XPost: aus.legal, aus.politics

The death toll is close to 30,000 with thousands more missing under the
bombed rubble � mostly women and children. The relentless Israeli
bombardment and ground offensive have displaced more than 80 percent of
the population, according to aid agencies, and reduced much of the
territory to rubble.

Around 1.4 million � more than half the population � are crammed into
Rafah with nowhere to go, many sleeping outside in tents and makeshift shelters, as Israel prepares an assault on the city. They face shortages
of food, water, fuel, medicines, and shelter, with many of them facing starvation, and attempting to survive in the most appalling conditions.

Around the world, including in Australia, the protest actions continue. Millions of people participate in marches and demonstrations. Western governments hypocritically mouth platitudes in support of a ceasefire, but support the onslaught.

WONG THE COLLABORATOR
Foreign Minister Penny Wong continues the Albanese government�s
collaboration in Israel�s atrocity, justifying its murder of more than
11,500 children and traumatising and orphaning many thousands more.
Israel, as occupying power, has no right to self-defence.

Worse still, following Israel�s unsubstantiated claims that 12 of the UN�s
aid agency UNWRA took part in the 7 October attack on Israel, Wong quickly acted to cut off funding to UNRWA.

When questioned about her actions, Wong made a pathetic show of concern
for the Palestinian people: �Australia voted for immediate humanitarian ceasefire [at the UN]. We want the hostages returned. We want humanitarian
aid in. We want civilian lives protected.�

PM Albanese with his blood-soaked hands has also hypocritically repeated
the calls for Israel to �minimise� civilian casualties.

Within Labor ranks there are strong concerns over the government�s
position. Labor backbencher MP Josh Wilson is the latest to break ranks.
He condemned Israel�s bombardment of Gaza as �unconscionable� declaring
that the besieged territory is �being bombed into rubble.�

�The wholesale destruction of Gaza is not self-defence,� Wilson said. The entire population was �being squeezed further and further south, in
starvation conditions without basic medical services.�

The Australian Greens are the only parliamentary party to speak out
against Israel�s criminal actions and defend the Palestinians.

Some trade unions have also expressed support.

UNRWA UNDER SIEGE
As for UNRWA terminating the employment of its accused workers,
commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini explained that he followed
�reverse due process� in sacking nine staff members.

When asked at a press conference in Jerusalem if he had looked into
whether there was any evidence against the employees, he replied: �No, the investigation is going on now.�

�Indeed, I have terminated without due process because I felt at the time
that not only the reputation, but the ability of the entire agency to
continue to operate and deliver critical humanitarian assistance was at
stake if I did not take such a decision,� he said.

�My judgement, based on this going public, true or untrue, was I need to
take the swiftest and boldest decision to show that as an agency we take
this allegation seriously.�

Lazzarini said the agency was operating in a �hostile� environment. Since
the allegations were made, an Israeli bank account belonging to UNRWA has
been frozen and the agency warned that its tax benefits would be
cancelled. A consignment of food aid from Turkey, including flour,
chickpeas, rice, sugar, and cooking oil, that would sustain 1.1 million
people for a month had been blocked at the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Israel has long sought to remove UNRWA from Palestine. Israel�s foreign minister, Israel Katz, did not mince words. �We have been warning for
years: UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, obstructs peace, and serves as
a civilian arm of Hamas in Gaza.�

The UN�s Office of Internal Oversight Services is investigating the
allegations while a separate independent review of the agency�s risk
management processes is being led by the former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna.

UWRA is set to run out of funds by the end of February or early March.

https://cpa.org.au/guardian/issue-2087/palestine-albaneses-blood-soaked-
hands/

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