Professor Hagai Levine, head of medicine and contact person for the Red Cross, at a press conference held by the families of people who are missing or were abducted from Israel. Reuters
Professor Hagai Levine, head of medicine and contact person for the Red Cross, at a press conference held by the families of people who are missing or were abducted from Israel. Reuters
Professor Hagai Levine, head of medicine and contact person for the Red Cross, at a press conference held by the families of people who are missing or were abducted from Israel. Reuters
Professor Hagai Levine, head of medicine and contact person for the Red Cross, at a press conference held by the families of people who are missing or were abducted from Israel. Reuters

Hamas stands by demands as hostage release efforts intensify


Ismaeel Naar
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

Hamas believes the scores of hostages it took during an attack on Israel give it enough leverage to free all Palestinians currently in Israeli jails, the group's officials said amid a multilateral effort to secure their release as its war with Israel intensifies.

Militants from Hamas took scores of hostages after rampaging through southern Israeli communities and military bases on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people. Israel's military has said Hamas is holding 199 hostages in Gaza while the Palestinian group's armed wing, the Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades, claimed they are holding between 200 and 250.

“The hostage situation is very important for us. The world wants to talk about Israeli hostages; from our side, we have 300 child prisoners in Israel, we have 60 women who are political prisoners, and thousands of our young men as well,” Osama Hamdan, the Palestinian group's representative in Lebanon, told The National.

Mr Hamdan said that the Israeli hostages – both civilian and military – would remain a bargaining chip for the release of Palestinians jailed by Israel.

“Any talks about the Israeli soldiers have to begin with a discussion about the freedom of those Palestinians first,” he said.

Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades said about 22 of the hostages were killed in Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which has caused more than 2,800 deaths in the blockaded territory.

Attempts to negotiate the release of the hostages by countries with ties to Hamas, such as Qatar and Turkey, have had no success so far.

The Israeli military and Hamas held each other responsible for the welfare of the captives.

“We hold Hamas completely responsible for the welfare of both Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza. Any deaths or harm is on them not us,” Lt Col Avichay Adraee, who heads the Israeli military's Arab media division, told The National.

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said in a television interview on Monday that the group “has what it needs” to free all Palestinians in Israeli jails.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at a press conference in Doha on October 13. AFP
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at a press conference in Doha on October 13. AFP

“Israel is speculating about the number of hostages and the resistance has enough to exchange and release our own prisoners in Israeli jails. We also are making sure that Israeli military hostages are treated differently from civilians and foreigners,” Mr Meshaal said in the interview with Al Araby TV.

The Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades said after his remarks that non-Israeli hostages were being “treated as guests” who would be released when the security situation on the ground improved.

“We are holding a group of detainees of different nationalities, these are our guests and we seek to protect them. We will release detainees of different nationalities when circumstances on the ground allow,” spokesman Abu Obeida said.

A woman holds a sign as relatives of people who are missing or were abducted from Israel by Hamas call for their return. Reuters
A woman holds a sign as relatives of people who are missing or were abducted from Israel by Hamas call for their return. Reuters

The foreign captives are believed to include Israelis who also hold citizenship of other countries, including the US, and citizens of countries including Thailand and Germany.

Sources from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that they had begun talks with Hamas and relayed the group's conditions to their US counterparts to pass on to Israel.

Qatar, which hosts Hamas's top political leaders, tried to negotiate a deal for the exchange of captured Israeli women and children for Palestinian ones in Israeli jails.

“From our side, we’ve passed on that offer during the past week, but Israel has so far not entertained that exchange at all,” a diplomatic source from Qatar told The National.

Qatar is in a position to negotiate with Hamas but faces difficulty speaking with Israel as they have not formally established ties. Doha recently negotiated the release of three Ukrainian children who had been taken to Russia under a mechanism it set up for similar future releases.

A source from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said officials hope to “bank on their success of Russia and Ukraine” in playing a larger role between Israel and Hamas.

Turkey, another ally of Hamas, is also making efforts to mediate a deal between the group and Israel. Turkey and Israel re-established formal ties last August after years of tensions.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed his government was “working intensively” with all parties for the release of captives but also hit out at “western provocations” that have hindered Ankara’s efforts.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh discussed the release of civilian hostages in a phone call on Monday.

The mediating roles of both Turkey and Qatar will play a major role as both Israel and Hamas have outright rejected any direct talks, especially over the hostages.

Israeli sources said the military had decided not to make public its efforts regarding the captives, choosing instead to focus on the war in Gaza while holding Hamas responsible for their well-being.

Israel and Hamas last exchanged prisoners in 2011 when Israel swapped hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to win the release of one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held for five years.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
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  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
RESULTS
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

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Power: 154bhp

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Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

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Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7

World Sevens Series Pools

A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan

B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland

C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales

D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya

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How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Lexus LX700h specs

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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogenChromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxideUltramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica contentOphiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on landOlivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour

The essentials

What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

When: Friday until March 9

Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City

Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.

Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.

Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

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Rating: 4.5/5

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

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Ultra processed foods

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain

Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L  / 100km

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

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Updated: October 17, 2023, 12:38 PM