It is just 233 kilometres from Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem to the Shatila refugee camp on the edge of Beirut, and for the past week the escalating violence in the holy city has been the only thing on people’s minds.
In the Palestinian refugee camp, there are few signs of the covid-19 pandemic – no masks or social distancing. Instead, its residents are preoccupied with Jerusalem.
“I cannot describe the feeling, but I wish I was with them on the ground,” says Wassim Abu Hazina, 30, who works as a media official for the camp in southern Beirut.
These Palestinians, the families and descendants who were forced from their homes in the 1948 formation of the Israeli state in an event known as the Nakba – catastrophe – are denied the right of return and must watch from afar, like thousands of other Palestinians around the region.
Since last week, tension has escalated, as violence has gripped Jerusalem following Israeli efforts to evict scores of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem.
On Monday, Israeli police stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque compound and more than over 720 Palestinians were injured.
Sadly familiar with tragedy and violence, the cafes and barbershops of Shatila camp blast out 24-hour news coverage of Jerusalem.
Young Palestinians, most of whom have never known life outside Lebanon, are fixated on news tickers as updates roll in of an escalation.
Hamas, the militant movement that controls Gaza, claims an Israeli air strike has killed 20 people, including nine children.
The footage of Israeli police firing tear gas into Al Aqsa Mosque – the third holiest site in Islam – rolls through countless repeats, as Abu Hazina watches on with his infant daughter.
Like many others, he says he dreams of being on the ground to defend the shrine from what he calls an invasion.
“People there are my brothers, we have a shared destiny”, he says.
“When they get hurt, I get affected psychologically. What’s happening with the Palestinian people inside Palestine is happening to me personally as a Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon.”
In 1982, an Israeli-backed Christian militia Kataeb – also known as Phalange – entered the camp and massacred at least 1,200 civilians as Israeli soldiers stood watch.
The event brought Shatila dark infamy, not just in the history of the Lebanese civil war, but globally.
“It was a massacre here, and there it is a massacre too. It’s ethnic cleansing,” says Mohammed Afifi, a 55-year-old shopkeeper.
“We are dying here 100 times a day. Every time we watch the news, we are dying.”
Even the long-stalled peace process started by the Oslo Accords in 1993 has yielded little change for those displaced.
“We agreed to live with them [Israel] in Oslo. What was the result? They haven’t left us a chair to sit on,” he says, his voice cracking with emotion.
The frustration and anger are a testament to the power of Jerusalem – murals of the city, and Al Aqsa Mosque are plastered across the walls of the camp.
It is also a mark of despondence for a community trapped in legal limbo for more than 70 years – unable to return, yet never allowed to fully integrate into Lebanon.
In recent days, sporadic demonstrations have sprung up throughout the camp, late into the night revolutionary songs bounce through the camp's narrows streets.
Abu Hazina travels to Downtown Beirut to protest outside the walls of the camp.
Similar demonstrations have been held in cities across the Middle East, from Istanbul to Amman and Ramallah.
Since 2019, young Lebanese activists have grasped peaceful protests as a release for their own despairing situation amid a dire economic crisis.
Today, outside Martyrs’ Square in Downtown, they are turning that attention and rage to the situation at Al Aqsa, 233km south across a heavily fortified and closed border.
“For now, we have nothing to do but sing,” says a young woman called Maryam.
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.
The%C2%A0specs%20
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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
