Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Israeli air strikes have intensified in different parts of the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, including schools sheltering displaced people and homes, killing 52 people and injuring more than 100, while reports of Hamas and Israel closing in on a ceasefire deal have emerged in Israeli and Arabic media.
Seven Palestinian families were also killed in Gaza in the same period, the health ministry said on Monday, while several victims remain trapped under the rubble or stranded on the streets, with ambulances and civil defence teams are unable to reach them. The Israeli military's incursion in northern Gaza, in progress for more than 70 days, has resulted in a large number of casualties and widespread destruction.
“The scenes in Izbat Beit Hanoun were unimaginable. It’s a miracle we survived,” Shadia Al Ayubi, a mother of four displaced from the village in northern Gaza, told The National. On Sunday night, the army heavily shelled Khalil Awida School in Izbat Beit Hanoun, killing dozens. Buildings in and around the school were destroyed, causing a large number of casualties, witnesses said.
“At dawn, the army forced women and children to leave the school, arresting men and taking them to an unknown location. When we left, we saw burnt bodies in the schoolyard and injured people trapped under rubble. Their cries for help went unanswered due to the lack of rescue teams,” Ms Al Ayubi said.
She walked 12km with her children, passing through newly installed Israeli checkpoints. Her family had sought refuge at the school weeks earlier after fleeing Beit Lahia, and before that, Jabalia refugee camp, due to relentless Israeli bombings.
Displaced people reported seeing charred bodies and hearing voices of the injured under rubble
Mahmoud Bassal,
Civil Defense spokesperson
Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal described testimonies from survivors as “shocking” and highlighted the scale of destruction and death in Izbat Beit Hanoun. “Displaced people reported seeing charred bodies and hearing voices of the injured under rubble.
"Around 15 people were killed inside Khalil Awida School, with another 25 under rubble or in nearby streets. Hundreds have fled to Gaza city following the military’s incursion.” Mr Bassal condemned the continuing attacks on civilians, saying that Israel "exploits the absence of media coverage in northern Gaza and the lack of access for rescue teams to commit atrocities against civilians.”
On Sunday, Israel bombed the Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz School affiliated with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) near Nasser Medical Complex, west of Khan Younis, which shelters displaced persons, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Despite the devastation, many residents in northern Gaza refuse to leave.
Mohammed Rajab, 27, who remains near Kamal Adwan Hospital, described the dire conditions in Beit Lahia. “We hear constant bombings. At night, Israeli forces advance, plant explosive barrels, then retreat to detonate them remotely, leaving destruction everywhere. Even if the military operation ends, there’s no foundation left for life here.” Mr Rajab told The National
He told The National about the absence of food, water, and rescue operations, which have been halted for over 70 days. “Every hour, new martyrs are buried under rubble, and no one can help”.
Ceasefire hope
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said his country is close to reaching a hostage and prisoners swap deal with Hamas, according to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom. A renewed effort by the US, Qatar and Egypt to broker a Gaza ceasefire has stalled by stringent Israeli conditions and Hamas's reluctance to release too many hostages too quickly, sources told The National on Sunday.
But despite uncertainty about the fate of the talks, the possibility has sparked cautious hope in Gazans. “There’s talk of a truce, but past experiences have taught us not to get our hopes up,” Samir Al Yazji, 33, from the Shujaiyya neighbourhood in northern Gaza, told The National.
“Israel uses the time before any truce to kill as many people as possible and destroy everything. Even if a truce happens, the war won’t stop. They aim to obliterate everything Palestinian in Gaza.” Mr Al Yazji said, while calling for an end to the war which has killed more than 45,000 and injured over 106,000 since October last year. “We need more than a temporary truce. We need lasting peace, relief efforts, and the rebuilding of Gaza to restore dignity and life to its people.”
Six houses were destroyed by Israeli forces on Monday morning in Anata, a town in Jerusalem. The houses were located in a community of Bedouin that includes the houses of eight families who have resided there for more than a decade, Wafa said. The Israeli army said they were built without a permit. Since October 7, Palestinian property, land and livestock has been attacked 16,663 times, the agency reported.
The biog
Name: Gul Raziq
From: Charsadda, Pakistan
Family: Wife and six children
Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8
Golf Handicap: 6
Childhood sport: cricket
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Honeymoonish
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squads
Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
India Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Rahane, Jadhav, Dhoni (wk), Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Thakur.
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%20v%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DSaturday%2C%208.15pm%2C%20Al%20Ain%20Amblers%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-final%20results%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDubai%20Exiles%2020-26%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3Cbr%3EDubai%20Tigers%2032-43%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETable%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1%20Dubai%20Tigers%2C%2033%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E2%20Dubai%20Exiles%2C%2024%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E3%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%2C%2018%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E4%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%2C%2014%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E5%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%2C%2014%20points%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Scoreline:
Manchester City 1
Jesus 4'
Brighton 0
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
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
