lördag 21 december 2024

Middle East Crisis Gaza War

UNRWA Director Furious: “Sad Day for Refugees”

Philippe Lazzarini, Director of the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency Unrwa, is furious at the Swedish government’s announcement that it is withdrawing aid to the organization.

The decision will destroy structures that Swedish aid has helped build over decades, he believes.

“This is a sad day for Palestinian refugees and the multilateral system that Sweden has pioneered,” Lazzarini writes on X.

EU MP Evin Incir (S) writes in an email to Omni that he is urging the EU Commission to criticize the decision.

– When Sweden is now behaving in this way, it is crucial that the EU Commission is clear.

Development Minister Benjamin Dousa (M) defended the decision earlier today by saying that Israel has effectively banned Unrwa, which he believes makes it difficult for the organization to operate in Gaza. At the same time, the government also increased total support for Gaza from approximately 400 million to around 800 million kronor.

Israel: Welcomes Sweden's decision on Unrwa

Israel welcomes Sweden's decision to withdraw the money for Unrwa and redirect support to organizations that are not "infiltrated by terrorists," writes the country's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on X.

"It is time for all countries to follow in their footsteps."

The government's decision has received harsh criticism from Unrwa and the Swedish
 
Hamas: A ceasefire is closer than ever

A ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages is closer than ever. This is what Hamas and its two allied militias, the terrorist-classified Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), write, according to AFP.

“The possibility of reaching an agreement is closer than ever, as long as the enemy does not continue to impose new conditions,” they wrote in a rare joint statement after Friday’s talks in Cairo.

A Hamas source added that some points remain to be agreed upon, but added that this “does not hinder the process.”

Last week, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, with Qatar, Egypt and the United States as mediators, which has raised new hopes for an agreement.

Israel has not commented on the statement, but on Monday Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the parties had not been so close to each other since last year’s ceasefire in November, according to TT.

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