Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Protests were held across Israel on Monday to increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure a hostage deal amid fears his government is not engaging with new talks to release those held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
Demonstrations took place outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem, where relatives of people killed at the Nova music festival on October 7 tore their shirts, an act of mourning for Jews.
“We lost our children, the most precious thing,” Shimon Buskila, who son was killed in the Hamas attack at the festival, told The Times of Israel.
"You could not keep them safe and now for nine months there is no progress, nothing is happening."
Speaking outside the Knesset, Yair Golan, who leads a new bloc of left-wing parties, accused the Prime Minister of abandoning a deal due to fears an agreement would "dismantle Netanyahu's government".
"If we don't take to the streets with all force right now, the abandonment of our sisters and brothers will continue," he said. "Now is the time to intensify the protest."
Residents in the central city of Rehovot turned out en masse on Monday to show support for Israeli hostage Nimrod Cohen on his 20th birthday. His father vowed to follow and demonstrate against Mr Netanyahu on forthcoming trip to the US.
Transport Minister Miri Regev was met with a crowd of furious demonstrators who shouted "the hostages have been forsaken", when he arrived at an opening ceremony for a section of a motorway targeted by Hamas on October 7.
The demonstrations on Monday came soon after the conclusion of a four-day march on Jerusalem during which thousands of protesters called for the government to prioritise reaching a deal with Hamas to free hostages seized by the group during its attack on southern Israel.
Outside Mr Netanyahu’s office at the end of the march, Einav Zangauker, the mother of 24-year-old hostage Matan Zangauker, accused the Prime Minister of “time after time, trying to separate me from Matan”.
Despite Mr Netanyahu repeatedly saying Israel is committed only to “total victory” against Hamas, more than two- thirds of Israelis favour securing the return of hostages over continued fighting, according to a poll published on Friday.
On Sunday, military chief of staff Herzi Halevi made his preference for a deal clear, saying in a statement: “An agreement for the return of the hostages is an urgent moral imperative to save lives.”
The stark comment puts Israel's most senior soldier in the middle of the deeply political debate about the future of the war, at a time when he is already facing criticism from sections of the Israeli right.
“The [Israeli military] is creating the pressure to create the best conditions for such an agreement,” Mr Halevi added.
“The [military] will know how to abide by any agreement that is approved by the political echelon, and even after a ceasefire, to return and fight with great intensity,” he said, seeking to counter the argument made by many in the government that a hostage deal would effectively end the Gaza war and hand victory to Hamas.
The growing protest movement to release Israeli hostages in Gaza has been issuing desperate calls for action, as fears mount that Mr Netanyahu is attempting to sabotage a new round of talks with Hamas, which international mediators hoped would bring a breakthrough after a previous hostage deal collapsed in December.
Doubt was cast over the future of the discussions on Saturday, after Israel launched a massive strike in Gaza that killed at least 90 Palestinians, most of them civilians, while talks were taking place.
The strike hit a displacement camp in Al Mawasi, an area Israeli forces had designated a “safe zone”.
The strike intended to kill two senior Hamas commanders, including military chief Mohammed Deif, the second most important target for Israel after Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.
The Israeli military has not yet confirmed that Mr Deif is dead.
Hamas has in the past suspended its participation in negotiations for up to 72 hours to protest against "massacres" committed by Israeli forces in Gaza, according to sources.
Mr Sinwar this year refused to take calls or respond to messages for days while mourning the victims of one such "massacre", they said.
Hamas, they said, was counselled by Egyptian mediators to immediately return to the negotiations after it briefly withdrew at the weekend in protest over the strike in Al Mawasi.
Hamas will hurt only itself at this point of the war if it withdraws from the negotiations, said the sources.
"Progress has been made in the negotiations, Israel is suffering its worst international isolation in decades, major western powers are contemplating recognising Palestine and society in Israel is putting pressure on Netanyahu over the hostages," said one of the sources.
"It has many bargaining chips now and it will be a pity for it to lose them."
However, the sources also said Hamas's perceived reluctance to abandon the negotiations is rooted in the fatigue from more than nine months of fighting.
Israel appears to be partially focused now on strikes targeting Hamas leaders and their families, regardless of the casualties among civilians, to whip up anti-Hamas sentiment and reduce the support it has in the territory, they said.
Mr Netanyahu has backed the strikes, saying Israel is witnessing "clear cracks in Hamas, under the powerful blows we are dealing it”.
"We are seeing changes, we are seeing weakness," he added.
Israel launched more strikes on Gaza on Monday, despite widespread condemnation of Saturday's bombardment of Al Mawasi.
The death toll in Gaza now stands at more than 38,600 killed and almost 90,000 wounded.
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. RESULTS FOR STAGE 4
Stage 4 Dubai to Hatta, 197 km, Road race.
Overall leader Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal) 2. Matteo Moschetti ITA (Trek - Segafredo) 3. Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
