Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Indirect negotiations in Cairo between Hamas, Israel and the US to pause the war in Gaza have reached a “critical phase”, diplomatic sources told The National, amid a renewed diplomatic push to reach a deal in the coming days.
The diplomatic activity is part of a renewed drive to have a second truce in place to head off an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, they said. The southern Gazan city on the Egyptian border is home to about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians.
The US, like Egypt and other stakeholders, fear that ground operations in Rafah could significantly worsen the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave and cause many civilian casualties.
On Wednesday, US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk was taking part in negotiations in Cairo. His Middle East trip, which includes a visit to Israel on Thursday, is focused on pushing for a humanitarian pause “before the end of the week”, the State Department said.
It also comes on the backdrop of a US push for a UN Security Council resolution that calls for a temporary ceasefire “as soon as practicable”, after vetoing another resolution drafted by Algeria that called for an immediate ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and senior official Khalil Al Haya held talks with Egypt's spy chief Abbas Kamel, whose General Intelligence Directory has for years been in charge of relations with Israel and Palestinian factions.
Ahmed Abd Al Hadi, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, told The National that the delegation went to Cairo “for further dialogue and discussion with the Egyptian mediator with the aim of achieving progress in the negotiations”.
A four-man delegation from Israel's Mossad spy agency was also expected to arrive in Egypt for talks with Egyptian officials.
“The indirect negotiations in Egypt are ongoing and have reached a critical phase,” a Palestinian source told The National.
But “the Israeli side is trying to evade its obligation to a truce by threatening to invade Rafah and pressuring the Palestinians through raids and starvation,” added the source.
For months, the US, Egypt and Qatar have been working on a deal between Israel and Hamas that would pause the war in Gaza and lead to the release of hostages who have been held since October 7.
The renewed diplomatic efforts come after Hamas abandoned its demand for a permanent ceasefire, instead accepting a temporary pause in fighting, sources said.
The group wants international guarantees that the truce will be followed by negotiations to reach a permanent ceasefire.
Previously, the Palestinian militants insisted on a permanent ceasefire to accept a deal that included the release of hostages and wanted guarantees that a truce would be followed by a permanent ceasefire.
An Israeli government official declined to comment on these specific reports but told The National that “Israel is fully committed to the release of all hostages. Israel will never stop until all hostages are released”.
But Hamas's Mr Abd Al Hadi accused the Israeli government of attempting to prolong the war for political reasons.
“There is no intention by [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his government to conclude a deal and end the aggression because he believes that this will make his government collapse and he will go to prison,” Mr Abd Al Hadi told The National.
“Therefore, he is concerned with prolonging the war, and is currently threatening to invade Rafah,” he added.
The Joe Biden administration has continued to back Israel in its stated goal of destroying Hamas. But the pressure is mounting to help end a war that has claimed the lives of more than 29,300 Palestinians, most of them civilians, the Gaza Health Ministry said.
In recent weeks, it has said that it will not support Netanyahu's plan to launch a major military operation in Rafah. The White House explained that the assault would spell “disaster” for Palestinian civilians there, most of whom are living in makeshift tents and have little access to basic necessities.
The US has instead called on Israel to come up with a “credible” evacuation plan that would protect civilians from harm. Israel has not presented any safety plans so far, and Mr McGurk would discuss the issue with Israelis during his visit, the White House said.
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Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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.
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
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
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- 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
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
