‘War has rules’: UN event urges action to protect Palestinian children

New York City, United States – Rasha, 10, felt compelled to write her will after nearly being killed in an Israeli attack on Gaza in June.

Please do not cry for me because your tears make me hurt if I die or become a martyr,” she wrote. I hope the people who need them receive my clothing. ”

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On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian American physician who has been volunteering in Gaza for the past two years, addressed Rasha’s story to diplomats.

Rasha prayed that her parents wouldn’t yell at her 11-year-old brother excessively and that the rest of her things be divided among her siblings in her will.

Three months later, another Israeli bombing killed Raza.

The diplomats who gathered to reiterate their support for a pledge called Call to Action for Palestinian Children in the West Bank and Gaza, which has been adopted by more than 70 nations, received one of their stories.

Since the first call to action was made in June of last year, Israel has killed thousands of Palestinian children and many more have been displaced, hurt, and denied access to food since then.

This suffering is not unavoidable, he says. Choices, actions, and inaction are a result, and choices can change, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot.

On September 24, 2025, diplomats and delegations gather at the UN to demand their protection of Palestinian children.

He also implicitly refuted Israel’s false claim that the UN and aid organizations aren’t delivering the humanitarian aid that is being piled up near Gaza’s deadly hunger-ravaged areas.

According to Prevot, I disagree with those who claim the humanitarian system is ineffective.

It lacks access, according to the author. The decision to restrict access is made in advance. Rules exist for war, and they start with humanity. They are illegal to ignore in addition. It is a betrayal of who we are. ”

Israel is “committing genocide,” according to the statement.

Since the start of the conflict in October 2023, Israel has killed more than 20,000 children in Gaza, according to health officials.

Children continue to be the most vulnerable segment of the population as the Israeli blockade deepens a famine that a UN-backed hunger monitor has declared in some areas of the territory.

Ayman Safadi, the country’s foreign minister, warned that Israel would not put an end to its atrocities until the world joined forces to end impunity.

Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, let’s say. It is a hunger 2 He claimed there were 3 million Palestinians. Palestinian children’s lives are horror stories in the desert that Gaza has created. ”

For his part, UNHCR’s Tom Fletcher demanded immediate action to end Palestinian children’s suffering, claiming that they were denied all rights that the law of war provided for them.

He claimed that the famine in Gaza was brought on by cruelty, which was justified by retaliation, which was facilitated by indifference, and which was supported by complicity.

For almost two years, a child has been killed on average every hour in Gaza. Over 700,000 children in Gaza are denied access to education because of shelter bombings and horrifying school conditions there. ”

Because Palestinian children are unable to consume statements and concerns, he called for a ceasefire and for humanitarian assistance to be granted.

The 2024 pledge to support Palestinian children does not address Israel, which was called a Call to Action for Palestinian Children. It is merely a list of demands made by governments to aid humankind and a rejection of abuses.

It has received international support. worldwide, including Australia and the UK; Italy and Japan.

A ceasefire is necessary, it is said.

Oxfam America’s president, Abby Maxman, presented a list of demands made by the organization at the UN event:

  • avoiding atrocity-related arms transfers
  • ensuring compliance with international law by reviewing and amending trade agreements
  • adopting legal measures to end impunity in the financial, political, and diplomatic sectors.

Maxman remarked, “These are not radical measures.” To save Palestinian children, they are the absolute minimum. Resolutions, advisory opinions, and international humanitarian law also confirm these obligations.

Few nations have imposed sanctions on the United States’ allies or fundamentally altered their relationship with them, despite the numerous nations around the world who have condemned Israel’s atrocities and the forced starvation it is putting on Gaza.

Riyad Mansour, the UN envoy for Palestine, shared stories of interactions with young people from Gaza on Wednesday, including a 12-year-old who was visiting the UN’s main office as part of UNRWA’s initiative.

Mansour recalls enquiring about the child’s future plans for him as a child. He declared, “I want to be a diplomat. I want to appoint someone else to serve as Palestine’s ambassador. ‘”

The Palestinian diplomat claimed that he had no idea whether the children he had a conversation with were still alive.

As he slammed gently on the table, Mansour continued, “These are the beautiful stories of our children.”

Treasury Secretary Bessent tells NYC to ‘drop dead’ if it elects Mamdani

If New York City’s Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani, is chosen, the federal government will not bail it out in the event of a financial crisis, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Bessent reportedly told the nation’s most populous city to “drop dead” on Wednesday, citing a phrase he attributed to former president Gerald Ford in 1975, when the city was reportedly in trouble with bankruptcy.

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Bessent told New York-born anchor Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria on Fox Business Network, which is based in New York, that it will be the same as Gerald Ford’s famous quote, “drop dead.”

Ford never actually stated that. It was inspired by a headline in a New York tabloid at the time.

If the Mamdani plans are put into action, Bessent continued, “I guarantee you that there are not many things in life that are certain.”

Which aspects of Mamdani’s platform could present financial risk, the Treasury Secretary did not specify. Dem Dem Demdani, a 31-year-old Democratic socialist, currently leads by double-digit margins in 18 different polls for November’s mayoral elections.

According to an analysis of Mamdani’s proposals by Al Jazeera&nbsp, the campaign includes detailed funding plans for widely-popular initiatives like free city buses and a pilot program for city-run grocery stores. These initiatives would increase the corporate tax rate and reduce taxes by 2 percent on New Yorkers who earn more than $1 million annually.

However, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, who endorsed Mamdani over her ex-colleague Andrew Cuomo, needs to approve any changes to the city’s tax structure. Cuomo is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the Democratic primary.

If a financial need arises as a result of policies put forth by other entities, including the state, congressional leaders, or the White House itself, the White House and the Department of Treasury’s position on a bailout would differ. No comments were made on either.

Trump’s economic policy impact

US President Donald Trump’s economic policies have already been linked to a decline in the country’s economy, particularly in New York City. With only 22, 000 new jobs added nationwide in August, the labor market has cooled. Just 54, 000 new jobs were added to the private sector, nearly half the number added the previous month, according to the ADP private payroll report.

Compared to 66, 000 jobs added in the same period last year, New York City added fewer than 1, 000 in the first half of the year. State leadership positions, as well as city and state tax rates, are unchanged. Donald Trump, however, established significant changes to economic policy between the first half of 2024 and 2025.

Prior to now, the Trump administration has taken policy steps against New York City. The city’s congestion pricing policies were the subject of a threat earlier this year from the Department of Transportation. Due to protections for transgender students, the Department of Education threatened to withhold funding for New York City schools. Additionally, Congress had to cut funding for FEMA, which was intended to aid the city in preventing terrorist attacks.

Spain to join Italy in deploying naval ship to escort Gaza flotilla

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According to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a Spanish naval vessel will join the Global Sumud Flotilla to aid in Gaza and, if necessary, perform rescue operations. Following a night of drone attacks on the humanitarian flotilla that the Israeli government opposed, Italy earlier announced it would send a frigate.

How important is this year’s UNGA for world leaders and the UN?

Leaders convene during a time of growing divisions, war, and UN attacks.

At the UN General Assembly, speeches and world views were juxtaposed.

US President Donald Trump made threats to the UN’s legitimacy before speaking with other world leaders about Gaza and Ukraine.

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How significant is the UN General Assembly in the modern world?

Presenter: Bernard Smith

Guests:

Editor in Chief of New York’s Foreign Policy magazine, Ravi Agrawal.

Former Pakistani ambassador to the UN and US ambassador to the UK, Maleeha Lodhi.

Sharma hits 75 as India beat Bangladesh to reach Asia Cup final

With a 41-run victory over Bangladesh, India cruised into the final match of the 2025 Asia Cup with a game to spare.

Before Kuldeep Yadav picked up 3-18, opener Abhishek Sharma’s 75 off 37 balls led his team’s total of 168-6.

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In response to Bangladesh’s decision to field first in the match on Wednesday, Sharma scored five sixes in his fourth T20 half-century.

Hardik Pandya scored 38 balls in 29 balls after India’s middle-order struggled, but the overall result appeared to be nothing more than a par effort on a slow wicket at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Saif Hassan’s fourth T20 half-century gave Bangladesh a 127-run lead in reply. His team chased a target similar to the one that gave them the victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday, but he couldn’t add it to their 69 of 51 balls.

India’s fielding had the advantage of a much larger margin of victory, but with five dropped catches, dominant displays from Sharma and their spinners had the advantage of a final spot.

India reached the T20 final of the Asia Cup for the second time in 2016, beating Bangladesh in the previous year.

Tanzim Hasan Sakib from Bangladesh is bowled out by Kuldeep Yadav from India [Altaf Qadri/AP]

On Thursday, Bangladesh will face Pakistan in the same venue to decide who will advance. Sri Lanka was declared a winner thanks to India’s victory.

The Indian openers started slowly but quickly soared to a new high with 21 runs in the fourth over, and Sharma-Gill added 77 runs from 38 balls for the first wicket.

Gill scored 29 balls with two sixes on the powerplay, which ended up 72-0. Rishad Hossain caught him long off in the seventh over, and he fell.

India were down to 83-2 in 8.1 overs when promoted Shivam Dube was caught doing the same.

Sharma, who belted sixes effortlessly against both spinners and pacers, won the match for the second half-century in a row off 25 balls.

Even though Suryakumar Yadav, the team’s skipper, only contributed four runs, India made it 100 before the halfway point when Sharma recorded 29 off 18 balls for the third wicket.

The 12th over saw the opener run out after Sharma had already made a good stop and was stranded midway. Five balls later, Yadav was out for five as India lost all hope at 114-4.

India's Shubman Gill plays a shot during the Asia Cup cricket match
Shubman Gill of India takes a shot during the Altaf Qadri/AP Asia Cup game at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Pandya helped India push past 150 in the 18th over by putting together a fruitful partnership with the lower-middle-order. With Axar Patel, who scored 10 not out, he added 39 off 33 balls and four fours with a six.

India only managed four runs in the final over, which shortened an intended 180 target, despite the available wickets.

When Tanzid Hassan was dismissed for one, Jasprit Bumrah gave India’s bowlers a strong start. Things changed as soon as India deployed its spinners, who all scored in their first innings, with Saif Hassan and Parvez Emon putting on 42 off 30 balls to re-start the chase.

Emon was thrown back at square leg for 21 off 19 balls by Kuldeep Yadav. Shamim Hossain was then bowled by Vasut Chakravarthy for a three-ball duck. As Bangladesh fell to 74-4 in 10.4 overs, Patel caught Towhid Hridoy for seven in the middle.

Any chance of a turnaround was thwarted when Suryakumar Yadav’s attempt to defeat Jaker Ali was defeated in the thirteenth over.

Saif Hassan, however, struggled to score off three fours and six sixes to reach his second half-century in a row. Along the way, he was let down by Indian fielders on 40, 60, 65, and 69.