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British shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has written an urgent appeal to Foreign Secretary David Cameron, outlining the catastrophic conditions in Gaza as Ramadan begins.
Mr Lammy, a member of the opposition Labour Party, describes the situation in Gaza as “chronic shortages of food, water and medicine and the healthcare system no longer functioning".
He urged the UK government to initiate “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and to negotiate for the “release of the remaining hostages", asserting the need to create a safe passage and space for Gazans.
The letter, posted on X, insists on the legal and moral imperative for the UK to influence Israel, the “occupying power,” to augment aid flow, and to resume funding for the UN Palestinian refugee agency, or UNRWA.
“It is outrageous that aid delivery to Gaza fell by half in February,” Mr Lammy said in the letter.
His correspondence does not neglect the religious implications of the conflict, particularly during a time of significance for Muslims, Christians and Jews.
He called for the preservation of the status quo at holy sites in Jerusalem, notably for Muslims' access to Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest site.
Mr Lammy urged that “authorities show respect and restraint, and Muslim worshippers are able to enter Al Aqsa to worship".
Labour leader Keir Starmer initially opposed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza after claiming early in the conflict that "Israel has the right" to withhold power and water in the enclave – a stance that caused him to lose the support of many councillors from mainly Muslim communities.
But his party’s position has shifted over time. Mr Starmer backed a "humanitarian pause" and has since given his support to a sustainable ceasefire.
Last month, Labour put forward an amendment to a parliamentary motion, with the party calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”. The motion was approved in the Commons.
It came after a day of chaos amid accusations that Mr Starmer put pressure on the House Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to put the amendment forward to avoid a major rebellion among Labour members.
The party’s motion called for Israel and Hamas to lay down their arms and for all remaining hostages taken by Hamas to be released. It also called for a diplomatic process for achieving a two-state solution and lasting peace.
The UK government has consistently called for a humanitarian pause to ensure the return of hostages and the delivery of life-saving supplies to Gazans.
Its policy has also hardened over time, with Lord Cameron expressing “deep concern about the prospect of a military offensive" in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
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The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
Key facilities
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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