Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Israel on Friday defended its attack on the south of Gaza against claims of genocide, telling the UN’s highest court that any state would do the same.
Denying a claim by South Africa that Rafah is the “endgame” of Gaza’s destruction, Israel said it entered the city to bring down a “military stronghold for Hamas”.
It told the International Court of Justice it wishes no harm to Palestinian civilians and that Hamas militants were responsible for the war's "suffering and pain".
In a 90-minute pleading, it said an order sought by South Africa for Israel to withdraw from Gaza would be an "extreme measure" denying it the right to self-defence.
"This war, like all wars, is tragic and terrible for Israelis and Palestinians and it has exacted a terrible human price. But it is not genocide," Israeli deputy attorney general Gilad Noam told judges. “Any state put in Israel’s difficult position would do the same."
On another day of legal arguments on the war:
· Israel said it "does not wish harm" to Palestinian civilians and the defeat of Hamas would mean they are "liberated" from the militants' rule
· It told the court its operations in Rafah were "specific, limited and localised" and aimed at Hamas networks posing a "significant threat" to Israel
· Judges were told that, contrary to South Africa's claims that Israel is withholding aid, it is making "remarkable efforts" to help civilians in Gaza
· Lawyers for Israel warned the court not to let South Africa and Hamas use international genocide law as a "sword rather than a shield"
· There was a disturbance in the Great Hall of Justice as someone in the courtroom shouted "liars" during Israel's closing argument.
Emergency ruling
The 17-member court headed by Lebanon's Nawaf Salam will now consider whether to grant South Africa's request for an interim order, a decision that typically takes a few weeks.
South Africa is seeking an explicit order for Israel to leave Gaza after a previous judgment in January gave more general instructions to prevent genocide.
It says it is acting in the name of Palestinians who have no independent representation at the UN, while Israel accuses South Africa of pro-Hamas bias.
Complaining of the short notice at which Thursday and Friday's hearings were called, Israel did not use all of its allotted two hours on Friday, with only two lawyers taking the floor.
Israel devoted part of its time to painting Rafah – often described as the "last refuge" of Palestinian civilians – as a military stronghold from which Hamas threatens Israel.
Lawyers gave documents to the court purporting to show rocket launch sites in Rafah and tunnel shafts that could be used to smuggle hostages or militants out of Gaza.
They said 278 rockets had been launched from Gaza in the past two weeks alone and hostages remained in captivity after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
Mr Noam said Israel's moves in the south were not a "large-scale assault on Rafah but rather specific, limited and localised operations".
"Only by bringing down Hamas’s military stronghold in Rafah will Palestinians be liberated from the clench grip of the murderous terrorist regime and the road to peace and prosperity may finally be paved," he said.
Another of Israel's lawyers, Tamar Kaplan Tourgeman, said Hamas tactics were to blame for the suffering caused by the "tragic" conflict.
She said South Africa’s allegations of genocide fail to mention violence, hostage-taking and continuing rocket fire by Gaza’s ruling militants.
“We have hardly heard the word Hamas [from South Africa], even though it is Hamas that has brought about all the suffering and pain that we are witnessing,” she said.
South Africa neglected to mention that Israel is doing a “great deal” to expand aid routes, she said. Judges were told a Hamas attack on the Kerem Shalom border crossing was to blame for its recent closure.
"Israel continues to take extraordinary measures in order to minimise harm to Palestinian civilians in Gaza," Ms Tourgeman said.
'Sword not shield'
Israel also spent significant time arguing an order to call off its offensive in Gaza would be an abuse of the International Court of Justice.
It said the court should not be dragged down a "dangerous path" into the "micromanagement" of what Israel portrays as an armed conflict like any other.
Ordering a withdrawal would "turn the genocide convention into a sword rather than a shield", Mr Noam said.
It would also allow Hamas to reconstitute its forces, deny hostages hope of rescue and "destine the Palestinians in Gaza to perpetual war", the bench was told.
Ms Tourgeman accused South Africa of trying to "obtain military advantage for its ally" and said the order it seeks would "legitimise, protect and reward Hamas’s despicable method of warfare".
"It is one thing to require that Israel abide by its international legal obligations and protect civilians when exercising its inherent right to defend itself," she said. "But to deny Israel that inherent right is a different thing altogether. It is unthinkable."
'Endgame' claim
South Africa took the floor on Thursday to say it was returning to the ICJ because the war had entered a "new and horrific phase".
Having applied on May 10 for a ruling to halt Israel's operations in Rafah, it widened the request during Thursday's hearings to seek a withdrawal from all of Gaza.
British barrister Vaughan Lowe, representing South Africa, said the attack on Rafah was part of a wider goal of “wiping Gaza from the map”.
“It has become increasingly clear that Israel’s actions in Rafah are part of the endgame in which Gaza is utterly destroyed as an area capable of human habitation,” he said.
“It was Rafah that brought South Africa to the court, but it is all Palestinians … who need the protection from genocide that the court can order.”
South Africa said the previous rulings from the bench telling Israel to prevent genocide “have not succeeded” in protecting Palestinians in Gaza.
Only an order for a full retreat will “protect what is left of Palestinian life” in the enclave, South African lawyer Adila Hassim said.
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
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To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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