The violence in Gaza continues to escalate, with Israeli strikes leading to rising casualties and deteriorating conditions for civilians. Palestinians are left to confront the grim choice of evacuating through perilous routes or remaining in uninhabitable areas. The blockade of aid and depleting supplies has intensified fears of famine and irreversible harm to the population in northern Gaza. In a further development, Israel formally notified the United Nations on 5 November of its decision to sever ties with the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it has canceled a 1967 cooperation agreement with UNRWA, under which the agency has provided essential services to Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem for over five decades. The escalation follows Israel’s October 29 parliamentary vote, which passed 92-10, banning UNRWA from operating within the country’s territories in a move that defies international calls, including from the United States, to preserve UNRWA’s role. The legislative shift, taking effect within 90 days, signals a significant curtailment of services to an estimated 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere who depend on UNRWA for food,…
