Skip next section US to give Egypt $1.3 billion military aid despite human rights concerns
09/12/2024September 12, 2024
US to give Egypt $1.3 billion military aid despite human rights concerns
The Biden administration gave the green light for the US to provide with $1.3 billion (€1.18 billion) in military aid, despite concerns of human rights violations under President .
The US State Department said it has notified US Congress about its intention to do so.
The US typically earmarks $1.3 billion in aid every year for Egypt but has diverted or withheld millions every year over human rights conditions that Egypt’s government failed to meet.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress on Wednesday that he would waive a certification requirement on $225 million related to Egypt’s human rights record this year, due to “the US national security interest.”
The US is banking on Egypt to secure a cease-fire deal and in Gaza.
Egypt has been accused of sweeping human rights violations including concerns about forced disappearances. these claims, saying security is his priority.
Nevertheless, Egypt has good relations with the US.
https://p.dw.com/p/4kWqp
Skip next section Six UN staff killed in Israeli airstrikel: UN Chief
09/12/2024September 12, 2024
Six UN staff killed in Israeli airstrikel: UN Chief
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that Israeli airstrikes on a UN shelter killed six staff members from the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA).
The strikes on Wednesday hit a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families as well as two homes. The strikes killed dozens, according to hospital officials.
“These dramatic violations of international humanitarian law need to stop now,” Guterres said in a post on X.
The UNRWA had separately posted about the incident on X too, saying it was the highest death toll among its staff in a single incident.
“This school has been hit five times since the war began. It is home to around 12,000 displaced people, mainly women and children,” UNRWA said.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strikes on Thursday, saying it had “conducted a precise strike on terrorists who were operating inside a Hamas command-and-control center.”
is now in its 11th month. They began last year after Hamas, classified a by many governments including the US and Germany, launched attacks on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people there.
tg/rm (Reuters, AP)
https://p.dw.com/p/4kWqo
The post Middle East updates: Guterres condemns killing of six UN staff appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
