Israeli police broke into Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque on Monday morning, forcibly removing two women and a man.
Earlier on Monday, dozens of Jewish settlers broke into the courtyards of Al Aqsa Mosque compound under the protection of Israeli police, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The incursion risks inflaming tensions over Sukkot, a Jewish holiday during which an increased number of Jews have entered the flashpoint compound, the third holiest site in Islam.
Witnesses reported that groups of settlers had been entering the compound since Sunday through the Moroccan Gate, also known as the Mughrabi Gate. Those entering had been performing Talmudic rituals in its courtyards as Jews observe Sukkot.
Al Aqsa Mosque compound is a site considered holy by Muslims, Jews and Christians.
The week-long Jewish holiday began at sundown on Friday. Israeli authorities typically close border crossings from the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank during holidays.
“Large groups of settlers wandered through the alleys of the Old City of occupied Jerusalem and performed Talmudic rituals at the gates of Al Aqsa, specifically at the Silsila and Al Qattanin gates,” Wafa reported, adding that the settlers were protected by Israeli police.
It was reported that Israeli police imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinians, checking their identities and detaining some at Al Aqsa gates over the weekend.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities about increased security restrictions in Jerusalem.
Large crowds of religious Jews are expected to continue visiting Al Aqsa during Sukkot, raising fears that tensions could rise.
On Sunday, the Islamic Waqf Department, which is in charge of affairs at Al Aqsa Mosque, said Israeli forces closed the Moroccan Gate “after allowing 602 Jewish extremists” into the site.
Hamas said the Israeli government had launched “a religious war” against the holy site to “implement its plan of dividing it by any means”.
Israeli police began allowing the settler incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque complex in 2003, despite repeated condemnations from Palestinians.
Israel came under widespread international condemnation during the first two weeks of Ramadan this year after its forces entered the Al Aqsa Mosque on a number of occasions.
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Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
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Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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.
Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
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Read more
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Specs
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The five pillars of Islam
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4.
5.
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Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
Six large-scale objects on show
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Plastic tipping points
Saudi National Day
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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War on waste
Explained
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Tomorrow 2021
Tomorrow 2021
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 three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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