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For the first time since Palestine’s Second Intifada in 2002, F-16 planes were used to strike the occupied West Bank early on Sunday, a Palestinian official told The National.
The strike, at around 2.00am, destroyed a mosque in the Jenin refugee camp in addition to a residential building nearby, Mr Hany Dabasa, the head of the Palestinian Union of the Wounded said. His organisation is a government entity that operates under the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority.
Two people were killed in Jenin during Sunday’s strike, he said, and four others were killed in attacks by the Israeli military and settlers in other regions of the West Bank.
The two Palestinians killed in Jenin were named Mohamed Abed and Mohamed Abdallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
“The use of F-16’s constitutes an unprecedented escalation in Israel’s retaliatory attacks on the West Bank which have gotten much worse since the start of the war on Gaza,” Mr Dababsa said.
There was no way to verify Mr Dababsa's claim that F-16s were used in the strike, although the aircraft were sighted over Jenin during large-scale, lethal Israeli army raids in July.
The Israeli air force said "an aircraft" had been used, without saying whether it was a drone or manned fighter-bomber, such as the F-16.
F-16s can carry a wide range of explosives, unguided and guided, including bombs up to 900kg, capable of levelling apartment blocks.
But they can also be armed with smaller explosive devices, such as the 90kg Small Diameter Bomb.
Israelis have ramped up their attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank amid a significant amount of violent rhetoric against them on social media in response to Hamas’s attack on Israel, which left 1,400 people dead.
As the death toll from Israel’s barrage on Gaza surpassed 4,700 on Sunday, more than 90 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with the military and settlers in the West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank said.
The Israeli military’s intention was to terrorise Palestinians and to prevent them from holding demonstrations, which have periodically broken out in the occupied territory since the start of the war.
Settlers have been armed by the military with more sophisticated weapons which they have been using in their escalated attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, he said.
“They are firing live ammunition at any Palestinian walking the street even. They have orders to kill on sight,” Mr Dababsa said. “They are also using new explosive rounds that cause severe burns and uncontrollable bleeding upon detonating.”
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Ibrahim's play list
Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute
Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc
Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar
His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach
Also enjoys listening to Mozart
Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz
Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica
Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
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
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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On sale: Now
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
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
