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Palestinian faction leaders expressed defiance over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Tuesday, suggesting a united front amid derailed ceasefire talks.
The National spoke to several Palestinian figures who were in Doha for the funeral prayer service for Mr Haniyeh, as fears of a wider regional war grow, with Iran expected to strike Israel or increase military support to its allies significantly.
The service was attended by several international delegations, including from Turkey and Malaysia, while Fatah, previously Hamas’s main Palestinian rival, also sent representatives.
The Israeli-occupied West Bank is controlled by Fatah, a coalition of Palestinian parties based in Ramallah, while Gaza is run by Hamas, the political side of an armed group, Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades.
What happened in recent days will have international and regional repercussions
Fahd Suleiman,
secretary general, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Hamas also has allied factions in Gaza, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
On July 23, Hamas, Fatah and 12 other groups signed an agreement to discuss forming an “interim national reconciliation government”, mediated by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.
Fatah leader and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Mr Haniyeh’s killing a “heinous and cowardly act”.
Youssef Al Makdah, the secretary general of the Fatah-aligned Palestine Liberation Front, said the death was “a great loss for the resistance”.
But he said that “our strength will increase and whenever they assassinate a leader, there will be another leader who will lead the resistance until all of Palestine is liberated and our national and historical rights are restored”.
Mr Al Makdah said he believed Mr Haniyeh’s killing had “frozen” peace negotiations, but warned that the assassination “will be met with a harsh response, whether it comes from Lebanon, the Palestinian resistance, or Iran”.
Mr Haniyeh’s assassination was a “cowardly action”, according to Marwan Abdullah, a member of the political bureau of the PFLP.
He said Israel had “failed in the confrontations taking place on the ground and failed to achieve the goals they have announced in this war. This is a big indication that their war goals have changed.”
Vowing that the Palestinians will not be defeated, Mr Abdullah said his movement has “concerns because the enemy has dragged matters to positions that now pose a threat to many aspects of life in this region”.
An ideologically Marxist group, the PFLP was formed in the late 1960s by George Habash, a former doctor whose sister was killed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Its military wing, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, is so called in honour of Mr Habash’s successor, who was assassinated while sitting in his office in 2001.
Fahd Suleiman, secretary general of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said Mr Haniyeh’s death would reverberate around the region, in addition to another strike – within the space of 12 hours – that killed Fouad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander, in Beirut.
That strike claimed the lives of two children and drew sharp condemnation from the Lebanese government, as well as stronger international calls for de-escalation.
“What happened in recent days, the assassination of commander Fouad Shukr on the one hand in Lebanon and the assassination of commander Ismail Haniyeh on the other hand, led to a set of repercussions that are not limited to the Palestinian side, but will have international and regional repercussions,” said Mr Suleiman.
“The United States has now intervened directly and announced that it will not allow Israel to be harmed, and on this basis it brought the naval fleet in the territories to Israel, Palestine and Iran. Today, we are facing a major crisis that is not easy to solve through diplomatic means,” he added.
The US has recently added to its naval strength in the region, sending more warships in a move analysts say is in anticipation of an Iranian strike on Israel.
“The Palestinian-Israeli confrontation continues and will become more intense,” Mr Suleiman said.
“Gaza will continue to resist, and it will also spread throughout the West Bank and in the influential regional countries.
"Iran and its allies, the Axis of Resistance, and all the forces seeking to achieve national goals are all on alert and ready to continue this confrontation.”
Israel’s nearly 10-month war on Gaza has claimed nearly 40,000 lives, mostly civilians.
Concurrent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has killed about 500, mainly fighters, while dozens of soldiers and civilians have been killed in Israel.
Additional reporting by Robert Tollast in Abu Dhabi.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
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On sale: now
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company%20profile
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
%3Cp%3EBarcelona%20%20v%20Manchester%20United%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EJuventus%20v%20Nantes%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESporting%20Lisbon%20v%20Midtjylland%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EShakhtar%20Donetsk%20v%20Rennes%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAjax%20v%20Union%20Berlin%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBayer%20Leverkusen%20v%20Monaco%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESevilla%20v%20PSV%20Eindhoven%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESalzburg%20v%20Roma%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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CREW
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'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.
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
New schools in Dubai
F1 line ups in 2018
Mercedes-GP Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas; Ferrari Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen; Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen; Force India Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez; Renault Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr; Williams Lance Stroll and Felipe Massa / Robert Kubica / Paul di Resta; McLaren Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne; Toro Rosso TBA; Haas F1 Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; Sauber TBA
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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Bullet%20Train
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
