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Israel is prepared for a long military struggle against Hamas, with the war in Gaza expected to last “four to six months”, and the country is arming more civilians to ward off future attacks, a senior Israeli politician said on Wednesday.
“It is going to take time. We understand that. We believe it is going to take about four months to six months for a such a war [to end],” Sharren Haskel, a member of the Knesset from the National Unity Party who sits on the foreign affairs and national security committees, told The National.
The conflict is in its fourth week and is seeing ground troops press deep into the Palestinian enclave, with mounting casualties on both sides.
“Israel has the money, capability and economic patience for this war,” Ms Haskel said. “We will get through this.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel's war in Gaza would be long but victorious.
“We are in a tough war. It will be a long war,” he said in a statement in which he also mourned the loss of a growing number of soldiers. “I promise to all citizens of Israel: we will get the job done. We will press ahead until victory.”
Fifteen soldiers have died in battle since Israeli forces launched the second phase of the war in Gaza with a ground invasion, according to the military.
Mr Netanyahu has ruled out international calls for a ceasefire and vowed to wipe out Hamas, which launched a brutal attack on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people and the taking of at least 240 hostages.
Since October 7, more than 8,500 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes and shelling in Gaza. An Israeli air strike on Jabalia, Gaza's largest refugee camp, killed at least 50 and injured 150 more overnight on Tuesday.
The Israeli military said the strike killed Hamas leader Ibrahim Biari.
Ms Haskel, who was also the former deputy Knesset speaker, said Israel has the financial muscle to fund the long war as it is focused on wiping out what she called an “ISIS-like enemy” on the border.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the direct cost of the war is about 1 billion shekels ($246 million) and that the current budget would be revised.
Last week, S&P Global downgraded Israel's economic outlook from to “stable” to “negative”.
10,000 Israelis apply for permits for guns
The war in Gaza has contributed to the further militarisation of Israeli society, after authorities relaxed rules for citizens to own firearms.
Ms Haskel said requests for firearms from Israeli private citizens have doubled or even tripled since the Knesset's National Security Committee relaxed requirements on October 15.
“We have received more than 10,000 requests from private citizens just last week, whereas the average number we get in a year used to be 5,000,” she said.
Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, of the radical right-wing Jewish Power party, said he aims to arm an additional 400,000 citizens eligible to carry firearms.
Mr Ben-Gvir's comments, part of his long-term plans to create a National Guard that has been described as a private militia by critics, prompted the US to warn Israel that it would stop sending American guns.
Defending the policy, Ms Haskel said if civilians and first responders had rifles and M-16s on October 7, they would have been able to better defend themselves against Hamas's attack.
“Some of them were armed only with handguns. If they will be armed with M-16s, the scene would have looked much different,” she said.
“We are people who face serious threats. And time after time, we have to join forces to defeat our enemy. We have to make sure that this will never happen again.”
On the massive security lapse that allowed the October 7 attack, the politician said there will be a thorough investigation “the day after we won this war”.
“Now the resources are focused on fighting this war and defeating Hamas.”
Armed units in every border town
Ms Haskel said that every Israeli town in border areas will have a first response team armed with M-16 rifles.
“The civilians are allowed to have only hand guns while police forces and first responders are given M-16s,” she said.
Ruling out the threat of private militias posing a security threat, she said Israel has a different gun culture to other countries, as every adult has served in the army and is well trained in weapons.
She said the current regulation has only reduced the required level of military training for owning a gun from 7 to 3, so that more people can acquire firearms.
“People understand our military values of using guns to defend lives,” said Ms Haskel.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
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China
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Miguel Cotto world titles:
WBO Light Welterweight champion - 2004-06
WBA Welterweight champion – 2006-08
WBO Welterweight champion – Feb 2009-Nov 2009
WBA Light Middleweight champion – 2010-12
WBC Middleweight champion – 2014-15
WBO Light Middleweight champion – Aug 2017-Dec 2017
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Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
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1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
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4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
MATCH INFO
Burnley 1 (Brady 89')
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MATCH INFO
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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
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- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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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
Honeymoonish
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Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
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Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
