Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Tiny, impoverished and packed with people, Gaza has had to contend with far more conflict than most other places, yet its 2.3 million residents have shown a remarkable level of resilience that is difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere.
With the depth of their grief and frustration seemingly bottomless, Palestinians in Gaza, particularly children, have over the years shown a steely will to regain a semblance of the 'normal' life the wars had snatched away from them, making the most of disastrous situations from which it is difficult to walk away.
Since 2007 there has been one civil war and five rounds of all-out fighting between its Hamas rulers and Israel, with the last one, still continuing and proving to be by far the longest, the deadliest and most ruinous.
Given the scale of the death and destruction Israel has brought on Gaza, it is difficult to see how its residents will recover from the current war, which marked its first anniversary on October 7.
But if previous postwar years are anything to go by, there may be a chance they could manage to overcome yet another war.
The challenges are numerous, though.
This time, life in Gaza will take several years to return to where it was before the war broke out but even that rough estimate may be optimistic.
Even when Gaza is taking a break from war, there is no shortage of grim reminders of what has been inflicted on the land and its people: the grief and angst felt over relatives and loved ones who have perished; collapsed high rise buildings; the odd mosque minaret broken in two with the severed part leaning perilously on the adjacent structure; and the hundreds struggling to cope without a limb, hand or an eye lost in the senselessness of war.
Mostly drab and dusty, the tiny Gaza Strip nevertheless captivates its visitors. Maybe it is the resilient spirit of its people whose smiles conceal their anger and sadness, or the resignation of many to the tough hand they have been dealt.
In between wars or even during brief pauses in the midst of one, glimpses of normality, even celebrating life, shine through the grief and ruin left by fighting.
In those brief spells of quiet, children play on the chaotic streets of Gaza's densely populated refugee camps. They joyfully fly kites or play football on the beach. They splash around in the Mediterranean next to horses and donkeys brought to the shore to bathe.
There are also the glittering lights of the fishing trawlers that dot the horizon at night and the fishermen's jubilant return to port shortly after daybreak, grateful they survived another night out in the sea while being watched closely by trigger-happy Israeli naval boats.
And, of course, there is the catch that secures the fishermen a wage to pay rent and feed their families, and to which residents and visitors may help themselves in Gaza's austere seafood restaurants.
I have visited Gaza several times in the past two decades, including once before Israel's withdrawal from the enclave in 2005, a unilateral move that ended its occupation of the strip that lasted nearly 40 years and paved the way for the rise of Hamas to power two years later.
My visits invariably coincided with spells of heightened tension or an outright Hamas-Israel war. In all cases, they offered a useful insight into the minds of a people who have been scourged by war, their siege by Israel and, to a lesser degree, Egypt since Hamas became the territory's sole ruler in 2007.
Gaza's children, for example, showed a unique coping mechanism during the waning years of Israeli occupation. That mechanism features a bizarre mix of childlike fun and living dangerously.
In 2003, for example, Israeli soldiers patrolling a checkpoint near Deir Al Balah in central Gaza would not allow Palestinian motorists to drive past unless they were carrying at least one passenger, a requirement meant to thwart suicide car bombers who invariably drive alone.
Children as young as six or seven offered to be the passengers of lone drivers for 10 shekels ($2.65). They would hop into the passenger's seat, and get out when the car had passed the checkpoint and could no longer be seen by the soldiers. Then they would walk back and wait for the next solo motorist to come.
Slightly older children sat in foxholes they had dug to shield themselves from the soldiers and their Humvee they had spent hours pelting with rocks near a Jewish settlement. Some would raise their heads above the parapet to taunt Israeli soldiers before quickly ducking out of sight again. Others would rest under the shade of a nearby tree and trade stone-throwing stories like warriors taking a break from the front.
Occasionally, a soldier would fire into the air to disperse the children. Upon hearing the shot, alarmed mothers would come running, screaming insults at their boys and forcing them to return home. Some cried their hearts out, possibly out of the embarrassment their mothers caused them while their comrades in the serious business of fighting the occupation watched.
My last visit to Gaza took place during the 2014 war. In the three weeks I was there, I gained first-hand experience of what it is like to be on the receiving end of bombs dropped by a jet fighter you hear only briefly, if at all, but do not see; shelling that shakes the ground under your feet and the menacing buzz of drones swallowed by the darkness of the night or invisible in daylight because they are flying so high.
A series of brief ceasefires during that war offered a chance to assess the extent of the destruction caused by Israel, as well as the human cost. Visiting the wounded at their homes, you hear harrowing stories about how easily anyone can become a victim in the most random of circumstances.
A young man who steps out on to his roof is seriously wounded when a drone hovering above fires a small rocket at him; or bored children who are hurt by shrapnel while playing on the street at night.
There are the parents who tell tearfully of their injured children; and the medics who make house calls to tend to the wounded who should normally remain in hospital but are discharged early because of a shortage of beds.
In 2014, I saw high-rise buildings engulfed in orange fireballs before they tumbled down after an air strike. Artillery shelling shattered the quiet of night and drones could be heard constantly during all hours of day and night, deepening the anxiety of Palestinians who know too well a violent death can come in a heartbeat.
In August that year, the horrors of war hit differently. Simone Camilli, a 35-year-old videojournalist from Italy, cooked pasta for everyone in the office and spoke affectionately on the phone to his partner and young daughter the night of August 13. He took the call while seated in the newsroom alongside colleagues, including myself, within earshot.
That an Italian had made pasta for his colleagues in the middle of a war zone felt special. It was not a particularly tasty pasta given that one requires ingredients that were not available in an office kitchen, but it was a welcome change from ordering takeaway.
Camilli spoke about the story he intended to follow the next day – filming members of the Gaza police bomb squad as they defused unexploded ordnance dropped by the Israelis. He asked me if I wanted accompany him but I declined due to other articles I had to write and because the idea scared me.
On the morning of August 14, the bomb the Palestinian officer was trying to defuse exploded and Camilli, his Palestinian translator Ali Shehda Abu Afash, both standing close to the officer as he worked, were killed instantly. Three members of the Gaza police were also killed and veteran news photographer Hatem Moussa was severely injured.
That night, I translated the coroner's report on Camilli from Arabic into English.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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KLOPP%20AT%20LIVERPOOL
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SPEC%20SHEET
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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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
ARGYLLE
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
MATCH DETAILS
Barcelona 0
Slavia Prague 0
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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.”
Results:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Mythical Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
