France FM calls for foreign press access to Gaza amid Israel's aid siege
'I ask that the free and independent press be allowed to access Gaza to show what is happening there and to bear witness,' he told France Inter radio in an interview from eastern Ukraine.
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Arab News
9 minutes ago
- Arab News
Jordan dispatches trucks with flour as starvation spreads in war-torn Gaza
LONDON: Jordan has dispatched dozens of food trucks to the Palestinian coastal enclave of the Gaza Strip this week, with the latest delivery of flour on Wednesday to help Palestinians amid the Israeli military campaign in the territory. The country's charitable arm, Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, or JHCO, announced that the latest aid convoy entered through the Zikim border crossing, also known as Erez West, in northern Gaza. This week, the JHCO coordinated with the country's armed forces, World Central Kitchen, or WCK, and the World Food Program, or WFP, to dispatch four food convoys to Gaza. A total of 147 trucks delivered essential food supplies and humanitarian aid, primarily flour. The JHCO and WFP facilitated the entry of 111 trucks, while WCK arranged for the remaining 36 trucks, reaffirming their commitment to oversee the distribution of supplies to affected residents. عبور قافلة مساعدات إلى شمال غزة لصالح منظمة 'المطبخ المركزي العالمي" وضمّت القافلة ما مجموعه 36 شاحنة محمّلة بالمواد الغذائية، تم إدخالها تباعًا إلى المناطق الشمالية من القطاع، حيث يعاني القطاع من أوضاع إنسانية صعبة نتيجة تصاعد الأعمال العدائية والانقطاع المتكرر لسلاسل الإمداد. — JHCO (@_jhco) July 23, 2025 Videos on social media shared by Jordanian journalists show Palestinians carrying sacks of flour from distribution points in northern Gaza on Wednesday. Efforts to deliver aid through international organizations have encountered persistent challenges, especially at the Israeli border, where convoys are often delayed, according to JHCO. Some obstacles include the use of live ammunition against individuals approaching the crossings to obtain aid, it added. The Gaza Strip continues to face instability and occasional direct attacks on aid convoys as well as attempts to loot supplies and hinder the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance, the charity added.
Al Arabiya
39 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Tunisia leader shows Trump adviser Massad Boulos images of starving Gaza children
Tunisian President Kais Saied presented US counterpart Donald Trump's senior Africa adviser with photographs of starving children in Gaza, official video of their meeting posted late Tuesday showed. Saied told US envoy Massad Boulos, who is also the father-in-law of Trump's daughter Tiffany, that 'it is time for all of humanity to wake up and put an end to these crimes against the Palestinian people.' 'I believe you know these images well,' Saied was seen telling the envoy as he showed a photograph of what he described as 'a child crying, eating sand in occupied Palestine.' Saied showed Boulos several more images, saying that Palestinians in Gaza were subjected to crimes against humanity. Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, where more than two million people have endured 21 months of devastating conflict. 'It is absolutely unacceptable,' Saied was heard saying as Boulos stood silently, occasionally nodding. 'It is a crime against all of humanity.' More than 100 aid organizations warned on Wednesday that 'mass starvation' was spreading across the Gaza Strip and that their own colleagues were suffering acutely from the shortages. The head of Gaza's largest hospital said on Tuesday that 21 children had died from malnutrition and starvation in the Palestinian territory in the previous three days. Israel says humanitarian aid is being allowed into Gaza and accuses Hamas of exploiting civilian suffering, including by stealing food handouts to sell at inflated prices or shooting at those awaiting aid. Following his visit to Tunisia, Boulos flew on to the Libyan capital Tripoli on Wednesday, Tunisian media reported.
Arab News
39 minutes ago
- Arab News
The US decision to leave UNESCO again puts a spotlight on what the agency does and why it matters
PARIS: With the support of international partners and the mobilization of $115 million, the UN cultural agency UNESCO recently helped rebuild the Iraqi city of Mosul after it was devastated by the Daesh group. The restoration of the historic city's iconic Al-Nouri Mosque and Al-Hadba Minaret was just one of many programs run by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which is in the spotlight because the United States is leaving it once again. The decision to pull US funding and participation from UNESCO will deal a blow to its work preserving cultural heritage around the world. President Donald Trump exited the agency during his first term, accusing it of promoting anti-Israel speech. The Biden administration had rejoined UNESCO in 2023 after citing concerns that China was filling the gap left by the US in UNESCO policymaking. Beyond the diplomatic disputes, here's a look at the work that UNESCO does: World Heritage Sites UNESCO names World Heritage sites, including landmarks like the Great Wall of China, the Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Liberty, and gives them special protection under its World Heritage Sites program. Its World Heritage Committee each year designates sites considered 'of outstanding value to humanity' and intervenes when sites are in danger of destruction or damage. The program provides countries with technical assistance and professional training to preserve the sites. It now also includes 'intangible' heritage such as folk songs and traditional dances, crafts and cooking in its lists. A World Heritage site designation is coveted and seen as a boost to tourism. Holocaust Education Like the rest of the UN, UNESCO was created in response to the horrors of World War II, and particularly Nazi crimes. Amid concerns that the agency's Arab members have used UNESCO to pass anti-Israel resolutions, UNESCO has worked in recent years on Holocaust awareness projects. That includes educational materials and organizing visits to former Nazi concentration camps. Empowering Girls UNESCO works to improve literacy, with a special focus on girls in countries hit by war or disasters who get little or no schooling though programs such as the Malala Fund for Girls' Right to Education. In Tanzania, for instance, over 2,500 girls benefited from the creation of safe spaces in 40 secondary schools, The agency provides teacher training and materials and encourages programs for girls to pursue careers in science. Climate Change One of the agency's goals is coordinating climate knowledge and improving international education about how global warming occurs and affects people around the world. Over 30 UNESCO programs are designed to help its members adapt to climate change and favor sustainable development. Ethics of Artificial Intelligence UNESCO adopted in 2021 what it calls 'the first and only global standard-setting instrument on the ethics of artificial intelligence.' Applying to all 194 member states, the recommendation emphasizes the protection of human rights and dignity, grounded in principles like transparency, fairness, and human oversight of AI systems. Operating without the US UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay said the US decision to leave was expected and that the agency has prepared for it. While the US had previously provided a notable share of the agency's budget, UNESCO has diversified its funding sources. 'Thanks to the efforts made by the organization since 2018, the decreasing trend in the financial contribution of the US has been offset, so that it now represents 8 percent of the organization's total budget compared with 40 percent for some United Nations entities,' Azoulay said. She added that the agency's overall budget has increased and that it has the steady support of 'a large number of member states and private contributors.'
