Syrian refugees Lina Moustafa Hassoun and her son Nawras Deeb pose with their expired Syrian passports. AFP
Syrian refugees Lina Moustafa Hassoun and her son Nawras Deeb pose with their expired Syrian passports. AFP
Syrian refugees Lina Moustafa Hassoun and her son Nawras Deeb pose with their expired Syrian passports. AFP
Syrian refugees Lina Moustafa Hassoun and her son Nawras Deeb pose with their expired Syrian passports. AFP

Syrians stranded in Gaza since 2012 - in pictures


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All photos: AFP
All photos: AFP

Gaza may seem an unlikely destination for those fleeing conflict.

The coastal Palestinian territory has been blockaded by Israel since 2007 when Hamas took power, and access to the enclave is tightly controlled by Israel and Egypt.

A refugee of the civil war in Syria, Lina Moustafa Hassoun, 52, arrived illegally in Gaza via a tunnel at the end of 2012 with her son Nawras, 24, above.

The Egyptian army began destroying some underground tunnels that year and demolished many more in 2013.

Israel says Hamas uses tunnels to smuggle weapons and other materials to attack Israelis, and that the blockade is essential to contain threats.

A Palestinian who formerly lived in Syria, Ms Hassoun said she came to visit her sister and intended to stay for a month.

But mother and son were stranded when the tunnel they came through was closed. Their travel documents have also since expired.

"Life in Gaza is very difficult, It is impossible to travel and work. There is no stability there (in Syria) or here," she said.

Her son films videos for another Syrian refugee, Warif Qassem, above, a chef who gives cooking lessons via his channel on YouTube.

Together with other Syrian refugees in Gaza, Mr Qassem, 41, founded an association to advocate with Palestinian authorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Last year, UNHCR extricated nine Syrian families from Gaza via Tel Aviv.

Mr Qassem said he was grateful for the hospitality showed by Gazans and appreciated their cuisine, but said their situation was complicated.

"We do our best to get around the challenges," he said.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate? 
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties? 
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

Tips to avoid getting scammed

1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday

2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment

3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone

4) Try not to close the sale at night

5) Don't be rushed into a sale 

6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour

Bangladesh tour of Pakistan

January 24 – First T20, Lahore

January 25 – Second T20, Lahore

January 27 – Third T20, Lahore

February 7-11 – First Test, Rawalpindi

April 3 – One-off ODI, Karachi

April 5-9 – Second Test, Karachi

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch

Power: 710bhp

Torque: 770Nm

Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds

Top Speed: 340km/h

Price: Dh1,000,885

On sale: now

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Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

Updated: December 16, 2021, 10:28 AM