Intense fighting rages this Tuesday in Khan Younes, the main town in southern Gaza, at a time when the UN chief is working behind the scenes to try to convince embittered donors to maintain their support for the country in the midst of the crisis. agency for palestinian refugees (unrwa).
Le Figaro
takes stock of the situation.
To discover
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IDF evolves in Khan Younes
During the night, witnesses reported Israeli strikes in several areas of the south and center of the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Red Crescent of artillery fire around the al-Amal hospital in Khan Younes. .
The Hamas Ministry of Health counted at least 128 deaths from Monday evening to Tuesday morning, including
“dozens”
in Khan Younes, where the situation remains critical in the main local hospitals.
“In recent weeks, our operations have focused on Khan Younes (...) which is the Hamas capital for southern Gaza
,” declared Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari, reporting
“more than 2000 terrorists eliminated”
in this city.
“We operate on land and underground simultaneously.
This is a new mode of operation which includes the use of cutting-edge technology, some of which are deployed for the first time
,” he declared without elaborating on these technologies.
Israeli army 'preparing for what's next' on border with Lebanon
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant indicated Monday evening that soldiers stationed in Gaza
are “going up to the north (of the country) and preparing for what comes next
,” a reference to the Israeli-Lebanese border, the scene of exchanges with the Hezbollah, supported by Iran and ally of Hamas.
And according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) Israeli missiles targeted in the night
"a base of the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guards"
, the ideological army of the Iranian regime, killing eight people, in the suburbs of Damascus.
UNRWA donors meeting this Tuesday in New York
These incidents coincide, without direct link, with a crisis at the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), where 12 of its 30,000 regional employees are accused by Israel of being involved in the Hamas attack on October 7 .
Shortly after the accusations against UNRWA, 12 donor countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany and now New Zealand, suspended their funding to the agency pending clarification. these allegations.
American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, whose country is the first donor to UNRWA, deemed it
"imperative"
on Monday that this agency investigates these accusations while describing its work in Gaza
as "absolutely necessary"
.
The suspensions were strongly criticized by the Palestinians and NGOs while the No. 1 of Israeli diplomacy Israel Katz canceled a meeting planned for Wednesday with the head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, whose resignation he demanded.
In the meantime, UN chief Antonio Guterres is bringing together the agency's main donors this Tuesday in New York to try to maintain its funding, especially since the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is critical. with the underlying risk of famine.
“Its message to donors, particularly those who have suspended their contributions, is to at least ensure the continuity of the agency's operations
,” its spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Monday evening.
Without this funding,
“the prospects for UNRWA and the millions of people it helps (...) are very bleak,”
he added.
Negotiations continue
On the sidelines of the fighting in Gaza and the controversy over UNRWA, negotiations are continuing behind the scenes under the aegis of Qatar, Egypt and the United States with a view to a new truce, after that of November.
A framework for a truce accompanied by new releases of hostages will be transmitted to Hamas, announced Monday in Washington the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdelrahmane Al-Thani, reporting “
notable progress”
during a meeting on Sunday in Paris between CIA Director William Burns and senior Egyptian, Israeli and Qatari officials.
According to
the New York Times
, the proposed agreement would involve a two-month truce and the release of all hostages against Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, according to the New York Times.
“Very important and productive work has been accomplished
,” declared the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken on Monday evening, adding:
“There is real hope for the future
. ”