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Israeli soldiers dressed as medical professionals shot and killed three Palestinian men in a hospital in Jenin located in West Bank occupied area, during early hours on Wednesday.
Israeli authorities claim these men were fighters. According to International law, the killing of combatants receiving medical attention is prohibited if they are “not, or no longer, taking part in hostilities.”
CCTV footage shared on social media show commandos, disguised as nurses and women in hijabs and locals, storm into the hospital corridor carrying weapons.
The hospital reported that the three men were asleep during the attack. One of them, claimed by Hamas, was identified as a member, while the other two were claimed by Islamic Jihad. Hamas stated that all three were also Jenin Brigade fighters, as per CNN. Jenin Brigade is an umbrella group of armed Palestinian factions in the West Bank city.
Also read: Iran executes 4 ‘Israeli spies’ linked to espionage operation. Details here
These disguised Israeli special forces “infiltrated the hospital individually, headed to the third floor, and assassinated the young men,” Palestinian state news agency WAFA reported.
Israel on Tuesday demanded the UN agency, UNRWA be stripped of its authority in the Gaza Strip as it exists to assist only Palestinian refugees while all of the world’s other refugees are assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Also read: Nine countries halt funding UN agency in Gaza, Israel says ‘UNRWA must be replaced’
According to Prime Minister’s Office’s press briefing UNRWA aids Hamas and demanded that the organisation be defunded and replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development. It further demanded its leadership to resign or be dismissed, and that it no longer play an educational role in the Gaza Strip.
Also read: A brief history of Gaza’s 75 years of woe
PMO spokesman Eylon Levy claimed that UNRWA indoctrinates children against Israel and Jews and demanded a prohibitory order against its educational role in the Gaza Strip. Eylon Levy demanded that its leadership should resign or be dismissed. He said, “UNRWA is part of the problem, not part of the solution. It is a Hamas front and it’s time to put it behind us,” reported ANI.
Also read: Britain, Italy, Finland pause UN refugee agency funding amid Gaza war post Hamas attack allegations
UNRWA was attacked following The New York Times story published on Sunday that claimed 12 staff members of UNRWA participated in the October 7 massacre led by Hamas. Moreover, The Wall Street Journal reported that one in 10 UNRWA employees is either an active Hamas member or has ties to the group.
Also read: Israel vows to stop UN agency activities in Gaza; blames it for Hamas attack
In response, the UN’s coordinator for Gaza aid said on Tuesday that nothing can “replace or substitute” the UN Palestinian refugee agency, whose staff were implicated in the Hamas attacks on Israel. UN’s chief, including the heads of the WHO, the UN rights office, UNICEF and the World Food Programme, warned that defunding UNRWA would lead to a “catastrophic” humanitarian collapse in Gaza, reported AFP.
Following the disclosure of this information, over 15 countries suspended funding to the organisation including the US with the US being UNRWA’s largest donor.
(With agency inputs)
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Published: 31 Jan 2024, 08:29 AM IST
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