Supporters and relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza hold a rally to demand their release near the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem. AFP
Supporters and relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza hold a rally to demand their release near the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem. AFP
Supporters and relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza hold a rally to demand their release near the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem. AFP
Supporters and relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza hold a rally to demand their release near the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem. AFP

Hamas demands Israel hold fire during truce talks, sources say


Hamza Hendawi
  • English
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Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Hamas is demanding that Israel pause major military actions in Gaza while ceasefire talks are in progress, sources affirmed on Monday, as mediation efforts face uncertainty due to Israel's strike on a school and Hamas's hesitation to rejoin the talks.

Leaders of the US, Qatar and Egypt urged Israel and Hamas to resume Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha or Cairo on Thursday, despite deepening mistrust after the assassination of the group's political leader Ismail Haniyeh and the appointment of hardliner Yahya Sinwar as his successor.

The call, swiftly supported by countries in the region including the UAE and Turkey, came last week amid fears of a full-scale war in the Middle East, as Israel awaits Iran’s retaliation for the killing of Mr Haniyeh on its soil and Hezbollah’s avowed “punishment” for the assassination of its senior military commander Fouad Shukr in Beirut.

The office of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli negotiators would attend the talks "to finalise the details and implement the framework agreement", but later its army struck a school, killing about 100 Palestinians including women and children.

Hamas initially said it was considering the offer to join the talks but then called on mediators to devise a new plan to implement what was already agreed on "instead of pursuing further rounds of negotiations or new proposals".

The Israeli strike, which was condemned by regional and western countries, as well as Hamas's stance, put the new ceasefire talks in doubt as the war continues to ravage the Palestinian territory, with the death toll nearing 40,000 Palestinians.

Sources told The National on Monday that Mr Sinwar, the most-wanted militant in Gaza by Israel, was considering ways to harden Hamas's approach to the negotiations, including staying away from the table while Israel presses on with its relentless military campaign.

“He has informed mediators that it has become untenable for the group to continue negotiating while Israel keeps on massacring Palestinians,” said one source.

The source said Mr Sinwar's consideration of a boycott was mostly motivated by the air attack on the school on Saturday.

“He wants Israel to hold its fire while negotiations are under way and he wants that to be guaranteed by the Americans,” added the source.

Another source, however, held out the possibility that last-minute consultations between Hamas leaders and mediators from Egypt and Qatar could persuade the group to join the latest talks, which are likely to be held in Doha.

US President Joe Biden outlined a three-phase ceasefire proposal in late May. The US, Egypt and Qatar have since been trying without success to broker a ceasefire in Gaza as well as a hostage release deal.

Displaced Palestinians flee following evacuation orders from the Israeli army to leave the Hamad district of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Bloomberg
Displaced Palestinians flee following evacuation orders from the Israeli army to leave the Hamad district of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Bloomberg

On Sunday, Mr Biden said a ceasefire deal for Gaza was “still possible” and his team was continuing to work to avoid regional escalation.

“The plan I put together, endorsed by the G7, endorsed by the UN Security Council, etc, is still viable,” Mr Biden said in an interview with CBS, his first since he ended his campaign for re-election last month.

“And I'm working literally every single day – and my whole team – to see to it that it doesn't escalate into a regional war. But it easily can.”

The proposal on the table comes in three phases that firstly would comprise “a full and complete ceasefire,” the withdrawal of Israeli forces from “all populated areas of Gaza” and the release of “a number of hostages – including women, the elderly and the wounded – in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners".

The initial phase is expected to last six weeks, during which Israel and Hamas would “negotiate the necessary arrangements” to move to the second phase, which would centre on the “release of all remaining living hostages” in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

The final phase would include a “major reconstruction plan for Gaza” and the return of “any final remains of hostages who have been killed” to their families.

Of the 240 hostages taken by Hamas and its allies on October 7, about 100 were released during a truce in late November. Another 111 are believed to be still held in captivity, although the Israeli military says nearly 40 of them may have died.

Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed the war will not end before Hamas's military and governing abilities are dismantled. He also insists Israel will retain a supreme security role in Gaza after the war ends.

In%20the%20Land%20of%20Saints%20and%20Sinners
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 390bhp

Torque: 400Nm

Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579

THE BIO

Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.

Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.

She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.

Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring  the natural world.

How it works

A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank

Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night 

The charge is stored inside a battery

The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode

A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes 

This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode

When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again

The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge

No limit on how many times you can charge

 

Company%20profile
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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THE%20JERSEYS
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Summer special
Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

Results
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Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi

Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe

For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.

Golden Dallah

For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.

Al Mrzab Restaurant

For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.

Al Derwaza

For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup. 

Details

Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny

Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books

Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site

The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.

THE BIO

Favourite author - Paulo Coelho 

Favourite holiday destination - Cuba 

New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field

Role model - My Grandfather 

Dream interviewee - Che Guevara

CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face

The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.

The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran. 

Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf. 

"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said. 

Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer. 

The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy. 

 

Bert van Marwijk factfile

Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder

Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia

Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Company%20profile
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Updated: August 13, 2024, 9:51 AM`