Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Israeli restrictions have created a “deliberately impossible” environment for humanitarian aid organisations to address the Gaza Strip’s immense humanitarian needs, the head of a group operating in Gaza said on Thursday.
On her third visit to Gaza since war broke out in October, founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance (Inara) and former CNN international correspondent Arwa Damon said aid has become “even more limited than it already was".
Inara began its work in Gaza in November 2023, a month after Israel’s assault on Gaza began. The war, now in its 11th month, has killed more than 40,500 people, according to local health authorities — the vast majority of whom are women and children.
Gaza is now the deadliest place in the world to be a child, according to the UN.
Working in Gaza is excruciating. Finding a solution is almost impossible 90 per cent of the time
Arwa Damon
Every time Ms Damon returns, the humanitarian reality in the strip is more brutal, Ms Damon said.
After 20 years of covering war and violence as a journalist and as a humanitarian, she had become adept at finding solutions to logistical problems.
Despite this experience, “working in Gaza is excruciating. Finding a solution is almost impossible 90 per cent of the time. Our wins are so minuscule it’s almost laughable", she said.
This is because humanitarian aid does not enter Gaza without Israeli approval. “And when it does get cleared by Israel, aid gets dumped as a box that we can't safely pick up."
Maximising aid in a war economy
The war economy has created severe shortages in food, medicine, and cleaning supplies, while inflating the prices of these basic needs.
Life-saving aid must be picked up through routes that the Israeli army designates, but Israel’s “economy of scarcity” has created a “deliberately orchestrated anarchy that has allowed for criminal gangs and looters to operate, targeting aid lorries", making aid deliveries a slow and dangerous process, Ms Damon said.
Inara works with about 13 small shelters in the middle and south of the strip “that are tucked into areas that tend to fall outside of the wider reach that larger organisations have".
Often that means co-ordinating with larger international agencies to deliver life-saving aid to these more neglected areas, which are under constant threat of eviction.
The organisation has maximised its limited resources. It has installed solar panels in the shelters in which it operates to ensure that critical medical devices can remain charged, providing a lifeline for people with conditions such as asthma or those who rely on hearing aids.
But even these small victories are hard-won and come with significant delays.
The vast majority of Gaza’s population – about 90 per cent, according to UN estimates – is displaced. Israeli displacement orders and the constant movement of families further complicate efforts, making it challenging to deliver aid quickly and efficiently.
The constant evictions often force displaced Palestinians and aid agencies to start from scratch with each move. It means displaced Palestinians living in shelters must pick up their tents, mattresses, and what little else they have left and scatter at a moment’s notice.
Since mid-August, five of the 13 shelters in which Inara worked were under eviction orders by the Israeli army – the largest number of orders in a single week since the start of the war.
Each time, Inara and other aid organisations have also had to relocate with displaced Gazans, severely hindering their ability to deliver essential support and services.
And each time, families scatter and Inara must go through the process of finding them to provide the help needed – shelter, food, medical supplies, and so on.
“For example, for us to get four tents for four families picked up and deliver to them at their various locations and set up for them, that took us about six hours,” Ms Damon said.
Wretched and unable to help
The breadth of Gaza’s collapse means no task has become too small for Inara, which provides services ranging from running play therapy for traumatised children, to enabling access to life-saving medical care, to tracking down bars of soap.
Ms Damon says that when Inara was recently able to get hold of 100 hygiene kits, it was an achievement. But in the larger context of Gaza – “where everyone needs everything and nothing really is available” – it felt like a drop in the ocean.
Soap is scarce, which means basic hygiene has become a major challenge for Gaza’s population. In the absence of soap and clean water, Ms Damon said, some people have had to mix sand with lemon and salt to bathe themselves.
This is the case for 16-year-old Dima Abu Ghali from Rafah, who has been displaced to a shelter in Khan Younes. “We bathe in salt water from the beach. We also wash our clothes with sea water,” she told The National.
“It makes our skin peel and gives us bacterial infections… and there’s no medicine to be found [to treat our skin].
”The price of basic goods has soared, Ms Abu Ghali said, so even on rare occasions when soap and cleaning supplies can be found they are not just of low quality, but unaffordable.
For example, “Shampoo that used to cost 5 shekels ($1.36 USD) is now 85 shekels ($23.19 USD). Soap that used to cost 3 shekels ($0.82 USD) is now 15 shekels ($4.09 USD),” Ms Abu Ghali said. “We can’t afford it. We’ve been displaced so many times, our money is depleted.”
Abdulah Mterr, who owns a cleaning supply shop, said soap and other cleaning supplies were difficult to come by.
“One of the things we suffer from amid this genocide is the limited amount of cleaning supplies,” he said. “They only come through international aid organisations, and even then it’s in small quantities. In the meantime there is our own domestic manufacturing. But it's lower quality than it was before the war, and it’s all more expensive.”
The lack of access to basic hygiene, nutrition and medical supplies has led to major outbreaks of preventable diseases such as polio, hepatitis A, meningitis and impetigo.
“Soap can decrease disease by 40 per cent and if we're able to decrease disease and illnesses by that much, then maybe we can lift some of the burden off the hospitals,” Ms Damon said.
“At this point people are dying [on their own] physically and psychologically without the help of Israel’s bombs. Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations have been reduced to advocating for a bar of soap.”
The Inara chief is often at a loss for words as she tries to describe the level of despair in Gaza.
“You feel wretched when you go to a camp when mothers show you malnourished babies covered in skin disease and you can’t provide anything or help them in that moment,” she said.
Ms Damon recounted coming across an 18-month-old girl at the intensive care unit of Al Aqsa Hospital – the only functioning hospital left in central Gaza – who needed a tracheotomy. The hospital lacked a child-sized tracheotomy tube.
Inara was able to facilitate some tracheotomy tubes for the hospital, saving the girl’s life.
“But if she wakes up — if she survives all of this — she's going to find out she's an orphan.”
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
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
Results
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Aatebat Al Khalediah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Avenue, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: My Catch, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
The Programme
Saturday, October 26: ‘The Time That Remains’ (2009) by Elia Suleiman
Saturday, November 2: ‘Beginners’ (2010) by Mike Mills
Saturday, November 16: ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ (2013) by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel
Tuesday, November 26: ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976) by Alan J Pakula
Saturday, December 7: ‘Timbuktu’ (2014) by Abderrahmane Sissako
Saturday, December 21: ‘Rams’ (2015) by Grimur Hakonarson
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Rasi, Harry Bentley (jockey), Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi (trainer).
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m; Winner: Ya Hayati, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Magic Lily, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Eynhallow, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
6pm: Liwa Oasis (PA) Group 2 | Dh300,000 | 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 (PA) Group 3 | Dh300,000 | 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
The 15 players selected
Muzzamil Afridi, Rahman Gul, Rizwan Haider (Dezo Devils); Shahbaz Ahmed, Suneth Sampath (Glory Gladiators); Waqas Gohar, Jamshaid Butt, Shadab Ahamed (Ganga Fighters); Ali Abid, Ayaz Butt, Ghulam Farid, JD Mahesh Kumara (Hiranni Heros); Inam Faried, Mausif Khan, Ashok Kumar (Texas Titans
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
7.05pm Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm Underwriter
7.05pm Rayig
7.40pm Torno Subito
8.15pm Talento Puma
8.50pm Etisalat
9.25pm Gundogdu
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
