Israel hit southern Lebanon with retaliatory artillery fire on Thursday after rockets were launched across the border, in what could be the biggest escalation between the two nations in a decade.
Following a cabinet meeting on Thursday evening regarding the increasing unrest across the country, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will hit back at our enemies and they will pay the price for every act of aggression.
“Our enemies will learn again that during times of war, Israeli citizens stand together and united, and support the actions of the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] and the rest of the security forces to protect our country and our citizens.”
He went on to say that there was no intention to change the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites and called for a calming of tension.
Israel would act firmly against extremists who are deploying violence, he added.
“The internal debate among us will not prevent us from acting against them anywhere and at any time,” he said, referring to ongoing protests against his government's proposed judicial reforms. “We are all — with no exception — united on this.”
There were reports that mortar shells had been launched towards the area near Metula from the Blue Line, the IDF said on Thursday evening, referring to the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, and Lebanon and the Golan Heights.
After searches in the area, two rocket launches were identified as having been launched from Lebanon into Israeli territory.
Earlier on Thursday, several shells were fired by Israel from the border, towards the outskirts of the two villages of Qlaileh and Maaliyeh in the south of Lebanon, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.
The Lebanese Army later said that “a number of rockets” had been launched towards the area in the district of Sour, before tweeting that one of its units had discovered missile launchers and rockets in Zibqin and Qlaileh.
A Lebanese security source confirmed the retaliation to The National, saying: “Yes, they fired at us”.
Israeli media reported that 30 rockets had been fired within 15 minutes — the most significant security incident in southern Lebanon in years — after initially claiming 100 had been fired.
Lebanese security sources played down the claim, saying 100 rockets was an exaggeration.
Israel said it had “identified 34 rockets that were fired from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory” and that 25 had been intercepted by Israeli air defences.
“Five rockets landed in Israeli territory. Regarding the four additional launches, the information about their location is under review. The statistics are not final,” the Israeli Defence Forces said.
Lt Col Avichay Adraee, spokesman for the Israeli army, blamed Hamas in Lebanon for the rocket attacks. The group's leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was in the Lebanon to meet members of Hezbollah when the rocket launches took place.
“We are also examining the possibility of Iran's involvement,” he wrote on Twitter.
At least three people were injured, including one person in Israel who received a minor shrapnel wound and a woman who suffered a panic attack, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency services said.
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon Unifil said it was aware of the reports and was responding. It confirmed that personnel in the south of Lebanon had been asked to shelter in bunkers and called for restraint.
“The IDF informed Unifil that it had activated its Iron Dome defence system in response. Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lazaro is in contact with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line,” a statement from the force said.
A resident of a village about a 20-minute drive inland from Sour said that members of his family had heard the Israeli response, but were uninjured.
“It’s been like this [for] 50 years. It’s normal for us,” the resident, who spends weeknights in Beirut, told The National.
The attacks came as Jews mark Passover and after clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third-holiest site, prompted warnings of retaliation from across the region.
Israeli police also said two suspects had been arrested during clashes in Umm Al Fahm.
Eli Cohen, Israel's Foreign Minister, said the timing of the inbound rockets was “not a coincidence”.
“First day of Passover. As we sit at the holiday table, family and friends, Israel is facing rockets from south and north … No one should test us, we will take all necessary measures to defend our country and people,” he wrote on Twitter.
Lebanon's pro-Iran armed movement Hezbollah said on Thursday that it would support “all measures” Palestinian groups may take against Israel after the clashes in Jerusalem. The group denied being behind the initial rocket fire, suggesting Palestinian factions were responsible.
“Hezbollah forcefully denounces the assault carried out by the Israeli occupation forces against Al Aqsa Mosque compound and its attacks on the faithful,” Hezbollah said.
Mr Haniyeh of Hamas said: “We condemn the continuous Zionist aggression against the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque, and we consider it an unprecedented crime and an aggression against our Islamic nation and its sanctities.”
The UN urged all actors to exercise maximum restraint.
“The UN interim force in Lebanon remains in contact with authorities on both sides of the blue line and we urge the parties to liaise with our peacekeepers and avoid any unilateral action that could further escalate the situation,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Israeli police attacked worshippers at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday and Wednesday night after forcing their way inside.
The Gaza-based Islamic Jihad movement welcomed the attack, saying: “This is a heroic and strong resistance response to the enemy's crimes and aggression.”
Air raid sirens sounded in the Galilee region and the Israeli towns of Shlomi and Moshav Betzet, the Israeli army said.
Such cross-border rocket attacks have been rare between Lebanon and Israel since the 2006 war with Hezbollah.
In April 2022, Israel struck targets in Lebanon with artillery fire after a rocket was fired into Israel.
A small Palestinian faction active in Lebanon was suspected of being behind the launch but UN peacekeepers said there was not a wider conflict.
In May 2021, at least three rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel but caused no damage.
Meanwhile, families were out walking in the Lebanese town of Sour on Thursday night, enjoying a typical Ramadan evening.
Anwar, a Palestinian restaurant worker, shrugged off Israel’s threats to retaliate harshly against Lebanon.
“People here are already dead,” said Anwar, who was relaxing by the seaside with a shisha.
“It can't get worse. I'm not scared.
“Even if Israel retaliated, they won't dare to start war as long as Hezbollah is here. They're too scared.”
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Duminy's Test career in numbers
Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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
Schedule:
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Teams
India (playing XI): Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami
South Africa (squad): Faf du Plessis (c), Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rudi Second
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
