Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Intensive Israeli attacks across the entire Gaza Strip, including Khan Younis in the south, continued for a second day as the death toll climbed past 16,200 people, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Terror gripped residents in the south, as the shelling got closer to homes and hospitals including the Palestinian Red Crescent-run Al Amal.
“The situation is getting more complicated,” an emergency responder told The National. “They are hitting very close by, including with phosphorus gas. We can smell it. We can see it.”
Mother of three Nedaa'a Abdel Wahab said she has been on the move since the war began on October 7, first from Gaza city, then to Nuseirat camp in the west and now to Khan Younis.
“The bombing in Khan Younis city last night was indescribable,” she said. “It's as if this is the biggest country in the world and they want to completely destroy it.”
More residents are moving further south into Rafah, on the border with Egypt. The UN says another wave of displacement is taking place, as conditions become “apocalyptic” and shops are running out of what little supplies they had.
“There's nothing in the supermarket at all. I waited for six hours in front of a bakery and only managed to get six loaves of bread which is not enough for my big family,” Mohammad Abdel Rahman told The National from Rafah.
Seventy per cent of the dead in Gaza are children, the health ministry said.
Tuesday night was “harsh, especially in the east and north,” a Khan Younis resident told The National.
“A house next to us was destroyed, causing damage to one of the windows of the house in which we live and shattering its glass,” he added.
Israeli forces said they struck 250 targets. Troops also located “weapons, underground shafts, explosives and additional military infrastructure”, the Israeli army said in a statement.
Khan Younis refugee camp was hit, killing three people. The Malak Girls School where hundreds are seeking shelter was also struck, killing at least one child and injuring eight other people. Saraya Al Quds militant group said it targeted Israeli positions east of Khan Younis with high-explosive mortar shells and RPGs.
An Israeli air strike hit a residential building in Khan Younis's Al Asda neighbourhood, injuring at least 10 people.
Fighting continued in the north as well, with Jabalia struck and numerous injuries and casualties reported, local news outlets said. Communications have been nearly non-existent in Jabalia, where the Palestinian Red Crescent had set up a medical portal to treat minor and moderate injuries.
“We have not heard from our team there in days. The only way we know they're alive is through spotty radio signals which Khan Younis's control room has been receiving,” spokeswoman Nibal Farsakh told The National.
On Wednesday, Israel said it would will pause hostilities until 2pm local time to allow humanitarian aid to flow into Rafah.
They told Gaza’s residents to refrain from using Salah Al Din road – the main route from the north to the south.
Israel had earlier designated Salah Al Din road as the route for those evacuating from the north, but many people reported coming under attack as they were fleeing their homes believing they would be safe from Israeli shelling.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, kick-off 10.45pm
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
