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Germany says it will resume coordination with UNRWA
Last edited Wed Apr 24, 2024, 04:49 AM - Edit history (1)
The move comes as an independent probe earlier this week found no wrongdoing on part of UNRWA staff who were accused by Israel of collaborating with Hamas during the October 7 attack. The review, headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, made some recommendations on toughening up safeguards in certain areas.
“Against this background and in support of these reforms, the Federal Government will shortly continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,” a statement from the Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development read.
“By continuing our acute cooperation, we are supporting UNRWA’s vital and currently irreplaceable role in providing aid to the people of Gaza, as other international aid organisations are also currently dependent on UNRWA’s operational structures in Gaza.”
Israel’s accusations had led to 16 donor countries – including the two largest donors, the US and Germany – suspending or pausing funding to the refugee agency, leaving it with a funding gap of some $450m.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/4/24/israels-war-on-gaza-live-rafah-family-killed-injured-in-israeli-strike
“Against this background and in support of these reforms, the Federal Government will shortly continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza, as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, have already done,” a statement from the Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development read.
“By continuing our acute cooperation, we are supporting UNRWA’s vital and currently irreplaceable role in providing aid to the people of Gaza, as other international aid organisations are also currently dependent on UNRWA’s operational structures in Gaza.”
Israel’s accusations had led to 16 donor countries – including the two largest donors, the US and Germany – suspending or pausing funding to the refugee agency, leaving it with a funding gap of some $450m.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/4/24/israels-war-on-gaza-live-rafah-family-killed-injured-in-israeli-strike
27 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Alongside the Colonna report, a more detailed assessment was sent to the UN by the three Nordic research bodies – the Swedish-based Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, the Norwegian Chr Michelsen Institute, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
Their report says: “Israeli authorities have to date not provided any supporting evidence nor responded to letters from Unrwa in March, and again in April, requesting the names and supporting evidence that would enable Unrwa to open an investigation.”
Their report says: “Israeli authorities have to date not provided any supporting evidence nor responded to letters from Unrwa in March, and again in April, requesting the names and supporting evidence that would enable Unrwa to open an investigation.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/22/israel-unrwa-staff-terrorist-links-yet-to-provide-evidence-colonna-report#:~:text=Israel%20has%20yet%20to%20provide%20supporting%20evidence%20of%20its%20claims,minister%20Catherine%20Colonna%20has%20said.
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The actual investigation into the Israeli claims is still ongoing.
A separate investigation by internal U.N. investigators is looking into the Israeli allegations against the 12 UNRWA staff. The U.N. said last week that the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has had "a number of meetings and cooperation from the Israeli authorities on this.”
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/review-says-unrwa-has-robust-neutrality-steps-issues-persist-2024-04-22/
This is why it's important to read actual stories and reports, rather than headlines and why providing links is helpful.
Berlin restores ties with UN agency after review says Israel has provided no evidence of terrorist links
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/24/germany-to-resume-funding-of-unrwa-aid-operations-in-gaza
Germany has said it will restore cooperation and funding to Unrwa operations in the Gaza Strip after an independent review said Israel had not provided evidence to back up claims that hundreds of employees of the UN agency for Palestinians were members of terrorist organisations.
Berlin’s foreign and development ministries said in a joint statement on Wednesday that following Monday’s publication of the review, conducted by the former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, the German government would soon resume cooperation with the UN’s Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa).
Germany’s decision follows those made earlier by several other major donors, including Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, to restore ties with Unwra after the Israeli government claimed in January that members of the agency had been involved in planning and carrying out the Hamas attack of 7 October that triggered the now-six-month-old war in Gaza.
The absence so far of evidence presented to underpin Israel’s allegations has raised questions about the snap decision by 19 donor governments to cut millions of dollars of funding to Unrwa, the main channel for humanitarian support for Palestinians, even as the death toll in Gaza soared, the health system collapsed and famine began to loom.
snip
Berlin restores ties with UN agency after review says Israel has provided no evidence of terrorist links
Here's how WaPo reported it:
Report says Israel has not provided evidence of widespread militancy among UNRWA staff
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This particular panel was not convened to investigate the Israeli's January claims about UNRWA participation in the October 7 massacre. It was convened to investigate UNRWA's breaches of the humanitarian principle of neutrality. That's why the report is called:
Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality.
UNWRA was the subject of the investigation, not Israeli claims concerning October 7. Everyone should read the report. It's chock full of recommendations about how UNRWA could step up its game when it comes to adhering to to the humanitarian principle of neutrality.
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Here's the only thing the report says about "Israeli evidence". It is specific to an Israeli claim made in March 2024, not to those made in January about UNRWA staff participation in the October 7 massacre.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that until March 2024, they had received staff lists without identification (ID) numbers. On the basis of the March 2024 list, which contained staff ID numbers, Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organizations. However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this.
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2024/04/unrwa_independent_review_on_neutrality.pdf
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Here's what the lead investigator reviewing UNRWA's adherence to the humanitarian principle of neutrality said at her press conference concerning allegations of UNRWA staff participating in the October 7 massacre and kidnapping of hostages:
Speaking at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, Ms. Colonna said she wanted to be “very clear” that the question of involvement in Oct. 7 is a separate question, one that remains under internal investigation by the United Nations.
While Israel has not produced evidence of ties to Hamas and other militant groups among UNRWA workers, that does not mean there is no evidence, she noted. “It’s very different,” she said.
While Israel has not produced evidence of ties to Hamas and other militant groups among UNRWA workers, that does not mean there is no evidence, she noted. “It’s very different,” she said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/22/unrwa-israel-hamas-report-palestinians/
makes dozens of recommendations in its report. Hopefully UNRWA will implement them.
FINAL REPORT FOR THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL
Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality
April 20, 2024
Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality
April 20, 2024
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2024/04/unrwa_independent_review_on_neutrality.pdf
not to make civilian life impossible. And a UN mandated investigation into UNRWA's lapses in adhering to the humanitarian principle of neutrality is not an attack on UNRWA by the UN. It's oversight.
The 54 page report details lapses and problems and includes recommendations for UNRWA to implement to insure that it better adheres to the humanitarian principle of neutrality.
Everyone should read the report referenced in the Guardian story. It's called
FINAL REPORT FOR THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL
Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality
Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2024/04/unrwa_independent_review_on_neutrality.pdf
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The WaPo story included this detail from a news conference given by the lead investigator. It was omitted from the Guardian's coverage:
Speaking at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, Ms. Colonna said she wanted to be “very clear” that the question of involvement in Oct. 7 is a separate question, one that remains under internal investigation by the United Nations.
While Israel has not produced evidence of ties to Hamas and other militant groups among UNRWA workers, that does not mean there is no evidence, she noted. “It’s very different,” she said.
While Israel has not produced evidence of ties to Hamas and other militant groups among UNRWA workers, that does not mean there is no evidence, she noted. “It’s very different,” she said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/22/unrwa-israel-hamas-report-palestinians/
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I wonder how The Guardian missed that.
Clickety-click, cha-ching.
i know what I posted, and I know why I posted it.
of neutrality and to understand that the panel was investigating UNRWA breaches of a humanitarian principle, not Israel's claims about October 7.
From the report:
The Group was created to assess whether UNRWA is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of serious neutrality breaches when they are made, taking into account the […] context in which it has to work, especially in Gaza, and to make recommendations for UNRWA to improve and strengthen in this area, if necessary. This followed allegations made by the Government of Israel in January 2024 that some UNRWA staff may haveparticipated in the 7 October 2023 terror attacks on Israel.
The UN Secretary-General also activated a separate investigation by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to determine the veracity of these allegations, which, if proven true, would be horrifying in addition to being a grave violation of their obligations towards the Organization.
The UN Secretary-General also activated a separate investigation by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to determine the veracity of these allegations, which, if proven true, would be horrifying in addition to being a grave violation of their obligations towards the Organization.
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2024/04/unrwa_independent_review_on_neutrality.pdf
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I also know well enough to actually listen to what the chair of the panel said at her press conference:
Colonna emphasized Monday that Israel cooperated with her team and that it was not within her mandate to examine evidence against individual employees in connection with Oct. 7. That was “a separate mission,” she told reporters.
snip----------
Speaking at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, Ms. Colonna said she wanted to be “very clear” that the question of involvement in Oct. 7 is a separate question, one that remains under internal investigation by the United Nations.
snip----------
Speaking at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, Ms. Colonna said she wanted to be “very clear” that the question of involvement in Oct. 7 is a separate question, one that remains under internal investigation by the United Nations.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/22/unrwa-israel-hamas-report-palestinians/
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Side note: While congratulations are generally not in order for actually reading a primary source, I join you in congratulating anyone who has done due diligence rather than rely on clickbait headlines.
This includes "the countries" reassured by the UN having accepted the panel's 50 recommendations for reforming UNRWA.
Link to tweet
Didn't you read the report from the panel investigating UNWRA's lapses in complying with the humanitarian principle of neutrality? It's right on the first page of the Executive Summary:
The [present] Group was created to assess whether UNRWA is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and respond to allegations of serious neutrality breaches when they are made, taking into account the […] context in which it has to work, especially in Gaza, and to make recommendations for UNRWA to improve and strengthen in this area, if necessary. This followed allegations made by the Government of Israel in January 2024 that some UNRWA staff may haveparticipated in the 7 October 2023 terror attacks on Israel.
The UN Secretary-General also activated a separate investigation by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to determine the veracity of these allegations, which, if proven true, would be horrifying in addition to being a grave violation of their obligations towards the Organization.
The UN Secretary-General also activated a separate investigation by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) to determine the veracity of these allegations, which, if proven true, would be horrifying in addition to being a grave violation of their obligations towards the Organization.
https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2024/04/unrwa_independent_review_on_neutrality.pdf
---------------------------------------------
Didn't you hear what the panel's chair had to say at her press conference?
Colonna emphasized Monday that Israel cooperated with her team and that it was not within her mandate to examine evidence against individual employees in connection with Oct. 7. That was “a separate mission,” she told reporters.
snip----------
Speaking at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, Ms. Colonna said she wanted to be “very clear” that the question of involvement in Oct. 7 is a separate question, one that remains under internal investigation by the United Nations.
snip----------
Speaking at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday, Ms. Colonna said she wanted to be “very clear” that the question of involvement in Oct. 7 is a separate question, one that remains under internal investigation by the United Nations.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/22/unrwa-israel-hamas-report-palestinians/
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I'll read the report of the investigation into UNRWA staff involvement in the October 7 massacre when the UN investigation is complete and it issues its findings.
I recommend that everyone do so. It's so much wiser than relying on misleading clicikbait simply because it confirms one's biases.
