Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Israel was on tenterhooks on Wednesday as a second hostage deal with Hamas appeared closer than ever, raising the prospect of an end to one of the most traumatic crises in the region’s history.
If fully realised, the three-part deal could free all 98 hostages taken from Israel, living and dead, and end the Gaza war, in which more than 46,700 Palestinians have been killed and the vast majority of the strip’s population displaced.
Despite Israeli public opinion surveys long showing a preference for a deal to release the captives, there has been vocal opposition to one throughout the process and wider unease about the concessions Israel would have to make to secure an agreement, which include the release of Palestinian detainees held on terror charges and significant Israeli withdrawal from the strip without having secured a decisive defeat of Hamas.
The most vocal opposition came from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. As reports indicating progress have mounted since the beginning of the week, Mr Ben-Gvir, who has consistently favoured a heavy military approach in Gaza over negotiations with Hamas, led the charge against a deal, calling on his far-right political ally Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to leave the government if a deal is reached. Mr Ben-Gvir earlier boasted that he had prevented a similarly “terrible” deal on a number of occasions during the past year.
In response, Mr Smotrich said on X on Wednesday that the war should go on, but remained ambiguous on whether he would support or oppose the deal. Israeli news outlet Haaretz reported late on Wednesday afternoon that Mr Smotrich had concluded a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.
Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general, said there is “no right or wrong” when it comes to support for a deal and that an agreement is more “a matter of what we prioritise at this specific moment”.
“As we enter this deal, Israel has to come up with a new strategy about how to defeat Hamas,” he added. "This is a long-term process. Gaza is a ticking bomb. Diffusing it is going to take many years.
“What’s happening now is Hamas is rebuilding itself faster than we’re destroying them." He said he believes the Trump administration in the US will be much more open to new Israeli proposals on how to defeat the group.
Carmit Palty Katzir, who had one family member killed and two taken hostage during the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, called for a deal to be passed, saying her story is a “very sad example of the consequences of what might happen when you’re able to rescue hostages on time, but delay”, in reference to her mother, who died soon after her release in the first truce deal of November 2023.
“We had a chance to tell her how much we loved her and for her to meet her daughters and grandkids," she said. "There are so many people we can still save. We have to save them."
A social worker, Ms Palty Katzir, whose father was killed on October 7 and whose brother was killed in captivity in Gaza, was part of planning efforts potentially to receive the latest round of hostages, who are expected to be in far worse condition than those released during the first deal.
Dr Amir Blumenfeld, a physician who works on treating and rehabilitating Gaza war hostages, said “every system in the body is damaged due to stays in captivity like this, especially in tunnels”.
“After 15 months we pretty much expect many illnesses, physical and mental, from everyone, no matter who it was before what their shape or medical condition,” he added. “I call every one of them a humanitarian case that needs to be released as soon as possible.”
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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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.
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
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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
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Read more about the coronavirus
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
57%20Seconds
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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
