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Experts urge Trump to ban terror-linked UN agency from his Gaza peace plan
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Amid the implementation of President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan to end the Hamas-Israel war, Mideast experts are urging that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) have no presence in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip because of its reported support for the terrorist organization Hamas and its track record of severe incompetence.
Hugh Dugan, who served on the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Organization Affairs in 2020, told Fox News Digital, «UNRWA’s mission was to provide relief and support pending a durable political solution. As such, a solution is at hand – pending Hamas’ compliance to disarm immediately – truly neutral humanitarian operations beg for new measures and modalities.»
He added, «The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for months has distributed aid independently of U.N. channels and has prevented diversion by militant groups. Other U.N. humanitarian operations would be well-served to take cover and operate within GHF’s shadow under the blistering sun of critical human need.»
IDF KILLS HAMAS TERRORIST IT SAYS WORKED FOR UNRWA, LED CHARGE ON REIM BOMB SHELTER MASSACRE
Pictures are displayed on the walls of a bomb shelter, in which, six months prior, people sought refuge before being killed during the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, near Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel, April 7, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
Dugan, a former diplomat who served at the U.S. mission to the world body, said UNRWA has turned a cottage industry into a sprawling transnational bureaucracy that has perpetuated financial waste and prolonged the conflict by granting refugee status to the descendants of Palestinian refugees after the first Israel-Arab states’ war.
«After the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA’s critical mission was to provide direct relief and works program for 800,000 Palestinian refugees. Its job was to put itself out of business as soon as possible, however it went the route of mission creep. Over decades managerially captured by the U.N. bureaucracy, UNRWA perpetuates the status of refugees now swelling to 5.9 million,» he said.
Dugan concluded, «After billions of dollars, Palestinians continue in desperate dependence for humanitarian aid of the most basic kind. This has positioned UNRWA as a political actor in its own right beyond its original mission. And its politics and relations with Hamas reveal that UNRWA lost irretrievably its grounding in humanitarian neutrality and non-discrimination.»
DOSSIER REVEALS INFORMATION USED TO EXPLAIN UN AGENCY’S DEEP TIES TO HAMAS IN GAZA
People carry boxes of relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private US-backed aid group that has bypassed the longstanding UN-led system in the territory, as displaced Palestinians return from an aid distribution centre in the central Gaza Strip on June. 8 The UN and major aid organisations have refused to cooperate with the GHF, citing concerns that it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. (EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images)
In August, Fox News Digital obtained a U.S. State Department public assessment to Congress, stating, «The administration has determined UNRWA is irredeemably compromised and now seeks its full dismantlement.» The Biden administration had given UNRWA $1 billion in U.S. taxpayer funding since 2021 before the freeze in 2024 went into effect.
UNRWA spokeswoman Juliette Touma countered allegations against the organization as dangerous and told Fox News Digital that such claims have «never been substantiated, let alone proven,» adding, «The United Nations has undertaken investigations and external reviews, and none of these claims have been substantiated. What these claims have done, most importantly, is they have banned UNRWA, the largest humanitarian organization, from delivering food to hungry people.»
Touma said «It also put my colleagues in Gaza in danger and have put their lives at serious risks due to this dis-information. UNRWA has 12,000 staff on the ground in Gaza It is impossible to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza without UNRWA and its teams. We know that all other attempts to replace UNRWA have been disastrous.»
She continued, «Given [the] above and the action that the U.N. has taken against these claims, these claims remain as such—claims with huge consequences on the lives of our colleagues, the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the reputation of this agency,» she said.
Photos released by the Israeli Defense Force show three individuals that the Israeli military claims are Hamas terrorists inside an UNRWA compound in Rafah. (IDF)
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that «President Trump and Secretary Rubio have long stated that Hamas will never govern Gaza again. That includes institutions they have infiltrated to sustain their power and influence.»
The spokesperson reiterated the directive from «President Trump’s Feb. 4 Executive Order regarding ending funding or reviewing support for certain U.N. and international organizations,» which declared that «UNRWA has reportedly been infiltrated by members of groups long designated by the Secretary of State (Secretary) as foreign terrorist organizations, and UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.»
Former IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said, «UNRWA has proven itself to be irredeemably corrupt, infiltrated by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad and part of the reason why Hamas was able to recruit tens of thousands of Jihad-indoctrinated youth and to sustain itself during two years of fighting.
Hamas terrorists killed civilians, including women, children and the elderly, when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces via AP)
«If we desire a deradicalized Gaza, the first organization that has to be removed from power is Hamas. The close second is UNRWA. Both must not have any role in shaping the present or the future of Gaza. Now is the time to invest in a better future for Gaza and the region, and the time to remove UNRWA.»
Conricus said that «Ever since Hamas took power over the Gaza Strip in 2007, UNRWA has been a facilitator for Hamas’s military buildup. By diverting international aid to provide for the civilian needs of Gaza‘s population per Hamas guidance, UNRWA enabled Hamas to divert the majority of their funds to military buildup in the shape of digging tunnels, producing rockets, acquiring drones and sophisticated missiles and paying and training a large force of Jihadi terrorists.»
UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza City, Gaza on February 21, 2024. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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He said that «Throughout the two-year war, Hamas fighters systematically used UNRWA facilities and infrastructure to support and sustain their military operations against Israel. Hamas underground command posts were exposed directly underneath UNRWA facilities in Gaza City, including a supply of electricity and IT services from UNRWA offices to the underground Hamas bunker. UNRWA schools all across the Gaza Strip were systematically used by Hamas as military staging grounds, production facilities for weapons, intelligence collection sites, and hideouts for Hamas fighters.»
When asked about the role of UNRWA, an IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital, «It’s the political echelon to decide everything regarding the peace deal and the post-war details.» Fox News Digital reached out to Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson on several occasions for a comment. Israel’s government banned UNRWA operations in January, 2025.
united nations,israel,terrorism,conflicts,anti semitism
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Un Chile en pánico por la inseguridad y la violencia elige presidente y escalan los discursos de mano dura
Jeannette Jara también habla de frenar a las bandas del narcotráfico. Foto: BloombergLas cifras y el miedo
Una seguidora de Johannes Kaiser, con una gorra con el mismo eslogan que usa Donald Trump en Estados Unidos. Foto: REUTERS
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DNC staffers ruthlessly mocked for fuming over remote work reversal: ‘Get yourselves together’
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Democratic National Committee employees were mercilessly mocked this week after news came out that staffers were very unhappy with a recent directive from DNC Chairman Ken Martin end to remote work for employees who will now be required to show up to the office five days a week.
Leadership of the union representing DNC employees put out a statement following news of the new directive, describing it as «callous.» Reports from those on the staff-wide call also described an immediate flurry of thumbs-down emojis and other signs of anger upon news of the new requirement.
«It was shocking to see the DNC chair disregard staff’s valid concerns on today’s team call,» they wrote. «D.N.C. staff worked extremely hard to support historic wins for Democrats up and down the ballot last Tuesday, and this change feels especially callous considering the current economic conditions created by the Trump administration.» Martin reportedly told employees that if they don’t like the new policy, they should go find a job elsewhere.
And Martin wasn’t the only Democrat who had some harsh and pointed words for the Democratic Party staffers. Neera Tanden, former President Joe Biden’s domestic policy advisor, had a similar message for DNC staffers, suggesting there were many eager folks waiting in line who would likely be more than willing to go into the office.
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS TURN ON PARTY LEADERSHIP AFTER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENDS WITHOUT HEALTHCARE GUARANTEES
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin speaking from the DNC’s home studio. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«If you think democracy is on the line – working in the office is not a big ask,» Tanden wrote in a post on X. «And there are plenty of other people willing to step up. Get yourselves together people.»
A left-wing group, the Center for New Liberalism, echoed the view that the staffers «should look elsewhere» if working from home is a «must-have.»
«When you accept a job on a campaign, or with an org like the DNC, DCCC, etc, your single purpose is to win the election. It is a demanding job that requires long hours & sacrifices,» the group wrote on X. «The other part of this is that I suspect [work from home] staff are probably losing opportunities for themselves by not being in the office. Campaigns require a lot of personal sacrifice, but the people who are good at their job and work to make themselves noticed in the office usually tend to go on to do big things!»
One Florida-based Democratic strategist, Steve Schale, who led Barack Obama’s statewide efforts in Florida in 2008 and returned to help his campaign in 2012, said the DNC should implement a «requirement» to ensure those who want to work at the DNC really have what it takes.
«There should be a requirement that to work at the DNC that you’ve done at least two cycles on an actual battleground campaign, where terms like flex hours & hybrid work don’t exist,» Schale wrote on X.
6 HOUSE DEMOCRATS EXPLAIN BREAKING WITH PARTY TO END SHUTDOWN
A man is seen walking in front of the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters located in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Republicans did not spare the opportunity to slam Democratic Party staffers as well.
«You can’t make this up — the DNC union is pissed that the Chairman is calling staff back into the office 5 days a week,» former Trump White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said after learning of the anger. GOP strategist, Matt Gorman, quipped that the image of DNC staffers logging onto a Zoom call in their pajamas amid all the chaos of Biden’s reelection «is hilarious.»
«The best part is that they still get two full months before they actually have to get out of bed 5 days week,» GOP National Press Secretary Kiersten Pels said. «Is this a political committee or a daycare?»
Martin reportedly told his employees that the work-from-home policy the DNC implemented during COVID was never meant to be permanent, describing it as a «Band-Aid» that has long needed to be ripped off. He did say that remote work would still be allowed on a case-by-case basis, however.
Neera Tanden, one of former President Joe Biden’s top advisors in the White House, was among those Democrats who slammed DNC staffers for being upset of having to go back into the office full-time, as opposed to remote work. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
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The staffer’s union said it is considering all options in terms of challenging the measure. The group previously ratified a collective bargaining agreement with the DNC over the summer that «reaffirms its commitment to making hybrid work available,» but also includes language that allows for a full return to in-person working as long as there is a 60-day notice period, according to the New York Times.
Earlier this year, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association sent a letter to top House and Senate leaders proposing a rotating 32-hour work week for congressional staffers, arguing it would be a more «sustainable approach to work on a national level.»
The proposal was widely mocked, however.
«Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek?» quipped Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., at the time. «I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek.»
democratic party,politics,democrats elections,health work,tech,topics
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Persecución en Cuba: la dictadura acusó a un medio digital independiente de “tráfico de divisas” y “evasión fiscal”
El primer ministro de la dictadura de Cuba, Manuel Marrero, acusó este jueves al medio digital no oficial El Toque de tráfico de divisas y evasión fiscal, en el contexto de un creciente enfrentamiento con la prensa independiente. La denuncia se realizó en redes sociales y siguió a la emisión, el miércoles por la noche, de un documental en la televisión estatal que acusa al medio —con sede en Miami— de recibir fondos de Estados Unidos y de buscar la desestabilización del país.
En medio de la campaña oficial contra El Toque, Marrero aseguró: “Se trata de un programa integral de guerra económica organizado, financiado y ejecutado directamente por el gobierno de EEUU”.
Las autoridades cubanas han intensificado las críticas contra El Toque, conocido por publicar diariamente la tasa de cambio del mercado informal, muy distinta a la establecida oficialmente por el régimen cubano y utilizada como referencia mayoritaria para operaciones monetarias en la isla. Según Marrero, la tasa de cambio informada por El Toque es “una farsa” y el resultado de “una burda manipulación”, declaraciones recogidas durante esta ofensiva mediática.
Mientras tanto, los medios del régimen enlazaron la acusación de Marrero con críticas al funcionamiento del propio sitio, al que señalaron de “mercenarismo”, “enriquecimiento ilícito”, “manipulación cambiaria” y de operar “en contra del bienestar del pueblo”. La controversia surge en un contexto en el que la tasa oficial, instaurada en 2022, es de 1 dólar estadounidense (USD) por 24 pesos cubanos (CUP) para entidades jurídicas y de 1 USD por 120 CUP para personas físicas, mientras que El Toque posicionó este jueves el cambio en 1 USD por 460 CUP.
La información publicada por El Toque se ha vuelto central en la vida cotidiana de los cubanos, ya que la mayoría de las transacciones informales en la isla toman como base la cotización de este medio.
La coexistencia de tres tasas de cambio provoca severas distorsiones en la economía local, dificultando la lucha contra la inflación, el descenso del poder adquisitivo, el proceso de dolarización, las carencias de productos básicos, el déficit y la descapitalización de los bancos estatales. Según expertos citados por EFE, esta situación sin precedentes convive con una crisis sistémica que afecta al país desde hace más de un lustro, sin señales claras de recuperación a corto o mediano plazo.
El régimen cubano ha anunciado en varias ocasiones, la última vez hacia finales de 2023, la intención de introducir reformas para corregir las distorsiones cambiarias. Entre ellas, la introducción de una tasa de cambio “flotante” para la segunda mitad de 2024. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha, ni el modelo ni la implementación han sido esclarecidos públicamente. Ante la escasez crónica de divisas, el Estado aceleró la dolarización parcial de la economía abriendo decenas de tiendas que sólo aceptan moneda extranjera y habilitando el cobro en divisas de diversos servicios estatales, prácticas justificadas por la necesidad de recapitalizar el país que importa el 80% de lo que consume.
Frente a los señalamientos, El Toque ha negado en múltiples ocasiones toda acusación oficial, argumentando que su tasa de referencia surge de un algoritmo que recopila anuncios de compraventa de divisas en foros y redes sociales, filtrando valores anómalos bajo supervisión del economista Pavel Vidal. Varios especialistas cubanos, consultados por EFE, admitieron la confiabilidad relativa del método, aunque reconocen que se basa en ofertas y no en transacciones reales, y utiliza la mediana como parámetro, no la moda.
La presión sobre El Toque ha resultado en campañas oficiales contra su personal e incluso provocó la emigración de una gran parte de sus periodistas, luego de ser interrogados por la Seguridad del Estado.
Este clima se ha visto reforzado por la reciente acusación de “espionaje” y “corrupción” contra Alejandro Gil, ex ministro de Economía cercano al presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel, reviviendo el debate sobre las purgas políticas al más alto nivel. Gil, de 61 años, permanece fuera de la vida pública. La reacción oficialista ha sido comparada con anteriores expulsiones repentinas de figuras clave dentro del Estado cubano, como las de Felipe Pérez Roque y Carlos Lage en 2009, o el fusilamiento del general Arnaldo Ochoa en 1989 tras un proceso judicial por narcotráfico, hechos que han marcado la historia política reciente del país.
(Con información de AFP y EFE)
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