World News in Brief: $53.2 billion needed for Palestinian recovery, UN condemns UNRWA schools raid, Lebanon-Israel tensions continue
$53.2 billion needed for Palestinian recovery, UN
The United Nations has said that $53.2 billion is needed to help the Palestinian people recover from the Israeli occupation and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, told the Security Council on Tuesday that the Palestinian economy has been “severely impacted” by the occupation and the pandemic.
He said that the Palestinian Authority is facing a “severe fiscal crisis” and that the unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip is over 50%.
Wennesland called on the international community to provide financial support to the Palestinian people and to help them build a “viable and prosperous state.”
UN condemns UNRWA schools raid
The United Nations has condemned the Israeli raid on a UNRWA school in the West Bank city of Jenin.
Israeli forces raided the school on Tuesday, firing tear gas and stun grenades. They also detained several students.
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said that the raid was “a clear violation of international law.”
The agency said that the school is a “safe space” for children and that the raid “put the children at risk.”
Lebanon-Israel tensions continue
Tensions between Lebanon and Israel remain high after the Israeli military said that it had thwarted an attempt by Hezbollah to infiltrate Israel.
The Israeli military said that it had killed two Hezbollah fighters in the incident.
Hezbollah denied that it had attempted to infiltrate Israel and said that the Israeli military had killed two of its members who were on a reconnaissance mission.
The incident has raised fears that the two sides could be heading towards another war.
Additional information
- The Palestinian Authority is the internationally recognized government of the Palestinian people.
- UNRWA is the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees.
- Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist militant group.
The AI has provided us with the news.
I asked Google Gemini the following question.
Top Stories a new article on 2025-02-18 12:00 titled “World News in Brief: $53.2 billion needed for Palestinian recovery, UN condemns UNRWA schools raid, Lebanon-Israel tensions continue”. Please write a detailed article on this news item, including any relevant information. Answers should be in English.
72