Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah reached unprecedented levels on Friday after Israel killed senior Hezbollah commanders in Beirut, saying no political solution could solve tensions on its northern border and military pressure on the group must be stepped up.
An Israeli official told The National that Israel was taking a new approach towards Hezbollah, the clearest sign yet that after 11 months of fighting the two sides are on the brink of a full-scale war.
The change paves the way for more intense Israeli military action in Lebanon, following a week of aggressive attacks including intensifying its bombing campaign, assassinating senior Hezbollah leaders and allegedly detonating communication devices belonging to Hezbollah members, killing dozens and injuring thousands, including civilians.
The latest Israeli attack killed senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil along with at least 45 people on Friday. The strike, which destroyed a residential building in Beirut's southern suburb of Dahieh, also wounded 68.
Hezbollah officially confirmed the death of its senior commander in a statement in the early hours of Saturday. Several hours later, the group announced the death of a second commander, Ahmed Wahbi, who oversaw the military operations of its Radwan special forces during the Gaza war until early 2024.
Dozens of relatives of missing people waited near a security cordon for news of their family members, possibly still trapped under the rubble.
A woman in a black hijab asked Red Cross workers for news of her daughter. “I went to St George hospital and St Therese and no one knows where my daughter is. There has to be some way you can find out,” she said to a group of paramedics.
“There is nothing we can do in these cases because most of the time we don’t know if the person who was rescued is alive or dead, or still under the rubble, or what hospital they went to,” a civil defence worker told The National.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces killed Mr Aqil, along with other top operatives and the chain command of Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces.
“They gathered underground, under a residential building, in the heart of Dahieh, while using civilians as a human shield. They met to co-ordinate terror activities against Israeli civilians,” he said at a press conference.
Hezbollah did not comment on the alleged killing of other top operatives.
“It’s a dark series [of events] for Hezbollah,” Karim El Mufti, a professor of international relations at Sciences Po in Paris, told The National. “Israel has shifted from a defensive stance to an aggressive one. For Israel, the front has become a unified battlefield across the entire axis of resistance. There is no need to ask when the war is coming – it’s already unfolding before our eyes.”
Mr Mufti described the conflict as a “strategic war of attrition”. “Israel doesn’t need to bomb the whole southern suburbs when it can target commanders and thousands of militiamen without worrying about collateral damage and while keeping international support, particularly from the US,” he said. “Now, Hezbollah is cornered, as it does not want a full-scale war but is seeking retaliation – yet, what kind of response could match these attacks?”
The Beirut strike is the third by Israel on the Lebanese capital since Israel and Hezbollah started exchanging fire on October 8 amid the Gaza war. The militant group announced the death of two of its fighters in Friday's attack. Lebanon's ministry of health said 14 people were killed and 66 wounded.
Israeli media reported that Mr Aqil was one of the primary commanders responsible for drawing up Hezbollah battle plans for a future takeover of northern Israel’s Galilee region.
Images from Dahieh showed plumes of smoke over the area. Clips shared on social media portrayed scenes of chaos, a building completely levelled, and mangled cars across a busy street. Ambulances were rushed to the scene.
Calls for blood donations for the victims were multiplying on social media. People searching for their loved ones also took to social media to ask for help, sharing pictures of their missing relatives, including children.
The General Directorate of Civil Defence urged “citizens to evacuate the site of the collapsed building” as rescue operations were under way to find those missing under the rubble. The security services imposed a cordon across the site, it added.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the Israeli strike showed Israel “gives no weight to any humanitarian, legal, or moral considerations”.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US was “not aware of any prior notification of Israeli strikes on Beirut”.
“We continue to believe that a diplomatic solution is the best way to move forward in the Middle East,” added Mr Kirby, who said “no one has lost hope” regarding a hostage-release and ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Hamas and Israel.
Heightened tensions
The strike follows attacks across Lebanon on communication devices used by members of Iran-backed Hezbollah on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those explosions killed 37 people, injured thousands, and were widely blamed on Israel.
On Friday, Hezbollah fired around 150 rockets into northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, according to the Israeli army, in response to Israel's extensive overnight air strikes on south Lebanon. The intensification of Israel's air campaign came hours after a speech by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in which he dared Israel's military to set foot on Lebanese soil.
Hezbollah said it fired “volleys of Katyusha rockets” at six Israeli military installations, including the northern command’s main air defence missile base, near Safad city, and another defence headquarters in the occupied Golan. Israel renewed its orders for civilians in the north and the Golan Heights to stay close to bomb shelters and limit their movements. The barrage caused several fires in parts of Safad, Israeli media reported.
The previous night, Israeli strikes ignited fires in parts of south Lebanon, including Jezzine, with the army saying it “struck hundreds of rocket launcher barrels that were ready to be used immediately to fire towards Israeli territory”. The Israeli army also said it hit “additional terrorist infrastructure sites” and it restated a commitment to “continue demolishing Hezbollah's infrastructure and capabilities”.
The bombardment occurred shortly after Hezbollah launched a barrage of Falaq missiles at Metulla in northern Israel, destroying about half of the houses in the town, according to media reports.
Israel's escalation of air strikes and espionage operations has stoked international fears that they are a prelude to a ground invasion of Lebanon.
Almost a year of cross-border fighting has prevented tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border from returning to their homes. Hezbollah has vowed to prevent Israelis from returning if a ceasefire is not achieved in Gaza, while Israeli officials have consistently threatened an invasion that aims to create a security buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon and allow Israelis to return.
Fighter jets had carried out a series of heavy strikes on south Lebanon's frontier shortly before Mr Nasrallah's speech on Thursday.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
England squads for Test and T20 series against New Zealand
Test squad: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
The specs: Audi e-tron
Price, base: From Dh325,000 (estimate)
Engine: Twin electric motors and 95kWh battery pack
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Power: 408hp
Torque: 664Nm
Range: 400 kilometres
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
WORLD CUP FINAL
England v South Africa
Yokohama International Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday, kick-off 1pm (UAE)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Story of 2017-18 so far and schedule to come
Roll of Honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia rugby season?
Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles
Fixtures
Friday
West Asia Cup final
5pm, Bahrain (6pm UAE time), Bahrain v Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy final
3pm, The Sevens, Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Sports City Eagles
Friday, April 13
UAE Premiership final
5pm, Al Ain, Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
