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UNRWA fires 70 Gaza staffers amid allegations of Hamas ties, says terminations not admission of guilt

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The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) fired 70 staff members working in Gaza after long-standing claims from Israeli authorities that the agency is a collaborator with the Hamas terrorist group.

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«Today, the Commissioner-General ad interim of UNRWA, Christian Saunders, took the decision to terminate the employment of 70 UNRWA staff members in Gaza with immediate effect,» UNRWA wrote in a Friday statement.

UNRWA insisted its decision was not an admission of guilt, but one taken «to mitigate safety and security risks for the refugees the Agency serves under its mandate and for UNRWA personnel and premises.»

The agency claims it has «repeatedly asked the Israeli authorities to provide information and evidence to substantiate allegations against individual UNRWA staff members in Gaza but has received no response to date.»

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ISRAEL SAYS UN MISLEADS WORLD AS GAZA AID STOLEN AND DIVERTED FROM CIVILIANS

A Palestinian boy walks near a UNRWA school sheltering displaced people that was hit in an overnight Israeli strike in Gaza City on July 5, 2025. (Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)

«The dismissal of the staff is not part of a disciplinary process and does not constitute in any way a validation of the claims made against them,» the UNRWA statement read.

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The firings follow a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) investigation that referred more than 100 UNRWA staff members for suspension or dismissal.

USAID’s investigation, the results of which the agency published June 5, assessed that a number of UNRWA’s employees were deeply enmeshed in Hamas’ civil society and military operations.

The investigation results included mention of «a deputy school principal serving as an al-Qassam deputy company commander in the Ain Gallout/5th infantry battalion, a deputy school principal serving as squad leader for the Khan Younis Brigade/2nd infantry battalion» and «a teacher with expertise as a sniper for Hamas.»

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Al-Qassam Brigades members handing over Israeli hostages to International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, hand over Israeli hostages Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Nuseirat Refugee Camp, Gaza, on Feb. 22, 2025, as part of the seventh exchange under the Jan. 19 ceasefire deal. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu)

The investigation also found numerous school teachers and principals it claimed to have participated directly in Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.

Israeli authorities have long charged UNRWA with being directly tied to Hamas.

«Since October 7, evidence of numerous incidents of Hamas exploiting UNRWA infrastructure and UNRWA employees being involved in terrorist activity has been exposed. Civilians in Gaza have even stated that UNRWA is Hamas,» the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a January web post.

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Israeli soldiers standing inside an evacuated UNRWA compound in Gaza City

Israeli soldiers stand inside an evacuated United Nations Relief and Works Agency compound in Gaza City during a media tour organized by the Israeli army on Feb. 8, 2024. (Jack Guez/AFP)

Additionally, the IDF claimed, citing intelligence findings, that «among the 12,521 UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip, at least 1,462 (12%) are members of Hamas or other designated terrorist organizations.»

UNRWA SCHOOLS ‘HIJACKED BY HAMAS,’ WATCHDOG REPORT WARNS

Israel’s Foreign Ministry pushed back on UNRWA’s defense framing and claims that Israel had not supplied evidence of employee-Hamas collaboration.

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«UNRWA’s statement on the termination of 70 employees, while blaming the victim, Israel, and without even mentioning the word ‘Hamas,’ is a cynical cover-up,» the ministry wrote in a statement shared on X.

UNRWA headquarters building in Gaza City

UNRWA’s headquarters is shown in Gaza City, Gaza, on Feb. 21, 2024. (Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu)

«The responsibility to purge terrorism lies solely with the UN, yet Hamas membership remains simply acceptable within UNRWA’s ranks. By harboring terrorists and letting its facilities serve as Hamas headquarters, UNRWA has become an arm of Hamas,» the statement concluded.

UNRWA, for its part, denies being an active collaborator with Hamas, but insists working with the group is an operational necessity for distributing aid in Gaza.

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«UNRWA, similar to other United Nations entities, does not have police or intelligence capacities and must rely on the cooperation and assistance of Member States, including the State of Israel as the Occupying Power, to protect its operations and neutrality amid high risks in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,» the agency wrote in its Friday statement.

In April, UNRWA’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) announced the results of an investigation into 19 employees accused of participating in Oct. 7. UNRWA terminated 12 of the employees in January. Of the remaining seven cases, UNRWA had dismissed one, citing a lack of evidence. The remaining six cases were still under investigation as of April, according to the agency.

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President Donald Trump’s administration weighed levying terrorism-related sanctions against UNRWA in December.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also referred to UNRWA as «a subsidiary of Hamas.»

Fox News Digital contacted UNRWA and a spokesperson for the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations but did not immediately receive a response.

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American climber’s remains found after avalanche in Pakistan, other mountaineers still missing

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The remains of an American mountain climber who got caught in an avalanche in Pakistan were found on Friday, according to Pakistani officials.

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Sarah Mallory Geis was climbing Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range with an international group of at least 10 people when they went missing on Thursday.

A rescue team also found the remains of Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung of Nepal on Friday.

NURSE IMPALED BY POLE DURING HIKE FORCED TO TREK 10 MILES FOR HELP: ‘A FREAK THING’

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Members of a mountaineers rescue team prepare to depart from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, in northern Pakistan, on Friday. (Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP)

There were signs of several more bodies where the rescue team was searching, drone footage showed, according to local officials.

At 26,414 feet, Broad Peak is the twelfth-tallest mountain in the world.

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MISSING GRAND CANYON HIKER, 83, RESCUED AFTER GETTING SEPARATED FROM COMPANION

«We hope to continue our operations, both aerial search and the ​ ground rescue, till the time we find the survivors or the dead bodies,» Irfan Arshad, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said Friday.

The rescue operation was temporarily halted Friday night due to weather conditions.

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Nirmal Purja gestures as he arrives at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu.

Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja is among the missing. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Sajid Hussain, deputy director ​ of the tourism department in Gilgit-Baltistan, called the rescue area «remote and difficult.»

NEVADA MAN DIES AT FAMED SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK TRAIL AFTER SUDDEN EMERGENCY

«High-altitude porters and rescue teams are working to retrieve the bodies and transport them to the base camp,» the Gilgit-Baltistan police said in a Facebook post Friday. «Due to the extremely rugged terrain and challenging weather conditions, the rescue operation is being carried out with the utmost caution.»

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Broad Peak mountain rises in the Karakoram range in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.

Broad Peak is the world’s 12th tallest mountain. (AFP via Getty Images)

The other missing climbers are from Nepal, Pakistan, China and the U.K.

Renowned British mountaineer Nirmal Purja, 43, who is of Nepalese origin, and who set the record for the fastest ascent of the ​ world’s 14 highest mountains, was among the missing.

Purja was featured in the Netflix documentary «14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.»

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Late-term abortion takes front seat as blue state rushes to expand access before session ends

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Massachusetts is poised to dramatically expand access to abortions access up to 24 weeks of pregnancy in a mad dash by Democrat lawmakers to pass the measure before the legislative session ends Friday.

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The Prioritizing Patients’ Access to Care Act is on a fast track to clear the Massachusetts Legislature after passing the House 119-33 last week. It marks the latest effort by Democratic-led states to expand abortion protections after the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision returned abortion policy to the states.

Supporters say the New England state bill removes barriers to medically necessary care, while opponents contend it would make Massachusetts one of the nation’s least restrictive states for abortions later in pregnancy.

MAMDANI AND HOCHUL ANNOUNCE CASH INFUSION FOR NEW YORK CITY ABORTION ACCESS HUB EXPANSION

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Pro-life supporters take part in the anti-abortion ‘March For Life’ through central London to a rally in Parliament Square in London, United Kingdom on September 6, 2025. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images)

If enacted, the bill would remove current legal requirements limiting abortions after 24 weeks to four specific circumstances — protecting the patient’s life, physical health, mental health, or cases involving a lethal fetal anomaly or a grave fetal diagnosis.

Instead, the bill would allow licensed physicians to decide whether an abortion after 24 weeks is appropriate based on their own medical judgment. It would also prevent third-party medical reviewers from overruling decisions made by a patient and their doctor.

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The proposal mirrors a law Maine enacted in 2023 that similarly allows late-term abortions based on a physician’s judgment.

«The goal of passing this legislation is simple. Medical decisions should be made by a patient and their doctor,» bill sponsor Rep. Lindsay N. Sabadosa, D-Northampton, said in a statement. «Massachusetts has one of the best health care systems in the country, and patients should be able to rely on their providers to deliver medically appropriate care without restrictions that can fail to account for the complexity of individual medical circumstances.»

«By removing those barriers, we can ensure that no one has to leave Massachusetts to receive the care they need.»

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Supporters of the bill argue that existing statutory exceptions are too narrow to account for every serious pregnancy complication.

NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATS ADVANCE BILL CRIMINALIZING INTERFERENCE WITH ABORTION, TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE

Sen. Bill Cassidy speaks during a Senate hearing while gesturing toward a display showing fetal development stages.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., speaks during a Senate hearing while pointing to a chart showing fetal development stages on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Courtesy U.S. Senate Photographic services)

Claire Teylouni, interim co-executive director of Reproductive Equity Now, told the New York Times about a 2021 case in which a woman had to leave Massachusetts for an abortion after her fetus suffered a stroke at 33 weeks because providers did not believe the case fit within the state’s existing legal exceptions.

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«She was shocked that she had to leave Massachusetts to get this care,» Teylouni told The New York Times. «Providers say they want to be able to use their professional expertise to make decisions — that’s how we treat almost every other area of health care.»

Opponents say the current law already includes broad exceptions and argue the bill would remove existing limits on abortions after 24 weeks.

«The current law that exists in Massachusetts allows abortion up until 24 weeks, and it already has exceptions,» Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Communications Direct Kelsey Pritchard told Fox News Digital. «It has health and life exceptions for the mother, but it even has exceptions that allow for so-called fetal anomaly abortion, so if the baby has a life-limiting diagnosis, if the baby has a disability diagnosis, already in Massachusetts you can abort those babies seemingly at any point.

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«And so what this new bill would do is allow abortion throughout the second and third trimesters if you have an abortionist who has a medical degree who can sign off on that for you, so essentially they’re opening the door to elective abortion at any point in pregnancy,» Pritchard said.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP DOJ REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH PRO-LIFE PROTESTER TARGETED BY BIDEN ADMIN

Pritchard also criticized the legislative process, saying Democratic leaders moved quickly to pass the measure before lawmakers adjourn.

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«There’s really no justification for them to make their law this extreme,» she said. «It’s something that they’ve been doing in secret. They kind of tried to fly under the radar when they passed this bill in the House. And then they bypassed the full Senate committee process to fast-track this and get this done before their legislative session ends on July 31.»

Pro-life crowd holding signs

Pro-life supporters celebrate outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2022. The US Supreme Court ended the right to abortion in a seismic ruling that shreds half a century of constitutional protections on one of the most divisive and bitterly fought issues in American political life. The conservative-dominated court overturned the landmark 1973 «Roe v Wade» decision that enshrined a woman’s right to an abortion and said individual states can permit or restrict the procedure themselves. (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

Republicans in the legislature also questioned both the substance of the bill and how quickly it advanced.

Republican state Rep. Kelly Pease told WWLP that he was caught off guard by the proposal.

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«I think most of our caucus was. It’s like, where did this come from?» Pease said. «I don’t see how I’m going to be in favor of a bill that allows babies over six months to be terminated when they’re probably viable outside the womb, unless there’s extenuating circumstances, and this kind of just takes away some of the safeguards that were in place before.»

Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey has made expanding abortion access one of the defining priorities of her administration.

Since taking office in 2023, she has called Massachusetts a «beacon of reproductive freedom» for abortion access in the post-Dobbs era, having directed state agencies to shield abortion providers and patients from out-of-state legal action and ordered the state to stockpile mifepristone after a federal court challenged the FDA’s approval of the abortion pill. She has not publicly weighed in on this bill.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Healey for comment.

massachusetts, state and local, legislation, health, abortion, politics

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El Ejército de Rusia lanzó un bombardeo contra Kiev con misiles balísticos: al menos 4 muertos y 13 heridos

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Bomberos trabajan en el lugar de un edificio de apartamentos alcanzado por un ataque con misiles rusos, en medio de la ofensiva de Rusia contra Ucrania, en Kiev (Ucrania), el 1 de agosto de 2026 (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)

Al menos 4 personas murieron y 13 resultaron heridas en Kiev la madrugada del sábado durante un ataque ruso con misiles balísticos, según informaron las autoridades de la capital ucraniana. El alcalde Vitali Klitschko comunicó en Telegram que, en un primer momento, se reportaron 3 fallecidos, cifra que fue luego actualizada por la administración militar de la ciudad con la confirmación de una cuarta víctima mortal.

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El balance de los heridos también fue revisado a 13 personas, después de que inicialmente se informara de 10 lesionados. De acuerdo con la administración militar, el ataque provocó “un incendio en un edificio de seis pisos en el distrito de Solomianski”. La institución castrense advirtió que “la amenaza del uso de misiles balísticos sigue siendo alta” e instó a la población a permanecer en los refugios hasta el fin de la alerta aérea.

Explosiones en la ciudad. Kiev está siendo atacada con misiles balísticos. ¡Permanezcan en los refugios!”, escribió Klitschko vía Telegram. Periodistas en Kiev reportaron haber escuchado más de 10 explosiones consecutivas, lo que activó las alarmas de vehículos en la ciudad.

Un bombero trabaja en el lugar de un edificio de apartamentos alcanzado por un ataque con misiles rusos, en medio de la ofensiva de Rusia contra Ucrania, en Kiev (Ucrania), el 1 de agosto de 2026 (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
Un bombero trabaja en el lugar de un edificio de apartamentos alcanzado por un ataque con misiles rusos, en medio de la ofensiva de Rusia contra Ucrania, en Kiev (Ucrania), el 1 de agosto de 2026 (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)

Kiev y Moscú intensificaron en las últimas semanas sus ataques de largo alcance, tras el estancamiento de los esfuerzos diplomáticos encabezados por Washington para poner fin a la invasión. El episodio ocurre después de que las Naciones Unidas confirmaran que junio fue el mes más mortífero para la población civil en Ucrania desde abril de 2022, tras el aumento de los ataques de largo alcance por parte de Moscú contra localidades de todo el país.

Este último ataque contra la capital ucraniana ocurre un día después de que el Ejército del país invadido tomó represalias contra objetivos dentro de Rusia, buscando presionar a Moscú para que acceda a negociar tras casi cuatro años y medio de conflicto. El gigante ruso del comercio electrónico Wildberries informó el viernes que su centro logístico en Volgogrado se incendió tras un bombardeo nocturno, el más reciente de una serie de incidentes contra las instalaciones de la compañía. Kiev acusó a Wildberries de almacenar piezas de drones y apoyar al Ejército ruso.

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En el ámbito diplomático, el vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, JD Vance, mantuvo el viernes una conversación telefónica con el presidente ucraniano Volodimir Zelensky para abordar la situación crítica de la defensa aérea de Ucrania, la urgencia de contar con misiles interceptores para los sistemas Patriot y el impacto de la guerra en los mercados internacionales.

Volodimir Zelensky y JD Vance en una reunión (Europa Press/Archivo)
Volodimir Zelensky y JD Vance en una reunión (Europa Press/Archivo)

“He recibido una buena llamada de teléfono del vicepresidente de EEUU, JD Vance. Hemos hablado de nuestra reciente reunión con el presidente Trump en Washington, que fue positiva y productiva”, expresó Zelensky en su mensaje. El jefe de Estado ucraniano insistió ante Vance en que la recepción de misiles interceptores Patriot sigue siendo “una prioridad” para su país, especialmente ante el déficit de este armamento, clave para protegerse de los ataques con misiles balísticos rusos.

Durante la última reunión en Washington, Trump habría confirmado que Ucrania recibió permiso para fabricar misiles interceptores Patriot en colaboración con la empresa estadounidense Raytheon, tal como lo había anunciado en la cumbre de la OTAN en Ankara el 8 de julio. Sin embargo, el presidente estadounidense indicó ante la prensa que aún no está claro si finalmente se permitirá a Ucrania la producción de este armamento estratégico.

Hay que ser muy prudentes, pero también muy cuidadosos. No hemos llegado a un acuerdo al respecto. Lo estamos considerando, pero es difícil ceder ese tipo de tecnología. Y no creo que esto llegue a suceder. Hay personas a las que se les da esa tecnología y que algún día podrían volverse en tu contra”, advirtió Trump al ser consultado sobre el futuro de la cooperación militar con Kiev.

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(Con información de AFP)



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