Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has discussed a three-phase Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza in a series of phone calls with his UAE, Saudi, Jordanian and Turkish counterparts.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the ceasefire deal announced by US President Joe Biden on Friday should be treated seriously and positively, Wam reported on Saturday.
In a phone call with Mr Blinken on Saturday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan emphasised the kingdom’s support for immediate ceasefire efforts in Gaza, as well as a complete Israeli withdrawal from the strip.
Israel's proposal for a ceasefire, in return for the release of Israeli hostages, was announced by US President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday.
Jordan supports the efforts made by Egypt, Qatar and the US to reach an exchange deal as quickly as possible, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Mr Blinken.
“Jordan stresses the need to deal seriously with every proposal that achieves a permanent ceasefire, ends the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and ensures the return of the displaced to their areas and the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from Gaza,” Mr Safadi said after the call.
Speaking to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Mr Blinken “emphasised that Hamas should accept the deal and that every country with a relationship with Hamas should press it to do so without delay”, the US State Department said.
The first phase of the proposal involves a six-week ceasefire when Israeli forces would withdraw from “all populated areas” of Gaza, some hostages – including the elderly and women – would be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Palestinian civilians could return to their homes in Gaza and 600 lorries a day would take humanitarian aid into the enclave.
The three-phased ceasefire would begin with Hamas and Israel negotiating a permanent ceasefire that Mr Biden said would last “as long has Hamas lives up to its commitments”.
If negotiations took more than six weeks, the temporary ceasefire would extend while they continued.
In the second phase, Mr Biden said there would be an exchange for all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza and the permanent ceasefire would begin.
The third phase would include a major reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the “final remains” of hostages to their families.
“It's time for this war to end and for the day after to begin,” said Mr Biden, who is under election-year pressure to stop the Gaza conflict, now in its eighth month.
Hamas, which Mr Biden said received the proposal from Qatar, released a statement reacting positively.
The Palestinian group which controls the Gaza Strip said it was ready to “deal positively and constructively” with any proposal which was based on a permanent ceasefire in addition to the “complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, the return of the displaced to all their places of residence, and the completion of a serious prisoner exchange deal if the occupation declares its explicit commitment to that.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, on Saturday insisted on Hamas's destruction as part of the Israeli plan to end the war.
“Israel's conditions for ending the war have not changed,” Mr Netanyahu said on Saturday.
“The destruction of Hamas's military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel,” he stated.
Israel's opposition leader on Saturday urged Mr Netanyahu to heed the call for a Gaza truce.
“The government of Israel cannot ignore President Biden's consequential speech. There is a deal on the table and it should made,” Yair Lapid said in a post on X. “I remind Netanyahu that he has a safety net from us for a hostage-release deal if [Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [Bezalel] Smotrich leave the government.”
The ceasefire proposal comes as Israel's assault on Rafah, in southern Gaza, has sparked global outcry.
Egypt is set to host a meeting with Israel and the US on Sunday to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing, a key gateway of much-needed aid supplies, Egyptian media reported.
Gaza residents react to proposal
Residents in Gaza told The National they welcomed the plan and urged the international community to immediately work towards making the ceasefire proposal a reality. Some said the proposal is an indication of how difficult the war in Gaza has become for the Israeli military.
“The declaration aims to save Israel from defeat, which has already occurred,” Azmi Ahmad, 45, told The National.
“All we want now is for the war to end. Of course, we had hoped for a ceasefire earlier to save lives, but we hope it happens now because we are truly fed up.”
Ola Aboud, who now resides in Mawasi in western Rafah after fleeing central Gaza, said she believes that Mr Netanyahu can no longer reject the ceasefire as Mr Biden announced publicly.
“He does not want to appear intransigent in front of the families of the hostages,” she said.
“He will prolong the negotiations and employ evasive tactics to appease his allies in the far-right, while at the same time, he will have agreed to Biden's proposal to enter negotiations.”
Jihad Mohsen, 35, who now lives in Deir Al Balah in the centre of the Gaza Strip, told The National he is less optimistic.
“It is clear that this is an Israeli proposal presented by Biden. They believe that Hamas will reject it, bringing negotiations back to square one,” he said.
“We want the war to end, but at the same time, we don’t want our sacrifices to be in vain. Gaza has been set back 100 years. We want an honourable deal, reconstruction, and a return to our normal lives.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Jumanji: The Next Level
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Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
The specs
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Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
