Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Haviva Izikson is calm as she describes her sister’s last moments, screaming down the phone that Hamas had entered her clinic and were about to kill her.
Amit Man was a 22-year-old instructor paramedic – the youngest in Israel, her sister says.
Haviva thinks Amit would be alive if she had not left her shelter to go and help people in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. Her sister saved at least one life that day and cared for many more.
But Haviva’s voice cracks when she talks about Amit’s love for singing.
“Every free moment from the age of three she would be singing – we even have videos of her singing in the ambulance,” her sister says.
“When she was 18, before she started the paramedic course, she had a dilemma about whether she should instead study singing and acting,” Haviva says.
“Despite eventually choosing to be a medic, Amit never stopped singing whenever she could. Just like she did when she was three.”
On Saturday evening Haviva was momentarily distracted from her intense grief when she heard that Judith Raanan and her teenage daughter Natalie were released from captivity in Gaza.
She, like all Israelis, was happy at the best news the country has heard in two weeks. They want to get the rest of them back, whether they entered Gaza dead or alive.
“There are still more than 200 people in Gaza, 30 children among them – a whole kindergarten,”Haviva says. “We cannot stop or rest until every last one of them is released.”
Whether they will be released or not is uncertain. But with a much-anticipated Israeli ground invasion of Gaza looming and a reluctance to negotiate with Hamas, the government seems to be favouring a military response.
“I’m not a military man, but I know the army is doing the best to release our children,” says the father of Maya and Itai Regev, who were taken hostage at the Nova music festival. “I really trust them – we have the best army.”
“First give us our children, then do whatever you want to do – first the children,” their mother interjects.
“The whole world must support us in bringing my children back. We want the whole world to listen to Maya’s scream: ‘Daddy they’re shooting me’.”
But despite the father's apparent trust in the military, he is still worried about Israel’s intense bombing campaign on Gaza.
“I’m very afraid of [the bombing] because I don’t know where my children are – it scares the hell out of me,” he says.
“But I know that the first thing the army wants to do is to take care of the hostages.”
Haviva, who, unlike the Regevs, has no chance of a reunion with Amit, fears for her four sons who are yet to enrol in their military service, as Israel enters what could well become the bloodiest war it has had to fight.
“I’m afraid we have no other choice,” she says. “We realised on October 7 that this is a war for our existence.”
“Jewish people have no other place to live in the world – it’s us or them,” she adds.
“Hamas showed us that there’s no chance for peace.”
The%20Roundup
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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
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
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Lowest Test scores
26 - New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 - South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
30 - South Africa v England at Birmingham, June 1924
35 - South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 - South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 - Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 - India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 - Ireland v England at Lord's, July 2019
42 - New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 - Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
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
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Aston martin DBX specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Top speed: 291kph
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: Q2, 2020
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
MATCH INFO
Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')
Olympiakos 2 (El-Arabi 06', Semedo')
