![]() ![]() The call comes only from one member state." "We have the support of the vast majority of member states. He added in his defence that he was appointed by the UN secretary-general and reports to the UN General Assembly. The UN agency swiftly dismissed those staff members ahead of an investigation, but more than a dozen countries, including the UK and the US, have suspended funding, leaving UNRWA facing a $450m shortfall and an "existential threat", according to Mr Lazzarini. The UNRWA provides vital aid for huge numbers of displaced Gazans but has been thrown into disarray after Israel alleged that 12 staff members were involved in the Hamas 7 October attack. So I don't believe that leaving a boat in turmoil is the answer to give today." Whoever will be at the helm of the organisation, the objective to dismantle UNRWA will still remain. "The real issue is not leadership, it is the dismantling of the organisation. "If the issue was leadership, I would agree with you," Mr Lazzarini said. Sky News asked Philippe Lazzarini, its commissioner-general, if he would resign over accusations that 12 of its staff were involved in the 7 October attacks. The head of UNRWA, the UN's embattled agency for helping Palestinian refugees, has said that he won't accede to Israeli calls for him to step down. Many Palestinians are taking shelter at the border in Rafah due to ongoing Israeli strikes. The leaders met to discuss strengthening relations with Africa, but inevitably spoke about the situation in the Middle East as Israel's action in Gaza could mean that the refugee crisis spills into Egypt. "However, there is no justification for the way Israel reacted. Unfortunately, it is killing women and children." "Brazil had strongly denounced the Hamas attack on Israel and we called it a terrorist attack. Mr Lula added: "Peace cannot be achieved without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. "We agreed on the importance of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and prisoners and the passage of as much humanitarian aid as possible in order to preserve the lives of civilians," Mr el-Sisi said. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also reiterated their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state during a press conference in Cairo. The Brazilian president and his Egyptian counterpart have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The Pope, who speaks daily via video conference to a Gaza parish housing Palestinian civilians, has since tried to be more balanced in his comments and recently wrote a letter to the Jewish people in which he reaffirmed the special relationship between Christians and Jews. Israel has previously objected to the Vatican position on the war, including when Pope Francis spoke about "terrorism". "Israel's right to self-defence has been invoked to justify that this operation is proportional, but with 30,000 dead, it's not," he said. Speaking on Tuesday at a reception, Mr Parolin condemned the Hamas attacks against Israel and all forms of antisemitism.īut he questioned Israel's claim to be acting in self-defence by inflicting "carnage" on Gaza. The embassy said Cardinal Parolin had not considered the facts in judging the legitimacy of Israel's actions. The Israeli embassy to the Holy See called the comments by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, "regrettable". ![]() Israel has formally complained after a senior Vatican official spoke of "carnage", suggesting the Israeli military response to the 7 October attacks has been disproportionate. "It feels like we're at a real tipping point," he says. It's more a question of intent."īut he adds that if Benjamin Netanyahu vows to "solve the Hezbollah problem" as he has with Hamas, Hezbollah's "got a real headache on their hands". "It's very hard for the IDF to destroy Hezbollah, it would be easier to just write them down. "That devastated large areas of Lebanon and civilian infrastructure, so the population there don't want to see this increase."Ĭommenting on the capabilities of both sides, he adds: "It's also worth remembering that the IDF is no match militarily for the IDF. "It has that horrible feel of an escalation," Bell says, adding it has "memories of the 2006 Lebanon war". ![]() He says that with claims the Israeli attacks today and yesterday killed a Hezbollah commander and his deputy, Lebanon has "inevitably vowed retaliation". The escalation of the "tit-for-tat" between Israel and Lebanon on their shared border feels like "a real tipping point", according to our military analyst Sean Bell.
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