The UN General Assembly voted on Thursday to ask the International Court of Justice for an opinion on Israel's obligations to enable aid delivered by states and international groups, including the world body, to reach Palestinians in need.
A Norwegian-drafted resolution was adopted by the 193-member body with 137 votes in favour. Israel, the US and 10 other countries voted against the resolution, while 22 abstained.
The vote came after the Israeli government's recent decision to ban UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, from operating in the country from the end of January. The decision does not ban UNRWA from Gaza and the West Bank but it does affect its ability to carry out its work there.
Many UN officials, including Secretary General Antonio Guterres, have warned that there is no alternative to UNRWA for delivering much-needed aid to Palestinians.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, welcomed the vote calling it a "a new welcome milestone" that the majority of UN member states "stand in solidarity" with Palestinian refugees.
"Respect for international law must be upheld with no exceptions," he said on X.
The ICJ is the UN's highest court and its advisory opinions carry legal and political weight, although they are not binding. The Hague-based court has no enforcement powers if its opinions are ignored.
The resolution also expressed "grave concern about the dire humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" and "calls upon Israel to uphold and comply with its obligations not to impede the Palestinian people from exercising its right to self-determination".
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said after the vote that "137 countries in the UN General Assembly have sent a powerful message. It is unacceptable for Israel to block the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians living under occupation".
In a letter to the 15-member Security Council on Wednesday, Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon said that "replacing UNRWA with relief schemes that will adequately provide essential assistance to Palestinian civilians is not at all impossible".
Israel has long had tense relations with UNRWA, but ties have deteriorated further in the past year.
It has claimed that agency employees took part in the October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel last year. The UN has said nine UNRWA staff may have been involved and that they have been fired.
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
Elvis
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
