Maria Davis
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Trump implements threatened tariffs
She was abducted from her home on October the 7th. Now, during the abduction, she was shot in the hand and the leg. She eventually lost two fingers. So she arrived in Gaza as a captive, but also as quite a badly injured captive. Now, she's said in a statement and she's told the prime minister.
Global News Podcast
Trump implements threatened tariffs
that during her captivity in Gaza, she was held for some time at United Nations facilities belonging to UNRWA, which is the UN body much criticized by Israel that is responsible for the welfare of Palestinians. But Israel has long accused UNRWA members, staff, some of them of being involved, not only in the October 7th attacks,
Global News Podcast
Trump implements threatened tariffs
but allowing their facilities in Gaza to be used by Hamas and other militant groups. Many UNRWA buildings, schools and other facilities were abandoned because of the fighting and were used by hundreds of thousands of civilians when their homes were destroyed or a shelter from the fighting.
Global News Podcast
Trump implements threatened tariffs
So the fact that UNRWA facilities were used by people is not a surprise, but of course it is surprising to learn that they may have been used by Hamas to hide or to keep hostages in Gaza. It will back up, if you like, the Israeli narrative that UNRWA staff did become involved on one side of this conflict.
Global News Podcast
Trump implements threatened tariffs
But remember, the number of UNRWA staff that were accused and sacked is just a handful, about 12 people. And UNRWA has 13,000 employees in Gaza now. So UNRWA is saying it's dealt with the problem and it's been backed by the UN.
Global News Podcast
Trump implements threatened tariffs
But as a footnote to this, UNRWA, of course, has now been banned legally by Israel from operating in East Jerusalem and getting into Gaza to give much needed aid to Palestinian refugees.
Global News Podcast
Trump implements threatened tariffs
Yeah, three men, Ofer Calderon, who's 50, and an Israeli-American called Keith Siegel, who's 65. But perhaps the most well-known of the hostages is a man called Yarden Bibas. He's 34. Now, he's also the father to two young children, the youngest of them just 10 months old. They and his wife are widely believed to have been killed. during their captivity in Gaza.
Global News Podcast
Trump implements threatened tariffs
So whereas many of the previous hostages releases have been pretty joyous occasions with people, you know, going to Tel Aviv, I think this one is going to be a very different one for the Israeli public on Saturday because Mr. Bibas, although he has surviving family members in Israel, his immediate family won't be there to meet him because they are thought to have been killed while in Gaza.