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Hamas has accused the US and Israel of “lying” about getting closer to reaching a ceasefire agreement, claiming that they are deliberately placing obstacles to prolong the war in Gaza – now in its 10th month.
“They are all lying and playing for time, pretending that we are close to an agreement to stop the war, but making sure that the war continues,” Hamas official Mahmoud Taha said on Friday.
“We no longer trust or believe American officials, especially the CIA director currently in the region,” the official in charge of media relations told The National.
His accusations came hours after US Vice President Kamala Harris told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that it was time he agreed to a ceasefire deal and provided relief to the Palestinian people.
Ms Harris said she expressed to Mr Netanyahu her “serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians”.
“I made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there,” she said in a televised address after she and President Joe Biden met the Israeli Prime Minister at the White House.
Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir rejected Ms Harris's calls for a ceasefire.
“There will be no truce, Madam Candidate,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.
Ms Harris is the presumed Democratic nominee to run against Republican candidate Donald Trump in the November presidential election after Mr Biden stepped aside last Sunday.
The meeting with Mr Netanyahu was held after crucial talks in Doha were postponed until next week. They were scheduled for Thursday in the Qatari capital between warring parties and officials from Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
Sources told The National that difficulties in “co-ordinating” with the Israeli Prime Minister have led to the postponement.
But Mr Taha accused the PM of postponing the talks.
“After the Israeli negotiating delegation was scheduled to arrive in Doha, Netanyahu changed his mind and postponed the round without consulting anyone,” he said.
“Netanyahu is still adopting the method of disrupting the negotiations, placing obstacles and leading them to a dead end. This is his policy. Although he made statements saying that the deal was close, all of that was a complete lie.”
Mr Netanyahu had been criticised by the families of hostages captured by Hamas-led militants on October 7 for initially delaying his delegation's departure to Doha from Wednesday until Thursday.
On Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu addressed a special joint session of Congress, as thousands of protesters gathered outside the Capitol to call for a ceasefire and the end of US aid to Israel.
More than 39,100 people have been killed in the besieged enclave in Israeli strikes and ground attacks since the war began, according to Gaza health authorities.
The war started on October 7 when about 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities, were killed and 240 abducted in attacks by Hamas and its allies in southern Israel.
About 130 hostages are still held in Gaza, although many of them are believed to have died. More than 100 have been released since October 7.
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
