Documents reveal that Daniel Hurst’s Australian officials rushed to comprehend the claims before Unrwa funding was halted.

Just hours before the government cut off funds to the “vital” assistance agency, Australian officials complained of “precious nothing in the public domain” and hurried to “understand what the allegations are” against Unrwa workers.

Fresh records seen by Guardian Australia demonstrate how the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade scrambled to compile data following Israel’s accusation that 12 Unrwa employees had participated in the Hamas-led strikes in southern Israel on October 7.

While certain emails have been redacted, they offer glimpses into internal discussions preceding the government’s late January decision to halt the provision of $6 million in emergency top-up funds to UNRWA.

Just two weeks ago, a senior DFAT official described UNRWA as “the largest provider of humanitarian assistance in Gaza,” emphasizing the vital role of its distribution network in ensuring aid reaches those in need.

In line with actions taken by other nations, notably the United States, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced on Saturday, January 27, that the $6 million in top-up financing to UNRWA would be “temporarily” suspended.

Rescue services reported that at least three individuals, including a 13-year-old child, sustained injuries when a shooter clad in military attire opened fire on cars in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The Israeli military stated that soldiers were in pursuit of the shooter and had cordoned off roads in the vicinity near the village of Al-Auja in the Jordan Valley upon receiving reports.

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Israeli media reported that an individual dressed in military attire discharged gunfire at passing vehicles, injuring two men in separate cars and hitting a school bus where a thirteen-year-old child was wounded by shrapnel.

The US and Israel continue to negotiate a high-level visit.

Israel and the US have resumed talks for an official high-level visit to Washington to address the planned onslaught on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to cancel the discussions came after the US abstained from a UN Security Council vote on a ceasefire, allowing it to pass, sparking an angry response.

“We’re currently collaborating with them to determine a mutually convenient date,” stated White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

A specific date has yet to be established. As per a US official, national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer will be part of the delegation traveling to Washington.

The delegation’s visit to the US was aimed at discussing the expected ground invasion of Rafah, the city in southern Gaza that has been displaced due to the conflict. American appeals for Israel to halt the impending attack have faced resistance thus far.

Greetings and Opening Overview

Welcome to our latest blog post on the Israel-Gaza conflict and the wider Middle East situation. It’s approximately 9:30 a.m. in both Gaza and Tel Aviv.

Negotiations have resumed with the aim of sending senior Israeli officials to Washington to discuss potential military actions in Gaza, as reported by the Associated Press.

The decision by the United States to abstain from voting on a UN ceasefire resolution led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a planned visit this week, as announced by the White House on Wednesday.

Breaking News

♦A human rights officer employed by the US State Department resigned in protest over the Gaza conflict, alleging that the Biden administration was violating US law by supplying arms to Israel and withholding evidence of Israeli human rights violations.

♦In a landmark move against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Ireland intends to broaden the definition of genocide to encompass the obstruction of humanitarian aid. Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin declared on Wednesday that his nation will join South Africa’s legal action, arguing that denying Gaza access to essential supplies could constitute genocide.

♦According to the health ministry, a total of 12 individuals, including multiple children, lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike on a displaced persons’ camp. Additionally, Israeli soldiers surrounded two hospitals in Khan Younis. The Palestinian Red Crescent warned that the lives of hundreds of individuals stranded in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis were in jeopardy.

♦Wednesday marked the deadliest day in nearly five months of border clashes, with 16 Israelis losing their lives in a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon. Additionally, one Israeli man was killed by a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah, as reported by the Associated Press.

♦As per the Palestinian news agency Wafa, an Israeli airstrike targeting the Dhair family home in Rafah on Wednesday led to the deaths of eleven Palestinian civilians and left several others injured. Additionally, individuals in a separate house in the same city sustained injuries when it was struck by an Israeli fighter jet.

♦After 12 Palestinians perished while attempting to retrieve food supplies that had been parachuted into the water off the Mediterranean coast of Gaza, Hamas has requested that donor nations cease their airdrops. Hamas demanded “the immediate and rapid opening of land crossings” and “an immediate end to airdrop operations” in a statement on Tuesday night. According to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, a Swiss organization, and Hamas, six more civilians were murdered in stampedes while attempting to get supplies.

♦According to the latest figures from the Gaza health ministry, Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7th have led to a minimum of 32,490 Palestinian fatalities and 74,889 injuries. The government does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants.

♦According to a report by The Times of Israel, citing a source from the Arabic-language Al-Akhbar daily newspaper, Israel is preparing for a ground operation to clear Rafah in mid-April or early May. Al-Akhbar references Egyptian sources in communication with IDF officials as the primary source of the report. The Egyptian sources mentioned that the ground operation in Rafah would span four to eight weeks, during which the civilian population of Rafah would be evacuated.

♦Once again, scores of Israeli settlers and right-wing activists have staged a demonstration by blocking the gates of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) Jerusalem office, calling for the organization’s dissolution.

♦The emotional distress experienced by Gaza’s youth is so profound that some wish for their lives to end immediately to escape their “nightmare,” a spokesperson for the UN body responsible for child welfare stated on Tuesday. James Elder, a spokesperson for UNICEF currently in Gaza, remarked, “The unspeakable is regularly articulated there now.” Speaking to AFP, he shared that many teenagers had confided in him, expressing their desperation for the ongoing nightmare to cease, some even expressing a desire to be killed. This revelation came after Elder’s interactions with young people on Monday.

♦The UK government is facing mounting pressure from parliament to cease military shipments to Israel. Over 130 lawmakers have signed a letter to David Cameron, the foreign secretary, highlighting actions taken by other countries, notably Canada, which announced last week that it would halt the sale of weaponry to Israel.

♦Meanwhile, the US Navy reported that it had intercepted four drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, targeting a US cruiser in the Red Sea. In a statement released by US Central Command at around 2:00 am Sana’a time (2300 GMT), it was stated that US forces had “engaged and destroyed four long-range unmanned aerial systems,” with no harm done to any US or coalition ship.

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