Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Families of Israeli hostages urged the UN Security Council on Thursday to condemn the October 7 Hamas attacks and call for the immediate release of hostages held by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza.
“There can be no doubt that hostage-taking is prohibited under international law,” said Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, professor of law at Bar-Ilan University and former vice chairwoman of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
"The taking of hostages in the context of an armed conflict is a war crime. They have been violating this prohibition for over 220 days.
“When addressing the mental health impacts of the Hamas attack on October 7 and its aftermath, it is impossible to separate it from the history of the Jewish people who have endured so many forms of calamity and have known captivity, first-hand.”
Ms Halperin-Kaddari urged the Security Council to demand that all states fulfil their duty and put an end to the breaches of international law by Hamas.
She insisted the council use all “its powers” to ensure Hamas is designated as a “terrorist organisation” and impose sanctions on “its commanders and financial supporters".
Ms Halperin-Kaddari said the hostages should be released without conditions.
Also speaking at the US-convened Security Council meeting, Suzanne Haran recounted being “kidnapped” by Hamas from her home, along with her daughter, two grandchildren, sister-in-law and niece.
She described the October 7 attacks as “unimaginable, cruel and deadly”.
“They brought a bulldozer and crashed the safe-room window," Ms Haran said.
"Once the crack was formed, we had three seconds, three seconds to decide surrender or die.
“You cannot even start to imagine what it means to be a hostage held by terrorists – total dependency for every human need, 24/7 control of every move and action.”
US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said bringing home the hostages is a “responsibility that President [Joe] Biden feels to his core”.
“We will not rest until every single hostage is back home,” she said.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield said that according to a March report by the UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patton, sexual violence is probably continuing against those being held in Gaza.
“And it really is gut-wrenching and beyond evil,” she said.
“We also know that Hamas and other armed groups have refused to allow the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] medical access to the hostages, many of whom require medical treatment.”
She called on Hamas to “stop fighting today” by releasing the first hostages and take the “deal on the table”.
Israel's military operations in Gaza were launched in retaliation for Hamas's attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.
Since then, the Israeli assault on Gaza has killed more than 35,200 Palestinians, local health officials say.
Hamas seized about 250 hostages, and an estimated 128 Israelis and foreign citizens remain captive in Gaza, including 36 the military says are dead.
The Israeli army said on Thursday that two Thai hostages earlier believed to be alive in Gaza were killed in the October 7 attack and their bodies are being held in the territory.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield called on the Security Council to speak with one voice as it has on other aspects of the Gaza conflict, and unequivocally condemn Hamas.
“Let's be honest, the plight of these hostages has not received the attention that it deserves from the UN Security Council,” she said. “That needs to change.”
Israel's UN representative Gilad Erdan said that the continuing conflict was started by Hamas kidnapping Israelis.
“The reason this war started and continues is because Hamas took our loved ones hostage and has refused to release them,” Mr Erdan said.
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The five pillars of Islam
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Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
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Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
The biog
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Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
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THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
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Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
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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.
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
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- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
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Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
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