Bruins Slot (Foreign Affairs) does not expect the situation to improve significantly any time soon. The House of Representatives has therefore agreed to sending Sr. Ms. Karel Doorman as successor to Tromp who is now on his way to Mumbai.
The Karel Doorman is deployed for the EU mission Aspides. The logistics support and supply ship departed on Sunday and will mainly supply other ships with fuel. Medical facilities are also on board, according to outgoing Minister Kajsa Ollongren (Defense).
The Karel Doorman will mainly sail in an area with a low risk, according to Ollongren. If it does sail in a high-risk area, an air defense frigate will accompany the naval ship. The Karel Doorman itself is not sufficiently armed to protect itself against drones or missiles. The Doorman’s deployment will last until the end of August. (AP)
11:59 PM, Yesterday
Welcome to the live blog of Wednesday April 24
This was the most important news about the crisis in the Middle East on Tuesday, April 23:
• Qatar will continue to host Hamas’s political leadership for the time being. A spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “As long as their presence here in Doha is useful and positive for the mediation efforts, they will remain here in Doha.”
• A tent camp is being built near the southern city of Khan Younis in Gaza, satellite images from Planet Labs show. This may be an indication that an evacuation of the nearby city of Rafah is imminent. Israel wants to launch an offensive there, which Prime Minister Netanyahu believes is necessary to defeat Hamas militarily.
• EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell calls on the international community to support the UN organization UNRWA. The aid organization for Palestinian refugees needs sufficient funding to carry out its work, Borrell said. He was responding to a report published on Monday in which independent researchers found that Israel has so far provided no evidence that UNRWA employees are members of Hamas.
Read Tuesday’s full live blog here.
