Palestinian youth killed by Israeli forces in QalqilyaSuspension of funding puts our vital services at risk, says UNRWA

QALQILYA: A Palestinian youth was Tuesday shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces during a raid into the city of Qalqilya, sources confirmed. The sources said that Mohammad Sharif Salmi was killed by bullets fired by the Israeli soldiers. Local sources said that the occupation forces stormed the city of Qalqilya, and shot Salmi while he was in his vehicle in Al-Bireen area, where the soldiers shot him, and killed him. The city's Education Directorate said that schools would shit to e-learning due to the ongoing situation in the city. Earlier, the Israeli occupation forces had detained a Palestinian youth after raiding and searching his house. Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA Amman: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has appealed to countries that have suspended their support to reconsider their decision, so that the agency does not have to take drastic measures to reduce its operations in March, including its operations in the Gaza Strip. "The suspension of funding by 16 donor countries to the agency following allegations against some UNRWA employees in Gaza could deprive the agency of more than 51 percent of its expected income for 2024, which puts the critical humanitarian response in Gaza, healthcare, education, relief, social services, and economic support for the Palestine refugee community in general in the region, including Jordan, at great risk," UNRWA's Director of Communications, Juliette Touma, said in a press conference on Tuesday. Touma warned of a famine in northern Gaza, which is barely receiving aid after the closure of the Kerem Abu Salem crossing for six days, pointing out that there are many restrictions on the entry of aid. Before the war, 500 trucks entered the Strip, and now there are 100 trucks at best. Regarding the situation in Rafah, Touma said, "We need at least a humanitarian truce, and the fear in Rafah is currently increasing steadily in light of the presence of more than 1.4 million displaced people there with a lack of infrastructure and a sad humanitarian situation." She underlined that UNRWA was the backbone of aid in Gaza even before the war, and it employs about 13,000 employees, 4,000 of them on the front lines, in the field of food and healthcare in mobile clinics and water and sanitation services, adding that 156 employees have been martyred since the outbreak of the war. UNRWA's Director of Affairs in Jordan, Olaf Becker, said, "We are deeply concerned about the suspension of UNRWA funding, and if the current situation remains unchanged, we face uncertainty about our ability to continue providing all of our services." Source: Jordan News Agency