Israel carried out more heavy airstrikes across Gaza city early on Monday, as an Israeli military official said a ground war was not off the table.
Explosions rocked the city from north to south for 10 minutes in an attack that was heavier, across a wider area and lasted longer than any of the raids in the preceding 24 hours.
Forty-two Palestinians were killed in the barrage, the latest round of violence between Israel and the Hamas militant group that controls Gaza.
Earlier air strikes demolished three buildings.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, and in the predawn darkness there was little detail on the extent of damage.
Local media reports said the main coastal road west of the city, security compounds and open spaces were hit.
The power distribution company said a line feeding electricity from the only plant to much of southern Gaza city was damaged.
Violence began in East Jerusalem last month, when Palestinians clashed with police in response to Israeli tactics during Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by settlers.
A focus of the clashes was the Al Aqsa Mosque, a frequent flashpoint located on a hilltop compound important to Muslims and Jews.
Hamas began firing rockets toward Jerusalem on Monday, triggering the Israeli assault on Gaza.
Rising death toll
At least 198 Palestinians have been killed in hundreds of air strikes on Gaza, including 58 children. Over 1200 people have been wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Eight people in Israel were killed in some of the 3,100 rocket attacks launched from Gaza. They included a five-year-old boy and a soldier.
In a press briefing on Monday an Israeli military official said a ground war had not been "ruled out" at this point.
The official called the current fighting "a war of attrition" saying "the IDF can go on with this forever and they (Hamas) can go on with their rockets, sadly, also for a very long time."
Over the last week Israel's military has faced growing condemnation from around the world over the impact on the civilian population of Gaza.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the international community to intervene in Gaza, calling the Israeli attacks a "systematic crime" and asking for the International Criminal Court to act swiftly.
Mr Shtayyeh also requested the facilitation of medical supply deliveries to the Gaza strip.
In a televised address on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said Israel's attacks were continuing at "full-force" and would take time.
Israel "wants to levy a heavy price" on Hamas, he said, flanked by Defence Minister and political rival Benny Gantz in a show of unity.
Hamas also pressed on, launching rockets from civilian areas in Gaza toward civilian areas in Israel.
One hit a synagogue in the southern city of Ashkelon hours before evening services for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, Israeli emergency services said.
No injuries were reported.
In the Israeli air assault early on Sunday, families were buried under piles of cement rubble and twisted rebar.
The hostilities have escalated over the past week, marking the worst fighting in the territory that is home to two million Palestinians since Israel and Hamas' 2014 war.
“I have not seen this level of destruction through my 14 years of work,” said Samir Al Khatib, an emergency rescue official in Gaza. “Not even in the 2014 war.”
Rescuers dug through the rubble with excavators and bulldozers. One shouted, "Can you hear me?" into a hole. Minutes later, a survivor was pulled out.
The Gaza Health Ministry said 10 children were among those killed, with more than 50 people wounded.
"I have not seen this level of destruction through my 14 years of work," said Samir al-Khatib, an emergency rescue official in Gaza
The Israeli army representative’s office said the strike was aimed at Hamas' “underground military infrastructure.”
As a result, "the underground facility collapsed, causing the civilian houses' foundations above them to collapse as well, leading to unintended casualties," it said.
Israel's air strikes razed some of Gaza city's tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing the Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets.
Israeli military spokesman, Jonathan Conricus said at least 130 "enemy combatants" had been in strikes on 820 different targets, "mostly using the air force but not only,".
Hamas and the Islamic Jihad militant group have acknowledged 20 fighters were killed.
Israel said the number was far higher and released the names and photos of two dozen alleged operatives it said were "eliminated".
The Israeli military later killed Hasam Abu Harbid, Commander of the Northern Division in the Islamic Jihad terror organisation.
It said Abu Harbid was a commander in the group for over 15 years, and was behind several anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli civilians, including the attack from the first day of the current conflict in which a civilian was injured.
Islamic Jihad confirmed Abu Harbid's death.
Calls for calm and UN intervention
The assault displaced about 34,000 Palestinians from their homes, UN Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, where eight foreign ministers spoke about the conflict.
Efforts by China, Norway and Tunisia to get the council to issue a statement, including a call for the cessation of hostilities, have been blocked by the US, which, according to diplomats, is concerned it could interfere with efforts to stop the violence.
"We have been working around the clock through diplomatic channels to try to bring an end to the conflict," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a joint briefing with Denmark's foreign minister in Copenhagen on Monday.
"The United States remains greatly concerned by the escalating violence. Hundreds of people killed or injured, including children being pulled from the rubble," he said.
He said the US was ready to support if the parties wanted help to negotiate a ceasefire.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki urged the UN Security Council to take action to end Israeli attacks.
Israel's UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan, called on the council to condemn Hamas' "indiscriminate and unprovoked attacks".
Turkey's President President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday appealed to Pope Francis to help rally the world to adopt sanctions against Israel, and Russia
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
