INTERNACIONAL
‘UNRWA is Hamas,’ Israeli attorney warns as explosive Oct 7 lawsuit rocks UN agency
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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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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.
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.
anti semitism, united nations, hamas, international law, middle east
INTERNACIONAL
Entregarán restos cremados a familiares de personas cuyos cadáveres se salieron de sus tumbas en el sismo de Panamá
Luego de que un terremoto de 7.5 grados sacudiera el territorio panameño el 9 de octubre y varios cadáveres se salieran de sus tumbas en dos cementerios de la provincia de Veraguas, el Ministerio de Salud entregará los restos cremados de los fallecidos a sus respectivos familiares.
Los cadáveres estaban sepultados en el Cementerio Municipal de Soná y en el Cementerio de Hicaco, y tras el violento movimiento de tierra fueron expulsados de sus féretros.
Expuestos, los restos fueron recogidos por funcionarios del Ministerio de Salud para su posterior cremación, debido a que representaban un peligro para la salud pública.
Cerca de los cementerios hay residencias cuyos habitantes no soportaban los malos olores que empezaban a inundar su entorno.
La entrega de los restos cremados se hará el sábado en un acto solemne.
Esto forma parte de las acciones sanitarias implementadas a consecuencia de las afectaciones ocasionadas por el reciente movimiento sísmico, informó una nota de prensa del ministerio.
El plan de la entidad contemplaba contactar a los familiares para informarles sobre el procedimiento recomendado, que incluía la cremación y la posterior colocación de los restos en criptas que serían construidas en el cementerio.
Antes de avanzar con estas medidas, las autoridades manifestaron que debían completar las labores de saneamiento y desinfección, además de evaluar las estructuras afectadas y determinar cuáles deberán demolerse.
El Ministerio de Salud indicó que el procedimiento no sería de inmediato y que se preparaba una cronología para organizar las distintas etapas.
Hoy día la entidad también intensifica el combate al dengue en Veraguas tras el reciente sismo que afectó al país.
La cartera sanitaria entregó más de 1,496 mosquiteros en las zonas más golpeadas por el movimiento telúrico. El reparto se concentró en tres puntos: el sur de Soná, la cabecera del mismo distrito y Mariato, donde los equipos de control de vectores combinan la entrega de mosquiteros con jornadas de nebulización e inspecciones casa por casa.
La provincia suma 234 casos de dengue, según el informe epidemiológico del Minsa. De ese total, 204 no presentan signos de alarma, 27 sí los registran y tres son calificados como graves.
La cifra de hospitalizaciones asciende a 29 pacientes. El desglose por gravedad permite al ministerio priorizar la respuesta médica en los casos que requieren mayor atención.
Santiago encabeza la lista de distritos con más contagios, con 74 casos. Le siguen Las Palmas, con 47; Soná, con 18; La Mesa, con 11, y Calobre, con 10.
Mientras avanza el reparto de mosquiteros, el Minsa sostiene un esquema paralelo de vigilancia en los albergues y las comunidades afectadas por el sismo. El objetivo es detectar a tiempo cualquier brote entre la población desplazada.
El personal de salud también realiza pruebas a los pacientes que presentan síntomas febriles. Con esos estudios, el ministerio busca descartar tanto dengue como malaria en quienes permanecen en los refugios.
Hasta el momento, ninguna de las evaluaciones realizadas en los albergues arrojó resultado positivo. La ausencia de casos confirmados en ese universo de pacientes es, por ahora, el dato más alentador del operativo sanitario en la zona del sismo.
Las autoridades sanitarias reiteraron un pedido directo a la población de Veraguas: eliminar los criaderos de mosquitos y mantener limpios los alrededores de las viviendas. Esas dos acciones figuran como la primera línea de defensa contra la propagación del vector.
El ministerio también solicitó atención a los síntomas que pueden anticipar un cuadro de dengue. Fiebre, dolor de cabeza y dolor muscular aparecen como las señales que ameritan una consulta médica inmediata.
Las autoridades insistieron en un punto adicional: evitar la automedicación. La recomendación apunta a que los pacientes con síntomas febriles acudan sin demora a las instalaciones de salud, en lugar de tratar el cuadro por cuenta propia.
La combinación de nebulización, inspecciones y entrega de mosquiteros conforma la estrategia con la que el ministerio busca contener la transmisión en los distritos más golpeados por el sismo. La vigilancia en albergues, señala la entidad, continúa activa mientras se procesan nuevas pruebas a pacientes con síntomas compatibles con la enfermedad.
urna funeraria,cremación,cenizas,duelo,vela
INTERNACIONAL
DOJ fires back at Dem AG over Election Day guidance telling officials when to call cops on federal agents
The Justice Department blasted Virginia Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones’ Election Day guidance as «bluster and political posturing,» pushing back against his 10-page directive advising local election officials to call police when federal agents approach polling places and to document their activities.
The Oct. 15 bulletin, jointly issued by Jones’ office and the Virginia Department of Elections, outlines how officials should respond to federal agents, scrutinize requests from DOJ election monitors and prepare for potential federal demands for ballots and voting equipment.
The dispute comes as conservative litigation firm America First Legal pursues records concerning the state’s warnings about potential federal election interference, which Digital has learned.
«The Virginia Attorney General’s performative actions attack a strawman,» a DOJ spokesperson told Digital. «DOJ’s election monitors will be engaging in the same routine monitoring we’ve done for decades.»
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«We’re hopeful local election officials in Virginia continue their longstanding practice of allowing DOJ election monitors into polling places to evaluate for compliance with federal law,» the spokesperson continued. «The Virginia AG’s statement reads as nothing more than bluster and political posturing for his own self-interested purposes.»
DOJ has already announced it plans to send election monitors to Democratic-heavy Fairfax and Prince William Counties.
Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, an attorney who battled Jones over Democrats’ failed redistricting-related litigation, said Jones has his election-security priorities backward.
«Jay Jones wants poll workers collecting ICE agents’ badge numbers, but God forbid they verify a voter’s ID,» Williams said. «Plus, I thought Democrats said illegals weren’t voting, so who exactly is Jones trying to protect?»
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Virginia still requires voters to present identification or sign an identity confirmation statement, although legislation enacted this year eliminated Election Day challenges to individual voters’ qualifications at polling places.
The blueprint noted that ELECT — the Virginia elections agency — received multiple inquiries about how to respond to federal representatives showing up at polls.
It instructed election officials to consult with lawyers and establish communications with local prosecutors and police:
«Having these discussions prior to Election Day ensures that election officials can provide their perspective to local law enforcement about what counts as intimidation and interference during elections, including issues related to the presence of unauthorized individuals.»
«If, for example, an armed individual attempts to gain access to a polling location, officials should call local law enforcement immediately,» it added in a section addressing unauthorized individuals and prohibited conduct.
The bulletin separately advises officials to consider contacting police and counsel if federal agents approach or enter polls, while cautioning against physically obstructing them.
Virginia State Sen. Danny Diggs, R-Poquoson — the former sheriff of York County — told Digital that in his 45 years in law enforcement he never saw an officer or official observer «make a polling place less safe.»
«I routinely visited every polling place, inside and outside, while armed and in uniform and was always welcomed by election officials and voters. The Attorney General apparently thinks otherwise,» Diggs said. He also called it «reckless» for the attorney general’s game plan to urge election officials to confront federal observers.
On Page 4, the plan says ordinary DOJ monitors must obtain local authorization to enter polling locations, under rules similar to those for neutral observers.
If a DOJ monitor requests access, the plan prescribes that local registrars discuss the scope of the monitoring with the agency before consenting, and «consider asking whether DOJ is assessing compliance with civil or criminal federal laws.»
The bulletin also advises election officials to consult attorneys and prepare to respond to federal subpoenas seeking ballots or voting equipment.
Digital reached out to Jones and ELECT for comment and a response to critics.
Jones, however, spoke out days earlier after launching a related new Voter Protection Section within his office.
«I was raised by people who understood that the right to vote was never simply given. Generations of Americans had to sacrifice, organize, and show extraordinary courage to claim that right,» Jones said in a statement obtained by Digital. «That history is personal to me, and it reminds us that the work of civil rights and voting rights is never finished.
«That is why we created a dedicated Voter Protection Section within the Office of the Attorney General. This work now has a permanent home, and a team focused every day on defending voting rights and enforcing Virginia law. Virginia votes every year, and protecting the franchise must be a year-round responsibility. In Virginia, the right to vote will be defended.»
Virginia Beach attorney Tim Anderson also analyzed Jones’ gameplan, calling it a «remarkable directive to election officials.»
«While all this is happening, Virginia has eliminated the ability to challenge a voter’s qualifications at the polling place,» Anderson said.
«Think about what we’re witnessing: The attorney general is preparing election officials to scrutinize federal law enforcement while Virginia has eliminated a longstanding Election Day safeguard for questioning voter eligibility,» he said in a statement. «The bulletin identifies no specific planned unlawful federal operation in Virginia.»
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America First Legal (AFL) exclusively told Digital on Tuesday it filed a public-records request Monday seeking legal analyses and communications behind the bulletin, records concerning Jones’ newly launched Voter Protection Section and inquiries about federal election monitoring.
The dispute now turns on what evidence, if any, prompted Jones’ office to prepare for potential federal interference at Virginia polling places, and whether the records sought by America First Legal will shed light on the attorney general’s concerns ahead of Election Day.
elections disputes, elections state and local, elections, state and local, virginia, politics, justice department, voting
INTERNACIONAL
Quejas de los consumidores panameños suman más de USD 26.6 millones entre enero y septiembre de este año
Un total de USD 26.6 millones concentran las quejas presentadas por consumidores panameños entre enero y septiembre de este año ante la Autoridad de Protección al Consumidor y Defensa de la Competencia (Acodeco).
El dato más llamativo no es la suma general, sino una desproporción puntual, toda vez que los 74 casos por vicios ocultos movieron USD 3.954.861,78, una cifra superior a la que generaron las 130 reclamaciones por cláusulas abusivas juntas.
Esa diferencia confirma que el tamaño del reclamo no siempre corresponde a la cantidad de denuncias.
Algunas categorías con pocos casos concentran montos más altos que otras con volúmenes mayores de quejas.
El incumplimiento de garantías encabeza la lista en las dos variables: 1.008 casos, por un total de USD 9.029.278,49.
Entre enero y septiembre, los panameños presentaron 2.562 reclamaciones que suman USD 26.631.922,30, principalmente por incumplimiento de garantías, devolución de dinero y falta de información, según Autoridad de Protección al Consumidor y Defensa de la Competencia.
Después del incumplimiento de garantías aparecen las reclamaciones por devolución de dinero, con 229 casos por USD 3.656.844,49, y la falta de información, con 482 quejas que suman USD 3.478.272,12.
El incumplimiento de contrato sumó 65 reclamaciones por USD 2.476.435,85.
Inmobiliarias, almacenes y agencias de autos concentran la mayoría de las denuncias
Al revisar las quejas por rubro comercial, se tiene en efecto que las inmobiliarias ocuparon el primer lugar con 321 casos.
Los almacenes por departamentos siguieron con 288 reclamaciones, y las agencias de autos cerraron el podio con 254.
El informe de la entidad gubernamental también revela que los comercios de electrodomésticos y equipos electrónicos sumaron 228 quejas.
En tanto, la venta de autos usados acumuló 124 casos, mientras que los establecimientos de venta de celulares registraron 102.
También figuran 101 quejas vinculadas a televisión por cable, 95 por hoteles o planes vacacionales y 92 por talleres de reparación de autos.
Los repuestos para vehículos y los servicios de telefonía registraron 53 casos cada uno.
El resto de las actividades señaladas, siempre de acuerdo a un informe de la Autoridad de Protección al Consumidor y Defensa de la Competencia, incluye bancos (49 casos), actividades recreativas (48), funerarias (45) y servicios profesionales (43).
Las mueblerías y los talleres de reparación no automotrices sumaron 40 quejas cada uno.
Completan el listado las agencias de motos (32 casos), las universidades (31), los cursos de inglés (28), las joyerías y relojerías (28) y las ópticas (26).
La entidad de protección al consumidor recordó a los consumidores la importancia de conocer sus derechos antes de contratar un servicio o adquirir un producto. El organismo recomienda revisar las condiciones de cada operación de forma previa.
La institución gubernamental también insistió en conservar facturas, contratos, garantías y comprobantes de pago.
Esos documentos, afirma, respaldan cualquier reclamación posterior que tengan los consumidores ante irregularidades que estime se le presenten.
Cuando un consumidor considera que sus derechos fueron vulnerados, puede presentar la queja correspondiente ante la entidad y aportar la documentación que sustente su caso.
La Acodeco también informó que prepara el lanzamiento de una aplicación móvil que permitirá presentar quejas y denuncias desde el teléfono celular. Se indicó que la herramienta se encuentra actualmente en fase de pruebas y revisión.
El desarrollo forma parte de los preparativos previos al lanzamiento oficial de la plataforma, de acuerdo a la información oficial. Con ella, los consumidores podrán registrar sus casos de manera más sencilla y dar seguimiento a sus trámites.
La institución busca que el acceso a sus servicios se agilice mediante herramientas digitales. El objetivo es que la atención de las reclamaciones gane rapidez frente al volumen actual de denuncias.
factura,documento comercial,pago
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