Israel-Hamas War: What happened on Day 118?

The Australian government is dragging its feet processing weapons requests from Israel, according to a report in Australian news outlet The ABC. 

"There appears to be a deliberate 'go slow' happening on anything to do with Israel while the war in Gaza continues," an anonymous defense industry insider is quoted as saying. "Nobody in the government wants to be seen to be either approving or rejecting Israeli military sales."

"I think Defence [Ministry] is wedged on this because the government will be saying they are not approving military exports to Israel but also telling Defence not to process them," another industry representative was quoted as saying, indicating that the government to stall ruling one way or another. 

Israeli diplomats have reportedly raised this issue with Australian officials, ABC reported. The Israeli embassy declined to comment.

AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER Anthony Albanese speaks at the State Department in Washington in October. He chose not to visit Israel on his way home. (credit: Nathan Howard/Reuters)

Australia imports weapons from Israel and exports some raw materials, parts

Australia is not a major exporter of weapons to Israel, but Australian companies do produce raw materials used by some arms manufacturers in Israel, and, in the other direction, Australia does import military materials from Israel. 

The government of Australia, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of the country's Labor Party, has come under criticism by the country's left-wing for reported military support for Israel, although the administration says that the country has not "supplied weapons" to Israel for at least five years.

It was unclear whether the "five years" statistic included, for example, Australian-made parts for F-35 planes, insufficient but essential to the bombers' flight. Australia participates in a global supply chain program for F-35 parts, in which Israel is a participant— meaning that while Australia may not be directly exporting the parts to Israel, they may still be contributing to the country's war effort in Gaza.

Questions, criticisms from the country's Green Party

David Shoebridge, a Senator from the country's Green Party, has called on the government to bar those exports, along with steel purchased by Israeli companies for use in military vehicles. "We are supplying armor for the very tanks used to commit genocide," Shoebridge said on social media Wednesday.

Shoebridge and his party have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the suspension of all military aid to Israel, and for Australia to join South Africa in its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing the country of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. 

The court ordered last week that Israel take care to observe all requirements of the Genocide Convention and report back to the court in a month, but it did not rule that Israel must end its military campaign, as South Africa had requested.

United States Congresswomen Cori Bush (D-MO) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) were the sole votes against a bill in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday that would bar entry to the United States by members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad, as well as officers of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and anyone who participated in the October 7 attacks but is not a member of a recognized terrorist group. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) voted ‘present.’

Representative Tlaib, who represents one of the most Democratic districts in Michigan and is the only Palestinian-American currently in Congress, said that the bill was “redundant” as entry to those who have participated in terrorism, such as the October 7 attacks or who are members of a recognized terrorist group, such as Hamas or Islamic Jihad, is already prohibited. This echoed statements by Democratic leadership, such as the House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, whose statement said the bill was “largely duplicative of existing law.” 

The “unnecessary” bill, Tlaib said, is “just another GOP messaging bill being used to incite anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim hatred that makes communities like ours unsafe.” The progressive congresswoman included the bill in a list of four immigration measures up for a vote, all of which she opposed, calling them “racist, fear-mongering bills that do nothing to fix our outdated and inhumane immigration system.” 

The US Capitol building is seen in Washington, US, November 16, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/ELIZABETH FRANTZ)

Bill was among a package of measures that Tlaib rejected as redundant, divisive

The other bills in question were H.R. 6678, which would include allegations of social security fraud as a grounds for exclusion and deportation— a measure Tlaib opposed on due process grounds; H.R. 6976, which would include DUI convictions as a basis for deportation— which Tlaib said would create a “separate and unequal” system of justice for immigrants; and H.R. 5585, impose new criminal penalties for evading Border Patrol, a measure Tlaib rejected on the grounds that it too is “redundant,” adding, “it’s clear that the point of this bill is simply to demonize migrants and asylum seekers” 

Representative Bush of Missouri explained her vote against the bill along the same lines as Tlaib, calling the measure “a redundant, empty messaging bill Republicans are using to target immigrants and incite anti-Palestinian hate.” In a statement to Jewish Insider, Bush’s primary opponent, Wesley Bell, called the vote “shameful and reprehensible,” adding, “Rep. Bush’s vote is offensive and embarrassing to our community. We will never be a safe haven for terrorists, and we need a Congressperson who knows better.”

Reps. Tlaib and Bush, known as part of the progressive ‘squad’ in the House, alongside fellow Democrats such as Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Jamaal Bowman, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been among Congress’s fiercest critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, and among the few calling for a ceasefire even prior to Israel’s ground invasion, without conditioning such a ceasefire on Hamas’s surrender or the return of hostages.

Illinois rep. abstains, calling the bill redundant, "a waste of resources and time"

Congresswoman Ramirez of Illinois, the one abstention on the measure, said in a statement Wednesday night, “I voted PRESENT because I am done with political games. The majority is wasting time bringing a bill that is already current law. There are ALREADY no immigration benefits for Hamas terrorists.” Ramirez compared the debate on the bill to the Republican majority’s impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas, saying: “After participating for 15 hours of a sham impeachment, I could not stomach another bill only introduced to score cheap political points, politicize immigration, and divide our communities.

“Like the Republican’s sham impeachment, this bill does not meaningfully address border security nor further protect our communities. H.R.6679 is unnecessary. It’s a waste of resources and time. And I’m not playing along,” Ramirez’s statement concluded.

A diverse group of rabbis and pastors visited Capitol Hill together on Wednesday to lobby Congress to support Israel.

The group, organized by the Israel Allies Foundation, the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition, American Christian Leaders for Israel, Eagles' Wings, The Jerusalem Connection Report, and the National Hispanic Pastors Alliance, carried signs that read "Rabbis and Pastors United for Israel" while urging lawmakers to take concrete steps to provide support for the Jewish State. 

"This joint mission of Jewish and Christian leaders is coming at a critical time as Israel's war to eliminate Hamas, a threat to the entire freedom-loving world, continues," said Jordanna McMillan, US director of the Israel Allies Foundation. "We have all watched the disruptive, and at times violent, protests against Israel and attacks on Jews worldwide, and this faith-based advocacy effort reaffirms to our nation's political leaders the breadth and depth of American support for Israel."

On the agenda: Freeing the Israeli hostages from Gaza and ensuring that Israel gets the financial aid it needs from the United States to win the battle against Hamas.

Rabbis and pastors discuss Israel with Rep. Jack Bergman (Mich.) on January 31, 2024 (credit: ISRAEL ALLIES FOUNDATION)

Call for Christians 'everywhere to stand up' for Israel

Moreover, the US administration's supplemental $14.25 billion in special aid for the war in the Gaza Strip that it said it would like to give to Israel has still not been approved and handed over to Israel after nearly four months of war. 

"The battle in Israel is certainly not a battle of Israel against the Palestinians or even of only Israel against Hamas. Rather, it is the frontlines of a global battle of civilization and basic human rights against pure evil epitomized by Hamas," said Bishop Robert Stearns of Eagles' Wings. "Every person concerned with basic human rights and the future of humanity must take a stand with Israel in this conflict."

Dr. Susan Michael, director of American Christian Leaders for Israel, said her organization was honored to stand alongside Jewish and Israeli groups. She encouraged "Christians everywhere to stand up for the hostages as if they were your own sons and daughters and in support of Israel as she fights for the security and safety of her citizens."

The IDF's Unit 5515 and the 669 Search and Rescue Unit have been saving the lives of soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip, the latter of which has dozens of teams that have fought alongside ground forces in Gaza and built an immediate chain of rescue that can provide medical attention to those wounded in the field.

The units have reportedly been coming under heavy fire by Hamas while performing such rescue operations. The two units have mounted teams and are on standby in various combat zones.

Within minutes upon request, the teams quickly evacuated those wounded while continuing medical treatment until the wounded were transferred onto the helicopter or mounted evacuation vehicles. They are continuing to be treated medically until their arrival at hospitals within Israel.

Rescue operations on the ground and air

Both units are deployed for rescue operations on the ground, while IAF officials are responsible for dispatching helicopters if an aerial evacuation is ever required. The IAF's operations room ensures that each rescue has air cover and maintains contact with the ground evacuation force throughout the operation.

IDF units 669 and 5515 evacuating wounded soldiers from Gaza onto a helicopter to receive treatment. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

IDF units 669 and 5515 operating on wounded soldiers in the field. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The evacuation sites are determined and planned by the IDF's evacuation unit and Home Front Command Medical Center, and they do so based on operational considerations with field personnel.

A document warning of an extreme war scenario in the North and recommending preparations for several days of electricity blackout circulated among Justice Ministry employees on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the National Emergency Authority urged all government ministries to develop plans for a week-long blackout, anticipating a large-scale exercise said to occur in mid-February. Similar letters were also sent to directors of geriatric institutions.

Damage to electricity infrastructure can be just as catastrophic as rockets

In the North, as part of the anticipated disruptions caused by the war, damage to electricity infrastructure is "expected, leading to a potential disaster," stated the National Emergency Authority document.

While hostilities from Hezbollah haven't yet peaked, the document still recommended preparing "for a few days of upheaval in the country, even without the occurrence of a northern war."

The authority directed government ministries to prepare for possible severe damage to infrastructure. The nationwide plan suggested that at least 60% of the population would face a 24 to 48-hour electricity cutoff, with the possibility of "lasting up to 72 hours in some areas."

The empty shelves at a supermarket in Talpiot, Jerusalem, after the IDF Home Front Command issued a recommendation to the Israeli public to prepare food/water/necessities for a possible 72 hrs of staying sheltered. October 10, 2023 (credit: NOAM REVKIN FENTON/FLASH90)

However, government offices had not yet initiated the necessary adjustments.

The Justice Ministry emphasized that these were not new guidelines but refinements of existing procedures.

In the letter, authorities were reminded that during an electricity blackout, there would be no lighting, heating, or hot water in the streets. Additionally, street lighting and stairwell lighting might also be unavailable.

The advanced preparations recommended in the document include emergency lighting, a first aid kit, an emergency stock of food and water, and having a radio receiver with a battery.

There is a strong proposal for a second hostage deal that would allow for a much longer pause to the Israel-Hamas war than occurred during the first agreement in November, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Wednesday.

“Hamas now has a choice to make,” she told the UN Security Council in New York.

“It can continue to dig tunnels, to plan for its next attack, to use civilians and civilian infrastructure as human shields, or Hamas can lay down its weapons and accept the proposal on the table to release every hostage,” she said.

Thomas-Greenfield urged the UNSC to increase pressure on Hamas to “make the right decision.”

She spoke amid increased high-level diplomatic conversations about a deal to free 136 hostages held in Gaza, including a Wednesday meeting between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

Sullivan on Tuesday spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani, who was visiting the US after attending an intelligence meeting in Paris with top officials from Israel, the US, and Egypt.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu speaks last week in the plenum, marking the 75th anniversary of the Knesset’s first session. President Issac Herzog and House Speaker Amir Ohana sit alongside him. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Cairo and Doha mediated a deal in November that had a weeklong pause in the war in exchange for the release of 105 of the 253 hostages seized by terrorists during the Hamas-led October 7 attack.

“The proposal on the table is strong, and it is compelling,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “It envisions a much longer humanitarian pause than we saw in November, and it would allow for us to get the hostages out and more life-saving food, water, and medicine into Gaza.”

“These are extremely sensitive negotiations, so I would not go into all the details here,” she said. “But we can all agree that this would change the situation on the ground. It would move the parties close to the cessation of hostilities that we all desire.”

A senior Hamas official told Reuters the Gaza ceasefire proposal involved a three-stage truce, during which Hamas would release the remaining civilians among hostages captured on October 7, then the soldiers, and finally the bodies of dead hostages. Israel is also expected to release jailed Palestinian security prisoners, as it did in the first deal. This time, however, the numbers are expected to be larger and involve terrorists with blood on their hands.

Israel has been cautious about the situation, in contrast to optimistic messages out of Washington and New York. The US has worked alongside Qatar and Egypt on a deal. Six of the remaining captives have dual Israeli-American citizenship.

Netanyahu meets Gaza hostage families, lauds 'real effort' made

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with 26 relatives of 18 of the hostages on Wednesday in Jerusalem. He was joined by Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, National Security Council Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, Netanyahu’s military secretary, Maj.-Gen. Avi Gil, and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs.

“We are making every effort” to free the hostages, Netanyahu told the families, adding that “the more public this effort is, the more distant it is. The more discreet it is, the greater are its chances for success.”

“Naturally, and for these reasons, I am prevented from sharing with you,” he said, according to a statement released by his office.

“We are truly committed, in every sense of the word,” Netanyahu said. “This is not just lip service. This is a genuine effort. It is not fictitious; neither is it just for show. It stems from our commitment to return them all. The idea is everyone; the effort is for everyone... While it is too early to say how it will happen, the effort is being made at this time, at this very moment.”

Late Tuesday, Thani attempted to douse optimism about an imminent deal for the release of the 136 hostages, even as he expressed optimism that a deal was in the works in which the release of women and elderly male captives would take place in the first phase.

“I think we have reached an agreement with the Israelis in order to have it as a starting point, but it needs a lot of resolution and negotiating the details also with Hamas to get into an agreement,” he told Fox News while visiting Washington.

“We always want to be an optimist, but we shouldn’t also over-promise... The process is still at the beginning, so it will need some time to evolve,” Thani said.

It is believed that an initial step in a hostage deal would be the release of women, children, and the elderly among the hostages. Thani seemed to confirm the accuracy of this understanding when he said: “Right now, we are talking about women and the elderly.”

The diplomatic activity has sparked speculative rumors about the details, including reports that Israel would agree to a permanent ceasefire and to release a high number of Palestinian security prisoners and terrorists in Israeli jails.

Netanyahu has publicly insisted that he plans to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed, and that the IDF would retain security control of Gaza once the fighting is over. Any deal would have to include those understandings, he has said.

Some of his coalition partners have already threatened to leave the government over the deal, even though there has been no formal Israeli approval of any final agreement.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) on Wednesday told the Knesset: “We will not allow a deal whose purpose would be the victory of Hamas and the perpetuation of terrorism.”

Those involved in the talks were leaking “trial balloons” about the deal to prepare the Israeli public for a deal with even harsher terms than the speculative details that have been published in the media, he said.

They were purposely creating a confusing picture of what was happening, so they could rush a deal through the approval process within hours, Ben-Gvir said.

Netanyahu asked to make hostage deal at cost of governemnt

“Anyone who thinks they can create a fog here, then within three hours to rush a cabinet meeting and confirm under pressure a done deal, is wrong,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s Office has repeatedly dismissed rumors about details of the deals, saying nothing has been finalized.

Relatives of the hostages asked Netanyahu to make a deal, even at the cost of preserving his government, Channel 12 reported. Netanyahu told them his only goals were to make a deal that was good for Israel, would secure the release of the hostages, and would allow the IDF to achieve its military objectives.

If he was convinced that the asking price for freeing the hostages would endanger the State of Israel and keep it from achieving its military goal, then he would reject the deal, Netanyahu said.

Released Gaza hostages, siblings Itai and Mia Regev spoke with a delegation of UN ambassadors on Wednesday, which was led by Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan.

The Regev siblings told the ambassadors their personal story starting from the moment of the abduction to Gaza and the 50+ days they stayed in Gaza. The two were accompanied by their father, Ilan.

Mia Regev went into detail regarding the cruelty the Hamas terrorists were towards her. They abused her by hitting her injured leg, laughed, and mocked her, she said.

"They tore off my clothes. They took my identity and my name from me. The terrorist who was watching over me told me every day that if the army came to save me, then he would shoot me immediately and not die alone," she said. "It is your responsibility to bring all the hostages home now. Their time is running out."

Gilad Erdan's statements

Ambassador Erdan told the Regev siblings: "You are true heroes, your courage and your strength move us all. I salute you."

Itai and Mia Regev in conversation with UN ambassadors regarding their captivity in Gaza. (credit: Via Maariv)

"They tore off my clothes. They took my identity and my name from me. The terrorist who was watching over me told me every day that if the army came to save me then he would shoot me immediately and not die alone."

Mia Regev

During the conversation with other ambassadors, Erdan said, "Calling for a ceasefire means keeping Hamas in power, and as they already said - they will carry out this massacre again and again as soon as they can. Their goal is to use terror against us and make us leave the country out of fear. 

"A ceasefire is unacceptable, and this week, during your visit to the Gaza border and the northern border where the UN plays a significant role," he continued. "I hope you will understand why we cannot continue to live with these threats and why we are so determined to destroy them." 

Those of us without loved ones that Hamas is holding captive in Gaza cannot fathom the horror the hostages are going through or the agony their relatives are experiencing.

We can feel deep sorrow and grief at the plight of the hostages, and we can sympathize and empathize with the families, but we cannot really feel their pain. Not really.

Consequently, none of us can judge them for their efforts to ensure their loved ones return. Most of us would do the same were it our brothers or sisters, mothers or fathers, sons or daughters languishing in the bowels underneath Gaza: organize demonstrations and vigils, lobby politicians around the world, demand at every opportunity and from every microphone that the government must “bring them home now.”

And now, amid increasing signs that some deal for the hostages’ release is in the works, the country will need to grapple with the question: “at what price?”

At what price should Israel agree to a deal?

At the price of emptying Israeli jails of all the Palestinian security prisoners, including mass murderers, which is reportedly one of Hamas’s demands? At the cost of permanently stopping the war in Gaza and withdrawing the IDF, another Hamas demand?

These are excruciatingly difficult dilemmas.

A demonstrator walks past a board displaying images of hostages kidnapped in the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 29, 2024 (credit: REUTERS/TYRONE SIU)

Some say, any price necessary; others say, think of the long-term consequences

Most of the hostages’ families will say, understandably, that no price is too high, that human life comes before all, and that since Israel was derelict and “allowed” its citizens to be snatched from their beds and homes, it has an obligation to the hostages themselves and their families to pay any price the terrorists ask to bring them home.

Others, however, will disagree, saying that Israel should be willing to pay a high price, but not an exorbitant price.

They will say that Israel should be willing to release some security prisoners but not open up the jails and let them all out; that Israel should be willing to stop the fighting for a few weeks and even months but not remove the troops from Gaza nor declare the wars’ end, because that would essentially mean that Hamas remains in power, in place to strike another day.

According to this argument, paying an exorbitant price will bring dozens of hostages home in the short term – a blessed result – but will endanger hundreds and even thousands of other Israelis down the line. First of all, they argue, this type of deal will show that hostage-taking pays, bringing a further incentive into the hands of Hamas and other terrorist groups to kidnap more Israelis, both here and abroad.

Secondly, this argument holds, if Israel turns hardened terrorists back onto the streets, it is inviting more and more terror. Just look, they say, at previous prisoner exchanges, such as the Jibril Agreement in 1985 that saw Israel release 1,150 prisoners – including Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin – for three Israelis. Or the 2011 Gilad Schalit deal, which saw Schalit released for 1,027 security prisoners, including Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. How many deaths are Yassin and Sinwar responsible for?

This is an excruciating dilemma and either position is valid

Both arguments for and against paying any price for the hostage’s release have their strengths and weaknesses. But what is essential to keep in mind when conducting this debate is that holding either position is valid.

Those who feel Israel should pay almost any price are not unconcerned about the future of the state nor callous to the families of terrorist victims whose murderers may be set free. Rather, their foremost concern is saving the lives of their loved ones. That is as understandable as it is legitimate.

Nor, however, should those be delegitimized who feel that emptying Israeli jails of all the security prisoners or stopping the war is too high a price to pay. It is not as if they don’t care about the fate of the hostages; it is not as if they don’t understand what the hostage’s relatives are going through. They are not bad or unfeeling people.

Rather, they are genuinely concerned about the long-term consequences for the state’s security if a deal is reached at any price.

A national debate over this issue is legitimate. How the country conducts it will be a test of whether it learned one of the key lessons of October 7. Don’t – for the sake of Israel’s future – delegitimize, nor question, the patriotism or loyalty of those on the other side of a public policy debate.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency of providing false information against Israel to the International Court of Justice at The Hague during a conversation he held with a delegation of visiting ambassadors on Wednesday night.

“Many of the charges, false and unfounded, that were leveled against us in The Hague were brought by UNRWA officials,” Netanyahu charged.

He spoke close to one week after the ICJ issued a provisional order against Israel in which it asked it to refrain from acts that could lead to genocide against the Palestinians but fell short of asking it to stop its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

It listed UNRWA as one of the organizations that provided it with information, on which it based its ruling.

Israel has rejected all genocide accusations and has argued that it is Hamas that seeks to annihilate the Jewish people. It has been said that the Hamas-led October 7 attack against Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and another 253 were seized as hostage, is proof of those genocidal intentions.

“The only time that we've seen anything like that directed against the Jewish people was in the Holocaust,” Netanyahu told the delegation of ambassadors from different countries stationed at the UN headquarters in New York.

UNRWA boys' prep school, Rafah, Gaza (credit: ISM Palestine/Flickr)

Netanyahu: "UNRWA is totally infiltrated with Hamas"

On the same day as the ICJ issued its order, Israel provided UNRWA with information that 12 of its staff members had participated in the October 7 attack. UNRWA summarily fired nine of those staff members.

In the wake of the accusations 18 countries, including the US, have suspended funding to UNRWA. The agency has warned that unless the suspensions are rescinded it would not be able to provide vital humanitarian aid to the 5.9 million Palestinians it services in Gaza, the West Bank, east Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

Netanyahu has persistently called for the agency to be replaced.

He told the ambassadors that “UNRWA is totally infiltrated with Hamas. It has been in the service of Hamas and its schools, and in many other things. 

“I say this with great regret because we hoped that there would be an objective and constructive body to offer aid. We need such a body today in Gaza. But UNRWA is not that body. It has to be replaced by some organization or organizations that will do that job.”

He stressed that “it's time that the international community and the UN itself understand that UNRWA's mission has to end. 

“UNRWA is self-perpetuating. It is self-perpetuating also in its desire to keep alive the Palestinian refugee issue. And we need to get other UN agencies and other aid agencies replacing UNRWA if we're going to solve the problem of Gaza as we intend to do. There are other agencies in the UN. There are other agencies in the world. They have to replace UNRWA,” Netanyahu stated.

In Washington US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the report was troubling and that UNRWA needs to respond to those charges.

“There has to be full accountability,” he said. Still, he said, “UNRWA’s work is critical and there is no other partner on the ground” that can provide that same level of service.

“In our conversations with the Israeli government they have acknowledged to us at very senior levels” that they recognize the critical role that UNRWA plays, Miller stated.

UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the opening of the Third South Summit (G77+China) in Kampala, Uganda on Sunday. The UN is not only morally bankrupt, but also utterly ineffective in fulfilling its mission, the writer argues. (credit: REUTERS/ABUBAKER LUBOWA)

Guterres: allegations are awful, but UNRWA is necessary for Gazans

In New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged member states to continue to fund UNRWA despite the allegations against it, explaining that he was “personally horrified by them.”

“The United Nations immediately acted following the very serious allegations against UNRWA staff members,” he said.

“Yesterday, I met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking to address them.

“I underscored the importance of keeping UNRWA’s vital work going to meet the dire needs of civilians in Gaza, and to ensure its continuity of services to Palestine refugees in the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

“UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian responses in Gaza,” Guterres stated.

“I appeal to all Member States to guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s life-saving work,” he added.

 Norway, a top donor to UNRWA, also urged countries that have suspended funding to the agency to consider the consequences of their actions on the population in Gaza, its foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday.

It is among those countries that is continuing to fund UNRWA.

"We are discussing the question of funding with other donors and will continue to do so in the coming days and weeks," said Espen Barth Eide, adding Oslo was standing by its "strong commitment to the agency, and to the Palestinian people."

"We urge fellow donor countries to reflect on the wider consequences of cutting their funding to UNRWA," he said.

"UNRWA is a vital lifeline for 1.5 million refugees in Gaza. Now more than ever, the agency needs international support," said the minister.

"To avoid collectively punishing millions of people, we need to distinguish between what individuals may have done and what UNRWA stands for."

Barth Eide said Norwegian officials were informed of the allegations just ahead of the U.N.'s press release on Friday.

"We have not been briefed by Israeli authorities on the matter," he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

A group of 67 plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in US federal court on Wednesday seeking to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran responsible for the October 7 Massacre, according to an NBC report.

The group is composed of direct victims of the October 7 Attack as well as relatives and family members of victims.

They are seeking unspecified punitive damages, from the US Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, legal costs and "any and all other relief the Court deems just and proper."

"Iran bears direct responsibility for the October 7 Attacks," according to the lawsuit. "The Iranian regime has openly flaunted its motive for aiding the horrors."

A war between Israel and Iran (illustrative) (credit: INGIMAGE)

Iranian involvement in October 7

It remains unclear exactly what role Iran had in the October 7 Attacks, although several analysts have pointed to Iran as a primary contributor to the attack. Iran has denied this, however.

Iran has been a primary contributor to Hamas's weapons stockpiles as well as providing Hamas with intelligence and training.

"We expect to prove our case by several means, including affidavits from our clients as well as reports from experts on Iran and terror financing," attorney Alex Spiro told NBC News.

"Iran’s provision of funds, weapons, munitions, training, and intelligence to Hamas and PIJ provided those terror groups with material support and resources used to murder, torture, take hostage, and otherwise injure Plaintiffs, along with Israeli men, women, elderly, teenagers, children, toddlers, infants, and others," the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit is the first attempt to hold Iran responsible for the October 7 Massacre.