UNRWA to continue work despite Israel cutting ties
The United Nations said its Palestinian aid agency UNRWA would continue to operate even as Israel severed ties with the organization.
“UNRWA clinics across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are open. Meanwhile, the humanitarian operations in Gaza continues, including with UNRWA work there,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres.
Israel banned UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil as of Thursday after it alleged that some UNRWA staff were involved in the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023 that sparked the Gaza war.
Friend of Israeli hostage says ‘amazing’ to see release
Daniel Lifshitz, a friend of Arbel Yehoud, an Israeli hostage who was released on Thursday, told DW it was “amazing” to see her release.
He said it was “awful” and a “nightmare” to see Yehoud walk through a crowd of Gaza Palestinians before being handed over to the Red Cross as part of her transfer to Israel.
Daniel is the grandson of Oded Lifshitz, who remains in captivity in Gaza. He said his family had had no news of his grandfather since November 2023.
He thanked Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, and the German government for their efforts to secure the release of hostages from Gaza.
“On behalf of Yehoud’s family and on my behalf, we are really thankful for everything the German government did,” he said. “Ambassador Steffen is the best ambassador for the hostages in the world.”
Lifshitz also called for the release of Yehoud’s boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, who remains captive in Gaza.
Lifshitz’s grandmother, Yocheved Lifshitz, was released in October 2023 as part of a deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt.
He expressed pessimism about the possibility of establishing peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories in the short term, saying that “peace needs two sides.”
“Today we didn’t see a side that wants peace,” he said.
‘Almost nothing left of Gaza’ — US envoy
US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told US news portal Axios following a visit to Gaza that reconstruction there could take 10 to 15 years.
“People are moving north to get back to their homes and see what happened and turn around and leave … there is no water and no electricity,” he said.
Palestinians have been allowed to return to the north of the territory under a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Witkoff said when he visited the Palestinian enclave he saw that there was “almost nothing left of Gaza.”
“It is stunning just how much damage occurred there,” he said.
Witkoff said he went to Gaza to “inspect the implementation” of the ceasefire, adding that aid was entering Gaza as planned.
The US envoy said security arrangements around the Netzarim and Philadelphi corridors were working better than Washington had expected. Control over the Philadelphi corridor , along the border between Egypt and Gaza, had been one of the main points of contention in ceasefire negotiations.
Last week, UN Development Program chief Achim Steiner told DW that Gaza had faced destruction “without precedent” and needed to rebuild “60 years of lost development.”
Scholz ‘relieved’ at German-Israeli hostages’ release
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed the release of two German-Israeli hostages, and urged the release of all remaining captives.
Earlier Thursday, militants in Gaza freed five Thai and three Israeli hostages. Among them were two German-Israeli dual nationals, 80-year-old Gadi Moses and 29-year-old Arbel Yehoud.
“We are relieved and rejoice with all the hostages who have been released,” Scholz posted on X.
“All of the hostages must be released and all mortal remains of the deceased returned to the families.”
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/middle-east-hamas-releases-3-israeli-5-thai-hostages/live-71452549
