US: no deaths from American food drops over Gaza
The US command center CENTCOM says it is aware of reports of civilians killed in a food drop in Gaza, but denies that this happened during an American flight. “We express our condolences to the families of the victims. Contrary to some reports, this was not the result of American airdrops,” CENTCOM said on X.
Hamas officials and an eyewitness told CBS News that five people were killed in a food drop on Friday when a parachute failed to open properly and the package fell on them. The five people stayed in the al Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza. The incident took place at 11:30 am local time (10:30 am in Belgium), writes the American news channel.
Among the victims who died were two boys. Eleven others were injured, CBS News was told. The exact age of the victims was not known, the age of the injured was said to be between 30 and 50 years old.
Canada resumes funding for UNRWA
The Canadian government has officially confirmed that it plans to resume its funding of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), despite the ongoing investigation into terrorism allegations against the organization.
“One of the reasons for the resumption of payments to the aid organization is the disastrous humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said on Friday.
UNRWA’s efforts to address allegations against some of its staff and take measures to improve oversight and accountability were recognized. “Canada will continue to work closely with the aid agency and the United Nations to implement reforms.”
Canada, along with a number of donor countries, including Germany and the US, had frozen its funding of UNRWA after serious allegations. In late January, Israel accused 12 of UNRWA’s staff of involvement in the October 7 attack by Hamas that led to the deaths of 1,160 people.
The UN fired the employees accused by Israel and launched an internal investigation.
Biden: Netanyahu must do more to help Gaza
US President Joe Biden believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should allow more humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. He made that clear on Friday.
“Yes,” was the American president’s succinct answer when journalists asked him whether Netanyahu should do more on the humanitarian front.
The question came after Biden left his microphone open after his State of the Union and emphasized to one of the senators that he would have a frank conversation with Netanyahu about the war in the Palestinian territory.
The United States is Israel’s most important ally, but the violence and lack of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip recently appear to be causing resentment between the leaders of the two countries.
5 killed in failed airdrop over Gaza
At least five people have been killed in Gaza today due to a failed air delivery of aid packages. A dozen people are injured. This is reported by both American media and Al-Jazeera.
According to eyewitnesses and the Gaza Ministry of Health, the parachute failed to open in at least one airdrop, causing the package containing emergency aid and meals to fall at high speed and land on some Palestinians. This happened in the al-Shati refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, west of Gaza City.
Two Palestinians were killed on the spot, three others later died in hospital from their injuries. At least ten others have been injured or seriously injured. It concerns Palestinians between 30 and 50 years old, according to CBS two boys have also died.
Since this week, several countries have started carrying out airdrops over the Gaza Strip to deliver emergency aid and food parcels. In addition to our country, the US, Jordan, Egypt, France and the Netherlands also carried out such aid deliveries from the air today. It is not yet clear exactly which country is responsible for the failed airdrop. According to a well-placed source in the air force, our editors have learned that it would not be a Belgian aircraft.
Security Council convened after Israel’s request to members
France, Britain and the US have called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on alleged large-scale sexual violence committed by fighters from the Palestinian movement Hamas. The permanent members of the Security Council requested the emergency meeting at the request of Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Members of the Security Council can convene an emergency meeting. In exceptional cases, the UN chief can do this himself.
The reason is a preliminary report by UN envoy Pramila Patten. She is responsible for researching sexual violence during conflicts. She has visited Israel since late January and believes it is “reasonably likely that serious sexual violence has been committed” by Hamas fighters, including torture, rape and gang rape. The crimes are said to have been committed during the attack by Palestinian fighters on Israeli territory on October 7, but possibly afterwards.
Patten said at the beginning of this week that she has not been able to speak to people who say they are victims themselves. Hamas has denied the accusations several times, news channel Al Jazeera reported. Patten did speak to Israeli organizations and other victims of the fighting in and around Gaza.
According to her research team, at least one woman was raped at a kibbutz shelter on October 7, and there is also credible information about how two women were raped by armed fighters. According to Patten, at another kibbutz called Be’eri it has been determined that at least two accusations of sexual violence that have been widely reported in the media have proven to be unfounded.
Patten’s research team also collected information on sexual violence since October 7 against Palestinian men and women in custody or during Israeli military raids on properties or at road checkpoints. Israeli military authorities said they had received no complaints about this.
The European Commission will conduct a test on Friday with a humanitarian corridor to Gaza, possibly starting this weekend
The humanitarian maritime corridor between Cyprus and Gaza can hopefully start this weekend. A first trial will take place this Friday, and the kick-off is “very close”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference in Cyprus.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said his country has been working relentlessly on the plan since October. “This is the unique perspective that Cyprus brings to the European Union,” he said, referring to the island’s location: close to Israel and Gaza.
The corridor is a collaboration between Cyprus, the European Union, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and “other crucial partners,” Von der Leyen said. The United States has announced that it will help build an emergency port off the coast of Gaza. Currently, Gaza has no seaport and all imports must be done via land.
Biden wants an immediate six-week ceasefire in Gaza Strip and confirms construction of temporary port
US President Joe Biden reiterated his call for an immediate six-week ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in his State of the Union address to the US Congress on Thursday. He urged Israel to do more to bring in humanitarian aid.
“I am working hard for an immediate ceasefire of at least six weeks that would allow the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza,” Biden said. He called on the Israeli government to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, stressing that humanitarian aid should not be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip.
Biden also confirmed during his State of the Union address that he will have his army build a temporary port off the coast of Gaza. There, large ships can deliver food, water, medicine and materials for temporary shelters for the Palestinian population. “No Americans will set foot on land,” he said.
“This temporary port will allow for a dramatic increase in the amount of humanitarian aid entering Gaza every day,” Biden said.
