U.K., France, Canada and others condemn Israel’s demolition of U.N. site in Jerusalem

admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 01:56:00 +0000

Two men stand near fallen cables next to a damaged building at the Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees as the headquarters is dismantled by Israeli forces, in East Jerusalem, on January 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

United Kingdom and its allies, including France and ‌Canada, on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) strongly condemned the demolition last week by Israeli authorities of the ⁠U.N. Palestinian refugee agency’s (UNRWA) East Jerusalem compound.

The group, ⁠in a joint statement, called on ‌the government ‌of Israel to halt all ‍demolitions.

The statement was published ‍on the British government website on behalf of Foreign Ministers from U.K., Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, ⁠Norway, Portugal and Spain.

“This unprecedented act against a United Nations agency by a U.N. Member State marks the latest unacceptable move to undermine their ability to operate. We urge the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure the protection and inviolability of United Nations premises in accordance with the provisions of the UN General Convention (1946) and the Charter. We call upon the Government of Israel, a member of the United Nations, to halt all demolitions,” read the statement.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on January 20, 2025, that the demolition was following through on a new law that banned the organisation, accusing it of ties to militant groups and Hamas.

(With inputs from Reuters, AP)

Published – January 29, 2026 07:26 am IST

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UN agency laments plight of children in northern Gaza

admin — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 16:18:06 +0000

Palestinian children wait to receive food during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip March 13, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
| Photo Credit: MOHAMMED SALEM

One in three children under the age of two in northern Gaza is now acutely malnourished and famine is looming, the main UN agency operating in the Palestinian enclave said on Saturday. “Children’s malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,” the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said.

More than five months into Israel’s air and ground campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’s attack on October 7, much of the enclave is in ruins with most of its 2.3 million population displaced and facing a major humanitarian crisis.

Hospitals in Gaza have reported some children dying of malnutrition and dehydration.

The international food insecurity watchdog, the IPC, is expected to report soon on the extent of the hunger crisis in Gaza after saying in December there was a risk of famine in the projection period through May.

For the IPC to declare famine, at least 20% of the population must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two out of every 10,000 people dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.

Western countries have called on Israel to do more to allow in aid, with the UN saying it faced “overwhelming obstacles” including crossing closures, onerous vetting, restrictions on movement and unrest inside Gaza.

Israel says it puts no limit on humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and blames slow aid delivery on incapacity or inefficiency among UN agencies. Air and sea relief deliveries into Gaza have started, but aid agencies say these are no substitute for bringing in supplies by land.

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UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees – Artifex.News

U.K., France, Canada and others condemn Israel’s demolition of U.N. site in Jerusalem

UN agency laments plight of children in northern Gaza