International

UN to sack 9 staff for Oct. 7 attacks on Israel

The UN has said that nine staff working for its Palestine refugee agency UNRWA will be sacked for their involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks against Israel.

The development follows the conclusion of an investigation by the UN Office of Oversight Services (OIOS), launched earlier this year.

Israel alleged that several UNRWA personnel took part in the assault on its territory in which some 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were taken to Gaza as hostages.

However, OIOS was not able to independently authenticate information used by Israel to support the allegations.

OIOS is the highest investigative body in the UN system and its reports are confidential but can be made available to Member States on request.

Investigators made findings in relation to 19 UNRWA staff alleged to have been involved in the attacks, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York.

“In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member’s involvement, while in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members’ involvement,” he said.

Regarding these 10 cases, he said that appropriate measures will be taken in due course, in conformity with UNRWA Regulations and Rules.

With respect to the remaining nine cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS indicated that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the October 7 attacks.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini issued a statement acknowledging the completion of the probe.

“I have decided that in the case of these remaining nine staff members, they cannot work for UNRWA. All contracts of these staff members will be terminated in the interest of the Agency,” he said.

Asked about the extent of the staff members’ alleged involvement, Haq responded that he did not have specific information about the specific allegations.

He said the OIOS investigation involved visits to Israel for discussions with officials and to see and review information held by authorities there.

The investigators also travelled to Amman, Jordan, to obtain and review relevant information held by UNRWA, including on its staff and operations.

They also reviewed information and communications technology data, such as email records and information on agency vehicles, in addition to information from various other sources.

These include releases to the media and other public sources, and communications with several Member States.

“However, one thing I’d like to point out is that since information used by Israeli officials to support the allegations have remained in Israeli custody, OIOS was not able to independently authenticate most of the information provided to it,” he said.

The accusations surfaced in January when Israel informed UNRWA of the alleged involvement of 12 staff members in the attacks.

UNRWA immediately identified and terminated 10, while two were confirmed dead.

The UN later received information from Israel about seven more cases – five in March and two in April.

Following the initial allegations, UN Secretary-General António Guterres immediately ordered OIOS to investigate.

He also appointed an independent review panel to conduct a separate assessment into UNRWA to determine its neutrality and responses to allegations of serious breaches.

The panel – headed by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna – published its report in April.

Speaking at the time, Colonna said “the set of rules and the mechanisms and procedures in place [at UNRWA] are the most elaborate within the UN system.

“Precisely because it is such a difficult issue to work in such a complex and sensitive environment.”

Lazzarini said that UNRWA has started implementing the panel’s recommendations and is fully committed to them.

“Finally, I reiterate UNRWA’s condemnation of the October 7 attack in the strongest possible terms.

“I call – once again – for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and their safe return to their families,” he said.

Haq was asked about the Secretary-General’s views regarding the OIOS findings.

The UN chief “believes that it is important that we go through this very carefully, given the fact that any involvement in these attacks would constitute a major betrayal of trust.

“Obviously, there were actions that were taken for the benefit of the agency that were very swift and very decisive in terms of dealing with the individuals who had been named at first, and now it’s good to have all of the information available,” he said.

Referring to the Gaza war, Haq also underlined the importance of remembering that a “huge number” of UNRWA staff have been taking enormous risks for months.

He said that they are keeping hundreds of thousands of people alive, whether in shelters or by providing food and services.

“And we want to make sure that the reputation of our UNRWA staff, our dedicated staff, including about 200 people who have lost their lives since 7 October, is fully recognized and that UNRWA gets the support that it needs,” he said.

International

US presidential election: Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris

US Vice President Kamala Harris tests positive for COVID-19

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has formally endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election.

Swift made the announcement via an Instagram post on Wednesday, following the previous night’s presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Harris.

In her post, Swift expressed her support for Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, citing Harris’ commitment to championing causes that align with her own values.

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Swift wrote. “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”

The Grammy-winning artiste praised Harris as a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and stressed the importance of calm leadership in contrast to chaos.

Swift also noted Walz’s long-standing advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and women’s reproductive rights.

Swift encouraged her followers, especially first-time voters, to register to vote and provided resources for early voting. “Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make,” she added.

International

Michel Barnier becomes new French prime minister

Michel Barnier, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, has been named France’s new prime minister, the French president, Emmanuel Macron’s office says, after two months of stalemate following inconclusive parliamentary elections.

In a statement on Thursday, September 5, the Élysée Palace said: “The President of the Republic has appointed Michel Barnier as Prime Minister. He has to form a united government to serve the country and the French people.”

The statement added that Barnier’s appointment comes after “an unprecedented cycle of consultations” in order to ensure a stable government.

Barnier, 73, is best known on the international stage for his role in mediating the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.

A 40-year veteran of French and European politics, Barnier has held various ministerial positions in France, including roles as foreign, agriculture and environment ministers. He served twice as a European commissioner as well as an adviser to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. In 2021, Barnier announced his bid for presidential elections but failed to garner enough support within his party.

Macron accepted the resignation of former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and his government in July after his centrist Ensemble alliance was defeated in the second round of France’s snap parliamentary election.

The leaders of France’s main far-right and far-left political parties reacted to the appointment of Barnier following Thursday’s announcement, with the far left condemning the decision.

Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally party, said on social media that his party will “judge” Barnier based on his inaugural “general policy speech, his budgetary decisions and his actions.”

Bardella’s party colleague Marine Le Pen also stressed in televised remarks that the party “will not participate in any government whatsoever” until after they have heard Barnier’s speech laying out his policy plans.

Le Pen did go on to praise Barnier on one level, saying the veteran politician is “someone who is respectful of the different political forces” and “capable” of addressing her party.

Jean-Luc Melenchon of the far-left France Unbowed party delivered a rebuke of President Macron, accusing him of “stealing” the parliamentary elections held in July.

“The president has just officially denied the results of the legislative elections that he himself had called for. He (Barnier) is a member, among others, of a party which was last in the legislative election. The election was therefore stolen from the French people,” Melenchon remarked in a televised speech.

International

Four killed in another US school shooting

At least four people died and nine were wounded in a high school shooting in the US state of Georgia on Wednesday, law enforcement authorities said, with a suspect taken into custody.

After the latest chapter of America’s gun violence crisis — nearly 400 mass shootings this year alone, by one tally — people gathered at a sports field outside Apalachee High School, some forming a circle with their arms linked.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said four people had been killed. There was no immediate word on a motive.

“An additional nine taken to various hospitals with injuries. Suspect in custody and alive. Reports that the suspect has been ‘neutralized’ are inaccurate,” the bureau said in a social media post.

Earlier, school authorities were reported to have sent a message to parents saying they were enforcing a “hard lockdown after reports of gunfire.”

After the all-clear was given, parents were invited to the school to be reunited with their children, with long lines of vehicles visible outside.

A student told local media that he saw blood on the floor and a body as he was led out of the building by authorities.

“I heard gunshots go off… I thought it was fake until I heard more gunshots and screaming,” said the male student, whose name was not given by the Fox 5 News channel.

On Wednesday morning, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper quoted 11th grade student Henry van der Walt as texting his mother that he thought “there’s a school shooting.”

Minutes later, he texted: “I love you.”

Local television footage showed ambulances driving across a school field about two hours after the attack was first reported, with scores of vehicles parked around the school.

The shooting occurred near the town of Winder, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta, the state capital.

US President Joe Biden said he was mourning the dead.

“Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover instead of how to read and write. We cannot continue to accept this as normal,” he said, referring to the frequency of such attacks across the country.

School shootings have become a sadly regular occurrence in the United States, where about a third of adults own a firearm and regulations on purchasing even powerful military-style rifles are lax.

Polls show a majority of voters favor stricter controls on the use and purchase of firearms, but the powerful gun ownership lobby is opposed to additional restrictions and lawmakers have repeatedly failed to act.

(AFP)