Morning Briefing: March 22, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Friday with, including Israel’s shelling of Palestinian homes, EU leaders calling for immediate humanitarian pause in Gaza and US to suspend UNRWA funding until next March.

TOP STORIES

• Fatalities as Israeli tanks shell Palestinian homes

Several Palestinians were reported killed in Israeli tank shelling near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Thursday, according to witnesses.

The shelling targeted several houses in the proximity of the hospital in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in the western part of the city, witnesses said.

The Palestinian Health Ministry has yet to give an exact death toll.

The army said early Thursday that its forces had killed 50 more Palestinians in and around the hospital, bringing the death toll in its raid on the facility to 140 since Monday.

• EU leaders call for 'immediate humanitarian pause' in Gaza

EU leaders called on Thursday for an "immediate humanitarian pause" in Gaza, urging measures to prevent population displacement amid ongoing Israeli aggression in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“The EU calls for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable cease-fire,” European Council President Charles Michel said as a joint text agreed upon by EU’s 27 heads of state and government was released.

“Full & safe humanitarian access into Gaza is essential to provide the civilian population with life-saving assistance in a catastrophic situation in Gaza,” he added.

• US to suspend UNRWA funding until March 2025

A new spending bill will cut US funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) until March 2025, according to the text of the $1.2 trillion legislation released by congressional leaders Thursday.

The 1,012-page bill, which aims to keep the federal government funded through September, has continued restrictions on funding for UNRWA amid Tel Aviv’s unproven allegations that some of its staffers were involved in the Oct. 7 attack against Israel.

Meanwhile, the bill allocated $4 billion in military aid to Israel.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The European Council on Thursday decided to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• A US draft resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza linked to the release of all hostages will be put to a vote early Friday at the UN Security Council.

• The UN General Assembly endorsed a resolution Thursday that is designed to promote safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence for sustainable development.

• Belgium’s premier Alexander De Croo called on European leadership to address the situation in Gaza and warned that the “man-made crisis” is putting half of the population of Gaza on the “verge of famine."

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the international community to stick to principles without double standards, whether in Ukraine or Gaza.

• Slovenia on Thursday declared a Russian diplomat persona non grata and ordered him to leave within seven days.

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged nuclear safety measures and regional denuclearization at the first Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, expressing concerns over the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

• A meeting of Israel’s war cabinet scheduled for Thursday evening was unexpectedly canceled, with unnamed officials suggesting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is avoiding pressure over a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

• The Israeli army said Thursday that its air defenses downed a "suspicious aerial target” in the Red Sea that was heading toward southern Israel

• Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned Thursday that an attack by Israel on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah could lead to a major humanitarian disaster

SPORTS

• Rampant Poland hammer Estonia in EURO 2024 playoff semis

Poland beat a 10-man Estonia 5-1 in a Thursday UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying playoff semifinal to book their place at next week's decider.

The Polish side was in control after Przemyslaw Frankowski, Piotr Zielinski and Jakub Piotrowski scored in Warsaw.

Estonian defender Karol Mets put ball into his own net before Poland attacking midfielder Sebastian Szymanski scored the fifth goal for his nation.

• Brazilian ex-football star Robinho sentenced for rape

Robson De Souza, popularly known as Robinho, has been sentenced to nine years in prison in his home country of Brazil after being convicted of gang rape in Italy.

Robinho will remain free pending a possible appeal of Wednesday’s ruling.

He was one of six men found guilty of assaulting a woman in an Italian nightclub in 2013 while he was playing for AC Milan.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Bank of England keeps policy rate constant at 5.25%

The Bank of England kept its policy interest rate constant at 5.25% on Thursday, in line with market expectations.

The bank had been increasing the rate from 0.1% to 5.25% between November 2021 and August 2023, and it has been keeping the rate at 5.25% during the last five monetary policy meetings.

• China under ‘unprecedented pressure’ from US, EU over Russian payments

China is currently under “unprecedented pressure” from the US and the European Union over its banks accepting payments from Russian companies, the Kremlin said Thursday.

“Of course, unprecedented pressure from the United States and the European Union on China continues, including in the context of relations with us,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a press briefing in Moscow.​​​​​​​