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US envoy: Stop funding UNRWA, back Board of Peace for Gaza

Speaking at the U.N. July 1, Ambassador Jeff Bartos said donors could continue supporting United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugee or choose a framework offering Gazans «peace, prosperity and real durable change.» (Credit: UNTV)

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A legal battle between the family of an Oct. 7, 2023 attack victim and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has become a lightning rod for ongoing uncertainty about the agency’s future in the Gaza Strip.

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Israeli civil rights attorney and president of the Shurat HaDin Law Center, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, told Fox News Digital that she filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Jerusalem on behalf of the family of 21-year-old Yonatan Samerano, who was murdered outside of Kibbutz Be’eri after fleeing the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023. Samerano’s body was returned to his family after 625 days in captivity, during the final stage of hostage releases, Darshan-Leitner said.

According to Darshan-Leitner, after Samerano was shot to death by terrorists, his body was picked up by UNRWA workers, placed in an UNRWA vehicle and kidnapped to Gaza. «Although the kidnapping was by UNRWA’s workers, UNRWA never revealed the place of the body, never cooperated with Israeli authorities to tell them where Yonatan Samerano was held and never admitted that it was done by its workers. And therefore we decided to sue UNRWA on behalf of the family.»

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The body of Yonatan Samerano was recovered by Israel after being taken to Gaza by terrorists, who were allegedly employees of UNRWA. (Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters)

The difficulty in bringing suit against UNRWA has been the diplomatic immunity the organization enjoys by virtue of the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. Darshan-Leitner said that the charter «specifically prohibits any act of violence, let alone terrorism» and that because «UNRWA was aiding and abetting terror organizations and participating in acts of terrorism, they can no longer enjoy the immunity granted by the treaty.»

The Israeli Knesset passed legislation in December stripping UNRWA of its diplomatic immunity, which allows the Israeli government to expropriate UNRWA properties within East Jerusalem.

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United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) building in Gaza, June, 2023.  (Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Due to UNRWA’s loss of immunity, the Samerano family is pursuing punitive damages of NIS 24 million (nearly $8million) under Israel’s Compensation for Victims of Terrorism Law. When the deadline for UNRWA to file its defense in the case arrived last week, Darshan-Leitner said that the agency asked for a 45-day extension.

UNRWA did not respond to requests for comment about the status of its immunity, or its response to the litigation it faces on behalf of Samerano’s family.

US URGES DONORS TO ABANDON UNRWA FUNDING AS UN DEFENDS AGENCY’S MISSION

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This picture taken during a media tour organised by the Israeli army on February 8, 2024, shows Israeli soldiers inside an evacuated compound of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza City. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, told Fox News Digital that Guterres has consistently «stated that the Knesset Law and its amendments are inconsistent with the status and international legal framework applicable to UNRWA. The source of UNRWA’s immunities is vested in the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, which remain applicable.»

While Guterres «has been very clear that any UNRWA personnel who has been demonstrated to have participated in the terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7 must be held accountable,» he added that «Whenever we have been given information by the Israeli government on such individuals, we have acted.»

UNRWA’s role in the future of Gaza has been hotly contested in passing months. As the USAID Office of Inspector General and NGO Watch continue to turn up evidence of Hamas infiltration of UNRWA, Finland, Sweden and the U.S. have now fully stopped issuing funds to the organization.

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Hamas terrorists emerge in a show of strength escorting Red Cross vehicles carrying 3 Israeli hostages to be released as part of the cease-fire deal.  (TPS-IL)

The Board of Peace, charged with the reconstruction of Gaza, has stated that UNRWA will have no role in the future of the Strip.

However, the Associated Press reported on Sept. 25 that the Board of Peace members «have been more open to working with the U.N. agency for Palestine than it seems.» Their article cited a Board of Peace official’s confirmation that «board members had met multiple times with UNRWA officials.»

The Board of Peace shot back on X, saying that its «policy as it relates to UNRWA’s involvement in Gaza is unchanged. We will only work with trusted partners who will deliver for the people of Gaza and contribute to a deradicalized Strip. UNRWA fails on those litmus tests.»

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Displays featuring what organizers say are UNRWA facilities and personnel involved in terrorist activities. Displayed at the ‘Return to October’ exhibition in Israel. (Amelie Botbol for Fox News Digital)

A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that «The evidence continues to mount that UNRWA has become a vehicle for instability, violence and radicalization, and it has no place in Gaza’s future humanitarian operations. At the same time, we are confident there are many capable and dedicated service providers in Gaza today who, following robust vetting and background checks, will meet the high standards required to deliver critical goods and services to the Palestinian people. We expect many will welcome the opportunity to continue that important work in partnership with credible NGOs, other U.N. entities or alongside the [National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.] Following an orderly wind-down, UNRWA itself will neither be essential nor necessary to accomplishing the work that lies ahead in Gaza.»

Guterres continues to stand behind the organization. In remarks he delivered at the Ministerial Meeting on UNRWA on Sept. 24, the U.N. leader stated that «UNRWA remains a critical stabilizing presence.»

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UN CHIEF BACKS OFFICIAL WHO REPOSTED ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST’S CLAIMS AMID CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION

Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

«For years now, UNRWA has been forced to operate under extraordinary pressure. I have repeatedly condemned in the strongest terms the appalling attacks by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, UNRWA’s personnel in Gaza have endured terrible loss and hardship. Nearly 400 members of its workforce have been killed. Hundreds of its premises remain inaccessible, severely damaged, or utterly destroyed,» Guterres said.

Guterres also said that «a ceaseless political campaign has tried to manipulate public perceptions, undermine UNRWA’s ability to operate, and deny the rights of Palestine refugees.» He called on U.N. Member States to «take immediate action» to politically and financially support the organization and protect its mandate.

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Darshan-Leitner said that allowing UNRWA to continue operations inside Gaza would be problematic. «UNRWA indoctrinated [Palestinian refugees] and let the terror organizations infiltrate their schools and education facilities.» She added that UNRWA facilities «served Hamas as bases, as launchers, as missile storage places,» which both «risk the life of the citizens in Gaza,» and ensure that there will be collateral damage if Israel retaliates against attacks.

«If the Board of Peace wants to re-educate the people to get rid of the terrorist system, to separate between the terrorists and the citizens of Gaza, it cannot do it when UNRWA is around because UNRWA is embedded in Hamas…UNRWA is Hamas. So letting UNRWA take care of the humanitarian needs of the population in Gaza is a fatal mistake,» Darshan-Leitner said.

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Beth Bailey writes on the United Nations, worldwide antisemitism, and regions in conflict for Fox News.

anti semitism, united nations, hamas, international law, middle east

Pasaron casi 17 años desde que el nombre de Nidal Hasan quedó marcado en la historia de Estados Unidos por uno de los tiroteos más letales en una base militar. El 5 de noviembre de 2009, Hasan, entonces psiquiatra y mayor del Ejército, abrió fuego en una instalación médica de Fort Hood, Texas, y mató a 13 personas e hirió a otras 32.

Tras ser condenado, ahora el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, aprobó que la sentencia se cumpla mediante pelotón de fusilamiento.

Quién es Nidal Malik Hasan

Nidal Malik Hasan es un estadounidense de origen palestino, al momento del ataque, ostentaba el rango de mayor y trabajaba como psiquiatra militar.

El ataque ocurrió cuando Hasan estaba a pocas semanas de ser desplegado en Afganistán.

Ese día, ingresó armado al edificio donde los soldados se preparaban para misiones en zonas de combate y comenzó a disparar con una pistola semiautomática equipada con mira láser al gritó de “Allahu Akbar” (Dios es el más grande).

Trece personas murieron, entre ellas una soldado embarazada, recordó el medio Military Times.

El ex sargento de Estado Mayor del Ejército Patrick Zeigler recibió cuatro disparos durante el ataque y pasó casi un año recuperándose en distintos hospitales. “Me miró directamente a los ojos mientras me apuntaba con el arma y, una fracción de segundo después, ya estaba tirado en el piso con un agujero en la cabeza”, declaró al Killeen Daily Herald en 2023.

El ataque terminó cuando una mujer policía le disparó y logró detenerlo. Hasan sobrevivió, pero quedó parcialmente paralizado y desde entonces utiliza una silla de ruedas.

El juicio y la condena a muerte

Cuatro años después de la masacre, Hasan enfrentó a un jurado militar que lo condenó a muerte en 2013 por 13 asesinatos premeditados y 32 intentos de asesinato.

Durante el juicio, Hasan se describió como un soldado que había “cambiado de bando” y asumió su propia defensa: no llamó testigos, renunció a interrogar a los de la Fiscalía y no presentó alegato final. Los abogados defensores designados por el tribunal expresaron preocupación de que buscara su propia ejecución.

Durante el juicio, salieron a la luz sus contactos con el clérigo radical Anwar al Awlaki y su oposición a las intervenciones estadounidenses en Irak y Afganistán.

Desde su condena, Hasan permanece recluido en la prisión militar de Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

La ejecución por fusilamiento aprobada por Trump

En las últimas horas, Hasan quedó más cerca de la ejecución. El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, aprobó que la sentencia se cumpla mediante pelotón de fusilamiento, tras la recomendación del secretario de Defensa, Pete Hegseth.

“Finalmente llegó el día del juicio final para Hasan”, declaró el vocero militar Sean Parnell.

Ahora, el secretario del Ejército deberá fijar la fecha y el lugar de la ejecución.

Si finalmente se concreta, será la primera ejecución de un condenado por la justicia militar estadounidense desde 1961, cuando el soldado John Bennett fue ahorcado por violar a una niña de 11 años, y la primera por fusilamiento desde 1945, cuando el soldado Eddie Slovik fue ejecutado por deserción durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Este método es excepcional en Estados Unidos: solo cinco estados —Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Carolina del Sur y Utah— lo contemplan en su legislación, aunque las condiciones varían en cada uno.

Idaho, por ejemplo, lo convirtió en 2026 en su método principal, mientras que Carolina del Sur volvió a usarlo en 2025 tras 15 años sin ejecuciones de este tipo.

Trump aprobó la ejecución por fusilamiento pocos días después de que un intento fallido de ejecutar a Christa Pike mediante inyección letal llevara al gobernador de Tennessee a suspender las ejecuciones previstas para ese año y a ordenar una revisión independiente.

Trump reactivó la pena de muerte federal tras una moratoria informal durante administraciones anteriores. El Gobierno federal ejecutó a 13 personas entre 2020 y principios de 2021, lo que convirtió a Trump en el presidente que más ejecuciones llevó a cabo en más de 130 años.

Estados Unidos, masacre, pena de muerte

Workers across several Democratic-led states are set to ring in 2027 with another pay bump, widening an already sizable gap between state minimum wages and the federal floor of $7.25 an hour.

Washington, California and Connecticut will all raise minimum wages that already top $17 an hour beginning Jan. 1, while New Jersey and Michigan will also hike their wage floors — widening the gap with the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.

Washington will lead the pack at $17.73 an hour, up 60 cents from its current $17.13 rate. Connecticut’s minimum wage will rise from $16.94 to $17.48, while California’s will climb from $16.90 to $17.40.

New Jersey will increase its minimum wage by 56 cents to $16.48 an hour for most workers, while Michigan is slated for one of the largest jumps, rising from $13.73 to $15 an hour.

AOC-BACKED $30 MINIMUM WAGE PLAN COULD BACKFIRE IN UNEXPECTED WAYS, EXPERTS WARN

The hikes come as several Republican-led states have also pushed their wage floors well above the federal rate, though they remain below the highest-paying blue states. Florida’s minimum wage reached $15 an hour on Sept. 30 and will remain there through the end of 2027, while Missouri is also at $15. Nebraska will increase its minimum wage from $15 to $15.26 on Jan. 1.

Washington’s statewide increase will come as Seattle pushes its own wage floor even higher. The city’s minimum wage is slated to rise to $22.14 an hour in 2027, nearly $4.50 above the new statewide rate.

Seattle’s wage requirements have also become a flashpoint in the debate over the costs facing local businesses. Beginning in 2025, all employers in the city, including small businesses, became subject to the same inflation-adjusted minimum wage. Some restaurant owners who later closed their businesses cited rising labor costs among the financial pressures they faced.

ECONOMIST WARNS THOUSANDS OF VIRGINIA JOBS AT RISK AFTER MINIMUM WAGE HIKE SIGNED BY SPANBERGER

Washington’s minimum wage is tied to inflation under state law, with the wage floor recalculated each year rather than requiring lawmakers to approve a new increase.

Washington voters approved a measure in 1998 that raised the minimum wage and, beginning in 2001, tied future increases to inflation.

Voters approved another measure in 2016 that set wage increases through 2020. Since 2021, the minimum wage has again risen annually with inflation, with the goal of keeping workers’ pay in step with rising prices.

Each September, the Washington Department of Labor & Industries calculates the following year’s rate based on changes in the CPI-W. The new rate is announced Sept. 30 and takes effect Jan. 1.

«Democrats appear to be doing everything they can to make the business climate in Washington more untenable,» Seattle Red host and conservative commentator Jason Rantz told Digital.

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE LOST 30,000 JOBS, BILLIONS IN OFFICE VALUE SINCE 2020 PAYROLL TAX: NEW REPORT FINDS

«It’s not just the high cost of labor — Seattle is now going to be over $22 an hour — but it’s the high crime, open-air drug use, new income tax that targets pass-through businesses, and overregulation that make operating businesses more difficult than it should be,» Rantz said.

«Our unemployment rate is higher than the national average, and we’re losing tech jobs left and right,» he added. «Democrats have no answers. They’re just making their problems worse.»

The wage hike comes as Washington’s unemployment rate reached 4.9% in August, above the 4.1% national rate and up from 4.6% a year earlier, according to the state Employment Security Department.

Washington also lost an estimated 900 jobs that month, including 2,300 information-sector positions, while professional and business services employment was down 13,100 jobs from a year earlier.

Angela Rosen, who founded Penelope and the Beauty Bar and operates three Seattle spas, told Rantz that her therapists already make more than minimum wage, but said higher labor costs have squeezed support positions instead.

«I had to cut my front desk,» Rosen told «The Jason Rantz Show,» according to Seattle Red. Rantz reported that the move eliminated 12 shifts per week across two smaller locations.

washington, seattle, jobs, costs, inflation, economy