Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Israel on Monday accused the UN agency for Palestinian refugees of employing hundreds of “terrorists”, shortly after the embattled agency said Israeli authorities had tortured some of its staff.
UNRWA has faced a funding crisis since Israel in January accused about a dozen of its employees of involvement in the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel.
An international uproar has led to the agency, which provides vital aid to Gaza, having its funding slashed.
Two UN investigations into Israel’s allegations are ongoing.
The European Commission, the third biggest donor to UNRWA after the US and Germany, has demanded a separate audit and wants to appoint experts to carry it out.
On Monday, Israel vastly increased the scope of its accusations against UNRWA, saying the agency employed more than 450 terrorists from groups including Hamas.
“According to intelligence, over 450 terrorists belonging to terrorist organisations in the Gaza Strip, mainly Hamas, are also employed by UNRWA,” an Israeli military statement said.
The military released what it said were recordings of “a terrorist working as an Arabic teacher at an UNRWA school … describing his entry into Israeli territory and stating that he is holding female Israeli hostages” during the October 7 attack by Hamas.
The allegations came after UNRWA accused Israeli authorities of detaining and mistreating several of its staff from the Gaza Strip.
Why are western countries cutting funding to UNRWA? - video
“Our staff have reported atrocious events while they were detained and during interrogations by the Israeli authorities,” UNRWA said in a statement to The National.
"These reports included torture, severe ill-treatment, abuse and sexual exploitation.
“Some of our staff have conveyed to UNRWA teams that they were forced to confessions under torture and ill-treatment” while being asked about Hamas's October 7 attack.
“These forced confessions as a result of torture are being used by the Israeli authorities to further spread misinformation about the agency as part of attempts to dismantle UNRWA.
“This is putting our staff in Gaza at risk and has serious implications on our operations in Gaza and around the region.”
UNRWA said it still has not received a response from Israeli authorities.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, accused Israel of waging a “deliberate and concerted” campaign against the agency to undermine its operations, and “ultimately” end them.
“Part of this campaign involves inundating donors with misinformation designed to foster distrust and tarnish the reputation of the agency,” Mr Lazzarini said.
“More blatant is the Israeli Prime Minister openly stating that UNRWA will not be a part of postwar Gaza.”
Speaking to reporters late on Monday, Mr Lazzarini confirmed that the UN agency is preparing to publish a report based on testimonies of more than 100 people that accused Israeli troops of abuse.
"We heard stories of people not only having been systematically, humiliated we had quite a lot about people have been being obliged to be naked picture naked, being subjected of verbal and psychological abuse," said Mr Lazzarini.
"There have been the threat of use of electrocution ... a lot of sleep deprivation ... use of dogs to intimidate the people."
He also mentioned that he had heard a number of "humiliating situations" in which people, ranging in age from 15 to over 80, were forced to wear diapers due to lack of access to toilets for "days, if not weeks".
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Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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BMW M5 specs
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TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
POSSIBLE ENGLAND EURO 2020 SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
