International

Israel’s ambassador to the UN gives 48 hours to UNRWA to evacuate its centers in Jerusalem

The ambassador of Israel to the UN, Danny Danon, today gave the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) 48 hours to evacuate its centers in Jerusalem, in accordance with an Israeli law that prohibits the organization from providing services in the territory of the Hebrew State.

“UNRWA will have to cease operations and evacuate all the premises in which it operates in Jerusalem, including the properties located in Ma’alot Dafna (in East Jerusalem) and Kfar Aqueb,” Danon warned on Tuesday at a press conference prior to a Security Council session, which deals with the issue of the agency.

The ambassador recalled that the law prohibits the agency from operating “within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel,” as well as having contact with Israeli officials and maintaining “any service or representative office activity within our territory.”

Thus, he said, Israel, which gave the agency until January 30 to leave its offices in East Jerusalem, “will end all collaboration, communication and contact with the UN or with anyone acting on its behalf.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres responded today to the letter sent to him by Danon last Friday, informing him that UNRWA must “cease its operations in Jerusalem and evacuate all facilities in which it operates in the city no later than January 30, 2025,” that is, six days in advance.

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In a four-page response, Guterres describes this “unilateral demand” as “manifestly unreasonable and inconsistent with Israel’s international obligations,” and recalls that Danon has ignored his messages, which gave him “ample opportunities” to consult and negotiate with the UN

The United States said on Tuesday before the UN Security Council that the closure of the UNRWA offices in Jerusalem “is a sovereign decision of Israel,” and went further, stressing that “the United States supports the implementation of this decision.”

The diplomat Dorothy Shea, who acting heads the US mission until the arrival of the new ambassador, Elise Stefanik, thus adapted her speech to the new airs of foreign policy marked by President Donald Trump, aligning herself more clearly with Israel.

“The UNRWA,” Shea said, “exaggerates the effects of the laws (approved by the Israeli parliament to almost completely restrict the agency’s activities) by suggesting that they are going to force the cessation of their humanitarian operations in full.” These statements are “irresponsible and dangerous,” he said.

Meanwhile, the UN director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), Louis Charbonneau, urged governments on Tuesday to make it clear to the Government of Israel that the international community “will not allow it to dismantle” the offices of the UNRWA.

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“Governments must make it clear to the Israeli authorities that the world will not allow them to liquidate the rights of Palestinian refugees. They must support efforts to hold Israeli authorities accountable for starving Palestinian civilians in Gaza as a weapon of war,” he said in a statement.

The law to which Danon refers was approved last year and prohibits UNRWA from providing services in Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem, where more than 300,000 Palestinians live who do not enjoy the same rights as other Israeli citizens (they cannot vote, for example, in national elections).

The agency has about 30,000 employees and is responsible for carrying out some of the tasks of a State (such as providing health or educational services) to the Palestinians who were displaced after the creation of the State of Israel and their descendants, both in Gaza and the West Bank and in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

Israel accuses UNRWA of having links with Hamas, although so far it has only presented specific evidence against some workers.

The UN has repeated on numerous occasions that the services provided by UNRWA are irreplaceable because there is no agency or NGO that has its logistics, personnel and capabilities to carry them out, compared to what the Government of Israel advocates.

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”