Israeli evacuation order in central Gaza 'devastating' to aid efforts, warns UN
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs yesterday warned that the "mass displacement order issued by the Israeli military has dealt yet another devastating blow to the already fragile lifelines keeping people alive across the Gaza Strip."
The Israeli military ordered those in the central Gaza area to leave due to imminent operations, with whole families seen lugging their few belongings and heading south.
OCHA said UN staff were "remaining" in the territory and their coordinates had been shared with "relevant parties."
"These locations - as with all civilian sites - must be protected, regardless of displacement orders," OCHA said, warning that any damage to health clinics, water infrastructure, and aid warehouses in the area "will have life-threatening consequences."
Between 50,000 and 80,000 people were in the area when the evacuation order was issued, according to OCHA's initial estimates.
Yesterday, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of Palestinians trying to collect humanitarian aid in the war-torn Palestinian territory, killing 93 people and wounding dozens more.
Since the start of the war, nearly all of Gaza's population, which is also facing severe food shortages, has been displaced at least once by repeated Israeli evacuation orders.
According to OCHA, the latest order means that 87.8% of Gaza's area is now under displacement orders or within Israeli militarized zones.
That leaves "2.1 million civilians squeezed into a fragmented 12% of the Strip, where essential services have collapsed," said the UN agency.
The order "will limit the ability of the UN and our partners to move safely and effectively within Gaza, choking humanitarian access when it is needed most."
Israel yesterday withdrew the residency permit of the head of the OCHA office in the country, Jonathan Whittall, who has repeatedly condemned the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed 58,895 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The UN finds these figures credible.
The war was sparked by Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel in which 1,219 people, most of them civilians, were killed, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
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RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
USAID analysis found no evidence of massive Hamas theft of Gaza aid
An internal US government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group Hamas of US-funded humanitarian supplies, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the US give for backing a new armed private aid operation. The analysis, which has not been previously reported, was conducted by a bureau within the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and completed in late June. It examined 156 incidents of theft or loss of US-funded supplies reported by US aid partner organisations between October 2023 and this May. It found "no reports alleging Hamas" benefited from US-funded supplies, according to a slide presentation of the findings seen by Reuters. A US State Department spokesperson disputed the findings, saying there is video evidence of Hamas looting aid, but provided no such videos. The spokesperson also accused traditional humanitarian groups of covering up "aid corruption". The findings were shared with the USAID's inspector general's office and State Department officials involved in Middle East policy, said two sources familiar with the matter, and come as dire food shortages deepen in the devastated enclave. Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being stolen by Hamas, which it blames for the crisis. The UN World Food Programme says nearly a quarter of Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians face famine-like conditions, thousands are suffering acute malnutrition, and the World Health Organization and doctors in the enclave report starvation deaths of children and others. The UN also estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food supplies, the majority near the militarised distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the new private aid group that uses a for-profit US logistics firm run by a former CIA officer and armed US military veterans. The study was conducted by the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of USAID, which was the largest funder of assistance to Gaza before the Trump administration froze all US foreign aid in January, terminating thousands of programmes. It has also begun dismantling USAID, whose functions have been folded into the State Department. The analysis found that at least 44 of the 156 incidents where aid supplies were reported stolen or lost were "either directly or indirectly" due to Israeli military actions, according to the briefing slides. Israel's military did not respond to questions about those findings. The study noted a limitation: because Palestinians who receive aid cannot be vetted, it was possible that US-funded supplies went to administrative officials of Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza. One source familiar with the study also cautioned that the absence of reports of widespread aid diversion by Hamas "does not mean that diversion has not occurred". The war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli assault began, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel says Hamas diverts humanitarian aid Israel, which controls access to Gaza, has said that Hamas steals food supplies from UN and other organisations to use to control the civilian population and boost its finances, including by jacking up the prices of the goods and reselling them to civilians. Asked about the USAID report, the Israeli military told Reuters that its allegations are based on intelligence reports that Hamas militants seized cargoes by "both covertly and overtly" embedding themselves on aid trucks. Those reports also show that Hamas has diverted up to 25% of aid supplies to its fighters or sold them to civilians, the Israeli military said, adding that GHF has ended the militants' control of aid by distributing it directly to civilians. Hamas denies the allegations. A Hamas security official said that Israel has killed more than 800 Hamas-affiliated police and security guards trying to protect aid vehicles and convoy routes. Their missions were coordinated with the UN. Reuters could not independently verify the claims by Hamas and Israel, which has not made public proof that the militants have systematically stolen aid. GHF also accuses Hamas of massive aid theft in defending its distribution model. The UN and other groups have rejected calls by GHF, Israel and the US to cooperate with the foundation, saying it violates international humanitarian principles of neutrality. In response to a request for comment, GHF referred Reuters to a 2 July Washington Post article that quoted an unidentified Gazan and anonymous Israeli officials as saying Hamas profited from the sales and taxing of pilfered humanitarian aid. Aid groups required to report losses The 156 reports of theft or losses of supplies reviewed by BHA were filed by UN agencies and other humanitarian groups working in Gaza as a condition of receiving US aid funds. The second source familiar with the matter said that after receiving reports of US-funded aid thefts or losses, USAID staff followed up with partner organisations to try to determine if there was Hamas involvement. Those organisations also would "redirect or pause" aid distributions if they learned that Hamas was in the vicinity, the source said. Aid organisations working in Gaza also are required to vet their personnel, sub-contractors and suppliers for ties to extremist groups before receiving US funds, a condition that the State Department waived in approving $30m for GHF last month. The slide presentation noted that USAID partners tended to over-report aid diversion and theft by groups sanctioned or designated by the US as foreign terrorist organisations - such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad - because they want to avoid losing US funding. Of the 156 incidents of loss or theft reported, 63 were attributed to unknown perpetrators, 35 to armed actors, 25 to unarmed people, 11 directly to Israeli military action, 11 to corrupt sub-contractors, five to aid group personnel "engaging in corrupt activities," and six to "others," a category that accounted for "commodities stolen in unknown circumstances," according to the slide presentation. The armed actors "included gangs and other miscellaneous individuals who may have had weapons," said a slide. Another slide said "a review of all 156 incidents found no affiliations with" US-designated foreign terrorist organisations, of which Hamas is one. "The majority of incidents could not be definitively attributed to a specific actor," said another slide. "Partners often largely discovered the commodities had been stolen in transit without identifying the perpetrator." It is possible there were classified intelligence reports on Hamas aid thefts, but BHA staff lost access to classified systems in the dismantlement of USAID, said a slide. However, a source familiar with US intelligence assessments said that they knew of no US intelligence reports detailing Hamas aid diversions and that Washington was relying on Israeli reports. The BHA analysis found that the Israeli military "directly or indirectly caused" a total of 44 incidents in which US-funded aid was lost or stolen. Those included the 11 attributed to direct Israeli military actions, such as airstrikes or orders to Palestinians to evacuate areas of the war-torn enclave. Losses indirectly attributed to Israeli military included cases where they compelled aid groups to use delivery routes with high risks of theft or looting, ignoring requests for alternative routes, the analysis said.
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
No move on Triple Lock from cross-party committee
A cross-party Oireachtas committee examining the Triple Lock which governs the deployment of defence forces personnel overseas has made no recommendation on whether the existing system should be removed or retained. RTÉ News understands the Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security's final report on the matter - which will be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday - does not include a recommendation on the future of the Triple Lock. Under existing rules, any foreign deployment of 12 or more Irish Defence Forces personnel can only take place when it has been approved by: the Dáil, the Government, and has received a United Nations security council mandate. While the rule is heavily linked with Irish neutrality, the Government has called for its removal in recent years, due to concerns the UN security council could see legitimate Irish deployments vetoed by larger nations like the US, China or Russia. The Oireachtas committee on Defence and National Security has been tasked in recent weeks with examining whether the third stage of the triple lock should be removed, changed or retained. However, it is understood that during a lengthy private meeting of the committee yesterday, during which more than 160 amendments to the original 49-page report were discussed, no definitive final conclusion was drawn. Amendments sought by Opposition A number of Sinn Féin and Labour amendments seeking to retain the UN security council stage of the Triple Lock were rejected by votes in the committee, which has a Government majority. However, no specific amendment to remove the UN security council stage was put forward to be included in the committee's final report. A number of TDs and senators on the committee privately told RTÉ News they were surprised no specific amendment to remove the UN security council stage was tabled. Some suggested this was an error by Government party members, others said that this potential removal will be included in the general scheme of a Government bill at a later date, and others suggested there has been a cooling of views within the coalition on the issue. The committee - which includes eight Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs and senators compared to six Opposition TDs and senators, meaning there is a clear coalition parties' majority - will send its final report to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. Any Government bill on the future of the Triple Lock will not go before the Dáil and Seanad until autumn.
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Israel, US reject French move to recognise Palestinian state
France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron has said in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan has drawn angry rebukes from Israel and the United States. Mr Macron, who unveiled the decision on social media, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convincing other partners to follow suit. "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine," Mr Macron said. "I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September." Fidèle à son engagement historique pour une paix juste et durable au Proche-Orient, j'ai décidé que la France reconnaîtra l'État de Palestine. J'en ferai l'annonce solennelle à l'Assemblée générale des Nations unies, au mois de septembre prochain.… — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025 Home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities, France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state. The news sparked anger in Israel and Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by one of Israel's closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy." In a post on X, he added: "A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. We strongly condemn President Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre. Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a… — Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 24, 2025 "Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as "a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism," adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a "Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence." In response, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States "strongly rejects (Macron's) plan to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly." In a post on X, he said: "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Earlier, Canada also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its "failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza" and reiterating support for a two-state solution. Mr Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. "Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith," he added. "We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza." In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed steps to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against US foreign policy interests and draw consequences. In June, Washington's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a US foreign policy goal. President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a US takeover of Gaza in February, that was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the UN as a proposal of "ethnic cleansing". Mr Macron had been leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive, despite the pressure not to do so. French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. The conference was postponed under US pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which the closure of regional airspace made it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend. It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on 28-29 July, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week's conference aimed to give the French team at the United Nations a framework to work with other countries that are also considering recognising a Palestinian state or have misgivings in doing so. Diplomats say Mr Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. About 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week. Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have called "a nuclear bomb" for bilateral ties. Sources familiar with the matter say Israel's warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives - even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognising a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas. Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority's Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Mr Macron's decision reflected "France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state."
