Israel said it has allowed 68 people, including 19 sick and injured children and their companions, to leave Gaza for Egypt through the Karam Abu Salem crossing.
It is the first medical passage permitted since Israeli forces last month took control of the Rafah border crossing, the sole entry and exit point that had been available to Gaza's civilians.
Dr Ahmad Zaqout, the director of Gaza's hospitals, told The National that 21 leukaemia patients left Gaza for Egypt on Thursday. “We accept this method of evacuation, although it is complicated. Bringing these patients out this way is insufficient.
We are constantly urging the opening of the Rafah border to allow this large number of patients to receive treatment outside Gaza
Dr Ahmad Zaqout,
director of Gaza's hospitals
“We are constantly urging the opening of the Rafah border to allow this large number of patients to receive treatment outside Gaza.”
Dr Zaquot said more than 25,000 people require treatment abroad, including 10,000 cancer patients.
“The closure of the Rafah border, the destruction of over 70 per cent of our treatment capacity, and the absence of necessary treatments, especially for cancer, have created an urgent need for these patients to be able to leave,” he added.
The process was carried out in co-ordination with the US, Egypt and the international community.
Three-year-old Rawand Shahla has developed a brain issue due to malnutrition. Her father, Ahmad, says she needs urgent treatment which is not available in Gaza.
“Rawand left to Egypt to get treatment with her mother and four sisters, I hope she gets treatment and comes back soon,” he told the National.
The family has been displaced many times since the start of the war, from the north of Gaza to Rafah in the south, then to Deir Al Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
According to the government media office in Gaza, thousands of patients are facing death because they need to travel to receive treatment, but the closure and destruction of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on June 17 has prevented them from leaving.
The World Health Organisation put the number of patients needing medical care outside Gaza at 10,000.
“Medical evacuation corridors must be urgently established for the sustained, organised, safe and timely passage of critically ill patients from Gaza via all possible routes,” Hanan Balkhy, regional director for the WHO, said on X.
“This includes Rafah and Karem Shalom to Egypt, West Bank, East Jerusalem, and from there to other countries when needed.”
Kamla Abu Kwaik did not receive approval to leave with her five-year-old son, Fayez, an advanced cancer patient. His condition worsened during the war, and he cannot walk. His grandmother, however, was permitted to take him instead.
“I am deeply saddened that I cannot be with him,” Mrs Abu Kwaik told The National.
“My child is five years old and cannot be without his mother. He requires special care.
“He cries and keeps asking for me to be with him, but there's nothing I can do.”
More than 37,700 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's almost nine-month military campaign in Gaza and more than 86,400 have been injured.
On Friday, 11 Palestinians were killed and 22 were injured by Israeli shelling on displaced people's tents in Al Mawasi, west of Rafah, civil defence teams told The National.
Israeli tanks invaded the Al Shakoush area north-west of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, forcing residents to flee.
Four others were killed overnight and others injured as a result of the Israeli shelling of Deir Al Balah, including a child.
On Thursday night, the Palestinian Civil Defence said three of its staff were killed in Gaza by an Israeli air strike while on duty, bringing the total number to 74 since the beginning of the war.
According to a recent report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, 96 per cent of the population is facing acute food shortages.
WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the medical evacuation of sick children from Gaza.
“We appeal for facilitated medical evacuation via all possible routes, including Rafah and Karem Shalom, to Egypt, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and from there to other countries when needed,” Dr Tedros said on X.
Ground attack
Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched a ground operation in Shujaiya, a neighbourhood in Gaza city.
“The forces of the 98th Division began in the last day a divisional operation in the Shujaiya area, above and below ground at the same time,” the Israeli military confirmed on X.
Heavy bombardment has made it difficult for rescuers to reach injured residents, according to the Palestinian Civil Defence.
The Israeli military told residents of Shujaiya to evacuate.
First responders said air strikes hit five homes, killing at least three people and wounding another six.
It said rescuers were still digging through the rubble for survivors.
Shujaiya residents in a messaging group shared video footage showing large numbers of people fleeing the neighbourhood on foot with their belongings in their arms, AP reported.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
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Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
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