Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Efforts are intensifying to secure a key hostage deal between Israel and Hamas in what is now considered the only way to halt the killing in the ravaged Gaza Strip.
Western and Arab officials attending the IISS Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain have hinted that a first landmark agreement is on the horizon, as indirect talks gain momentum.
The primary challenge, however, lies in reaching consensus on three key aspects: the number of Israeli hostages to be released, what Hamas wants in return, and whether a humanitarian "pause" precedes the deal or vice versa.
Nevertheless, there is increasing pressure on both sides to "bite the bullet" and reach an agreement that could alleviate the pressure in western and Arab capitals.
"We need something more than humanitarian support, we need pauses and release of hostages," a senior EU official told The National on Saturday on the sidelines of the 19th Manama Dialogue.
"We have to get the hostages released, the [humanitarian] pauses implemented. Don't tell me what comes first. If they go together, good, but the important thing is that both things have to happen," said the official. "I think this is going to be possible."
Israel has vowed to “crush” Hamas in response to the group's October 7 attack, when it broke through Gaza's militarised border to kill about 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Militants took about 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Israel's air and ground military campaign has killed more than 11,400 people, including 5,000 children, according to Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Earlier on Saturday, White House co-ordinator Brett McGurk told the annual Manama conference that the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas is the only way to “pause” the war in Gaza.
"The release of hostages is the pathway to a pause in the fighting. To pause the fighting, release the hostages, the women, the children, the toddlers, the babies,” the American official said.
“The onus here is on Hamas."
Mr McGurk's reiteration came hours after US President Joe Biden pressed for the immediate release of Israeli hostages during talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim, whose country has been a key mediator.
"I will not discuss the details of those discussions here but they had been intensive and ongoing," Mr McGurk said of the talks.
On Friday night, Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad called on Hamas to release all Israeli prisoners in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
According to Arab officials, Hamas is negotiating the release of 50 Israelis in exchange for a ceasefire and for Palestinian prisoners, while Israel insists that any deal should involve all of its hostages.
In 2011, Hamas negotiated the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in return for the release of an Israeli soldier.
But experts said both sides are racing against the clock.
The Israeli government is facing mounting internal pressure, and Hamas needs a truce to show that it still has the leverage.
"The longer Hamas is able to continue hostage negotiations, the longer Israel will be under both domestic and international pressure," wrote Devorah Margolin for The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
"Prolonging fighting in Gaza has its own costs, however. Hamas is bleeding commanders, equipment and personnel, and has lost several top leaders to Israel’s air campaign.
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
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Match info
Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')
Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
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Disposing of non-recycleable masks
- Use your ‘black bag’ bin at home
- Do not put them in a recycling bin
- Take them home with you if there is no litter bin
- No need to bag the mask
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
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match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
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