The UN's human rights council was warned of a deteriorating catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. AFP
The UN's human rights council was warned of a deteriorating catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. AFP
The UN's human rights council was warned of a deteriorating catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. AFP
The UN's human rights council was warned of a deteriorating catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. AFP

UAE calls for Palestine peace process to 'spare region from violence'


Tim Stickings
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Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

The UAE on Tuesday called for a political solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict to “spare the region from confrontation and violence”.

The crisis in Gaza is “extremely sensitive and dangerous” and threatens the lives of everyone in the Gaza Strip, said Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, Minister of State.

He was among several Arab diplomats to use speeches at the UN’s human rights council in Geneva to lobby for a long-term peace process after months of war between Israel and Hamas.

While the US, Egypt and Qatar are brokering talks on a potential Ramadan truce, neither Israel nor Hamas have shown interest in a broader Middle East settlement to end repeated cycles of fighting.

A key demand for Arab states is an end to Israel’s settlement of occupied land. Kuwait said there was “no solution” without an end to occupation, while Tunisia said Israel should be compelled to stop its blockade of Gaza.

The UN council, being chaired by Morocco, was warned faith in the troubled international system could crack further as polarised views limit the world’s ability to tackle the crisis.

Egypt bemoaned what it called the double standards of allies of Israel, suggesting “life in Gaza is not worthy enough of their attention”. Some western diplomats joined calls for Israel to curb its offensive.

Israel is being urged to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza as talks continue on a potential truce. Getty Images
Israel is being urged to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza as talks continue on a potential truce. Getty Images

Catastrophic situation

Representing the UAE, Mr Almarar said incessant Israeli attacks “have led to a catastrophic humanitarian situation which is extremely sensitive and dangerous, and threatens the lives of all residents of Gaza”.

He told the council of UAE efforts to provide medical aid, drinking water and treatment for Palestinians but said the crisis “requires stepping up collective action and joint efforts”.

These should “put an end to the ongoing machinery of destruction, to achieve an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians and accelerate the arrival of needed humanitarian aid", he said.

“In order to spare the region from confrontation and violence, we stress the need to find a political solution to a just and comprehensive outcome to the Palestinian question on the basis of a two-state solution.”

Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said the international community “cannot keep turning a blind eye” to the war’s human toll, as his country presides over a packed month-long session of the Geneva council.

“This is a difficult situation that asks questions about the credibility of multilateralism,” he said.

“We need to create a political horizon for the Palestinian cause with the two-state solution in our sights, with the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Israel, which is not represented on the 47-member UN council, has said it cannot accept full Palestinian self-rule. It says this would reward Hamas violence and that Israel needs “security control” of Gaza and the West Bank, which it currently occupies.

Its conduct in Gaza is also under scrutiny from allied capitals, UN inspectors and judges in The Hague, who last month ordered Israel to do everything possible to prevent acts of genocide and allow aid into the besieged strip.

However, the UN’s ability to act is limited by regular US vetoes in the Security Council, which has “failed to end the Israeli atrocities”, said Turkish deputy foreign minister Ahmet Yildiz.

“Ongoing indiscriminate attacks by Israel in Gaza have eroded the international community’s faith in the rules-based international system,” Mr Yildiz said, despite what he called the milestone ruling from The Hague.

Iraq and Egypt urged donors to keep funding aid agency UNRWA, after payments were suspended by the UK, Germany and others over allegations of staff involvement in Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shoukry said the crisis in Gaza had "laid bare double standards" as he accused some states of intentionally thwarting a ceasefire, thereby "giving Israel carte blanche to continue their operations".

He said a lack of condemnation of events in Gaza, from countries which had expressed a view on other conflicts, could lead to the "collapse of the international system".

"It seems that life in Gaza is not worthy enough of their attention, that the massacre of tens of thousands of children fails to shake their otherwise all too sensitive conscience, for the lives of Gaza’s children are seemingly less valuable than others," he said.

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ETFs explained

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Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm

Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

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On sale: now

2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier

The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier

Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets

Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs

Table

1 UAE 5 5 0 10

2 Qatar 5 4 1 8

3 Saudi 5 3 2 6

4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4

5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2

6 Maldives 5 0 5 0

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

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Sri Lanka squad

Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad.

Without Remorse

Directed by: Stefano Sollima

Starring: Michael B Jordan

4/5

England squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale 

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Ben White

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse

Forwards: Tammy Abraham, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Raheem Sterling

Updated: February 27, 2024, 4:30 PM