World
Israeli parliament bans UNRWA over terrorism ties, faces international backlash
The Israeli Knesset has passed legislation aimed at halting the operations of the terror-linked United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) within Israel.
“Finally, the iron curtain has fallen on this terrorist organization that we have been fighting against for almost a year,” said Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky from the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, one of the bill’s sponsors.
She expressed her satisfaction with the bill’s passage, telling Fox News Digital she credited the courage of Knesset leadership for facilitating the bill’s success and dedicated the law to the victims of the violence linked to UNRWA to include “Aner Shapira, Jonathan Samrano, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the hostages Or Levy, Elia Cohen, Alon Ehal, and all the hostages and victims harmed by UNRWA terrorists.”
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The opening assembly of the Knesset’s winter session as seen Monday evening. (Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL)
The legislation includes two complementary bills that were passed one after the other: one from the coalition, which received overwhelming support with 92 votes in favor and only 10 against, and another from the opposition, which also received a significant majority of 87 votes. Both bills seek to terminate an agreement established in 1967 that allowed UNRWA to operate in Israel and to sever all relations between UNRWA and the Jewish state, including diplomatic visas granted to UNRWA workers and other services provided by the state of Israel.
The legislation passed after evidence was presented to Knesset members indicating that UNRWA had been infiltrated by Hamas, with some employees suspected of involvement in terrorist activities, particularly during the Oct. 7 attacks.
VICTIMS OF OCTOBER 7 MASSACRE FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST UNRWA FOR AIDING HAMAS TERRORISTS
This decision comes despite significant objections from the Biden-Harris administration, which has expressed deep concern that the legislation could force UNRWA to cease all operations in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
As reported by Fox News Digital, U.S. pressure on Israeli politicians to stop the bill was unprecedented, involving direct calls from the U.S. ambassador to Israel to leaders of the major parties in the Knesset.
A U.N. vehicle arrives at the UNRWA offices in Jerusalem on Apr 2, 2024. (Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS)
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A State Department spokesperson said on Monday after the bill’s passage, “Implementing the legislation risks catastrophe for the more than 3 million Palestinians who rely on UNRWA for essential services, including healthcare and education,” further emphasizing that UNRWA is indispensable for humanitarian efforts in Gaza, especially amid the ongoing crisis, as quoted by The Times of Israel.
When asked about a solution to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where nearly 2 million people have been displaced since the war began, Malinovsky replied, “We gave three months to prepare before the law takes effect.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable. While avoiding a humanitarian crisis is essential, sustained humanitarian aid must remain available in Gaza now and in the future.” He added that Israel is committed to working with international partners to facilitate humanitarian assistance while ensuring its security.
UN FORCED TO FIRE 9 EMPLOYEES OVER LIKELY INVOLVEMENT IN HAMAS MASSACRE: ‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’
Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Israel’s United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters late Monday that, “UNRWA was infiltrated by Hamas many years ago. We have warned the Security Council. That is why today we are taking action that will limit UNRWA capabilities to function in Israel, and we will continue to work with U.N. organs that want to support humanitarian efforts,” adding that “We are doing it with the WHO, with UNICEF, on the polio vaccination campaign and on other campaigns.”
A statement released by the U.N. Secretary General António Guterres condemned the legislation, noting that, “The implementation of the laws could have devastating consequences for Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which is unacceptable. I call on Israel to act consistently with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and its other obligations under international law, including under international humanitarian law and those concerning privileges and immunities of the United Nations. National legislation cannot alter those obligations.”
International reactions have been swift, especially from governments that have been hostile to the Jewish state, including Spain, Slovenia, Ireland and Norway, all condemning the Knesset’s decision. The Spanish Foreign Ministry issued a statement highlighting concerns that the legislation would significantly impact humanitarian efforts in the region.
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Photos released by the Israeli Defense Force show three individuals that the Israeli military claims are Hamas combatants inside the UNRWA compound in Rafah. (IDF)
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini described the Knesset vote as “unprecedented” and warned it sets a dangerous precedent, violating Israel’s obligations under international law.
Before the legislation passed, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller urged Israel not to suspend UNRWA’s operations in Gaza, noting that doing so could have legal implications affecting U.S. security assistance to Israel. He emphasized that UNRWA provides vital humanitarian support and warned of the consequences for the already dire situation in Gaza.
Investigators have ruled out that terrorism was at play after a man drove a car into crowd in the Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people.
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The driver, a 31-year-old Italian man of Moroccan heritage, hit several people before crashing into a shop window, colliding head-on with a woman. Four people were in critical condition following the incident, authorities said.
The driver, an economics graduate born in 1995 who was not known to the police, went through a spell of “psychological disturbance” in 2022, city prefect Fabrizia Triolo said at a news conference on Saturday.
“He was under treatment in our mental health centres in 2022 because he had problems with schizoid illness, after which he disappeared from the radar and unfortunately reappeared in this form today in a dramatic and unfortunate way,” said the mayor of Modena, Massimo Mezzetti.
His home near Modena has been searched but sources quoted in Italian media said the investigation so far has shown no sign of the man’s radicalisation.
Several injured in critical condition
Among those injured were two foreign citizens: a German tourist on holiday in Italy and a Polish woman. The patients were transported to various hospitals in Emilia Romagna.
A 55-year-old woman, who was crushed against a shop window, is hospitalised at the Ospedale Maggiore in Bologna. The patient’s life is in danger and her legs were amputated.
In the same hospital, a 52-year-old man is in intensive care. A second injured man who was run over by the car also had his lower limbs amputated.
A 53-year-old woman and a 69-year-old woman were instead admitted to Baggiovara Hospital in Modena. In the same facility is a 69-year-old man, whose condition is judged to be less serious.
A 27-year-old girl, a 71-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man were hospitalised at the Policlinico di Modena: they suffered minor injuries and are not in a serious condition.
Pedestrians helped with arrest
Immediately after crashing into the shop window, the driver, identified as Salim El Koudri, abandoned the car and attempted to escape on foot.
The suspect tried to flee the scene but was chased and cornered by four passers-by, then pulled a knife and injured one of them.
Although the 31-year-old was armed with a knife with a 20-centimetre blade, the group managed to immobilise and contain him until the police arrived, to whom he was then handed over.
The Modena Public Prosecutor’s Office formalised the arrest of the attacker on heavy charges of massacre and injuries aggravated by the use of a weapon.
Prime Minister and President visit Modena
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella visited Modena on Sunday.
Meloni had quickly condemned the attack on social media and contacted the victims. She wrote on X that the incident was “extremely serious”.
“I would also like to express my thanks to the citizens who courageously intervened to detain the perpetrator, as well as to the law enforcement officers for their response,” she added.
“I trust that the person responsible will answer to the full for his actions,” Meloni added.
Some far-right politicians quickly seized on the incident as a justification for further tightening controls on immigration, even though the alleged perpetrator is an Italian citizen.
The League party, a member of Meloni’s governing coalition, said the incident showed the need for legislation to revoke residency permits for immigrants when they commit crimes.
League leader Matteo Salvini attempted to emphasise the nationality of origin of the attacker, calling the 31-year-old ‘a second-generation criminal’.
But the city’s mayor Mezzetti pointed out that two Egyptian nationals had helped stop the knife-wielding driver when he tried to run.
The city’s mayor said Modena should “unite against those who want to divide and sow hatred” and called for a gathering in the city centre later on Sunday for a “collective embrace”.
“At the moment I see so much looting on social media and elsewhere, and I want to invite you once again to reflect on the fact that foreigners are not all similar to those who committed this act, there are many honest ones who serve our community,” he added.
The imam of Ravarino, Abdelmajid Abouelala, speaking to the Gazzetta di Modena, said he had never met El Koudri.
“I do, however, know his father well. All I can say about him is that he is a good person, as is the rest of the family. A hard worker, the kind who makes home, work, home. An educated person who I have never heard bad things about”.
“We are really upset by what happened, ours is a small community, we all know each other. I have also asked friends and volunteers: no one knows Salim,” the local Islamic community contact person later said.
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By Jorge Mitssunaga
May 16, 2026
World
WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency after 80 suspected deaths
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The World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa an international public health emergency on Sunday after dozens of suspected deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, the WHO said.
The declaration follows reports of 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases as of Saturday across at least three health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.
The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which left multiple passengers and crew members sick, and caused three deaths.
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A health worker sprays disinfectant on a colleague after working at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo, on Sept. 9, 2018. (Al-hadji Kudra Maliro/AP)
As of May 13, the WHO said 11 hantavirus cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case.
In neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala, the WHO said two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases — including one death — were reported Friday and Saturday involving people who had traveled from the DRC.
Another laboratory-confirmed case was reported in the DRC capital of Kinshasa involving a person returning from Ituri province.
Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.
EBOLA OUTBREAK REPORTED IN AFRICAN COUNTRY — HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Health workers wearing protective suits tend to an Ebola victim in an isolation tent in Beni, Congo, on July 13, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
However, unlike Ebola-Zaire strains, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain, which the WHO described as making the outbreak “extraordinary.”
The WHO warned the outbreak could be larger than currently reported due to the high positivity rate among initial samples and the growing number of suspected cases.
The outbreak also poses a public health risk to other countries, the WHO said, urging nations to activate emergency-management systems and implement cross-border screening measures.
‘DISEASE X’ HAS KILLED DOZENS IN THE CONGO — HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MYSTERY ILLNESS
Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. (REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)
Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease spread through bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and semen. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and internal bleeding.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said Congo has a “strong track record” responding to Ebola outbreaks while announcing the release of $500,000 in emergency funding to support containment efforts.
The WHO said it will convene an emergency committee to review recommendations for how affected countries should respond.
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Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, Congo, on July 16, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
The organization did not recommend border closures or travel restrictions.
Congo has now recorded 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976.
Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Brittany Miller, along with Reuters, contributed to this report.
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