Image Credits: Al Jazeera
Britain’s Foreign Minister David Lammy announced the UK’s decision to resume funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA. In his statement to parliament, Lammy expressed confidence in UNRWA’s commitment to maintaining “the highest standards of neutrality,” confirming a £21 million ($27 million) contribution to support the agency’s operations.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, as recent Israeli military actions have intensified. The Israeli army has bombed its ninth school shelter in Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of at least two Palestinians among those seeking refuge from the conflict. Additional assaults have been reported, with shelling in the Bureij refugee camp resulting in five deaths, and further strikes in the Nuseirat refugee camp causing at least eight more fatalities.
Amid these escalating tensions, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have issued a joint call for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to revoke its recognition of Israel. This move comes in response to a recent resolution by the Knesset rejecting Palestinian statehood.
In a meeting held in Doha, Qatar, leaders from Hamas and PIJ emphasized their stance against Israeli policies, which they argue undermine Palestinian aspirations for an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
The PLO had recognized Israel in 1993 through the Oslo Accords, signed by then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The recent call from Hamas and PIJ underscores the deepening political rift and the continued volatility in the region, further complicating the prospects for peace and stability.