Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Relatives of those killed in Gaza have started to search for the remains of their loved ones beneath the rubble of the enclave to give them a proper burial.
Until the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect, Israeli eviction orders applied to 80 per cent of the enclave, the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated. Notified through social media and leaflet drops, Gazans fled their homes and other areas several times, leaving behind those who refused to, or were unable to, leave and the remains of those killed.
In the Rafah governorate, at least 137 bodies have been recovered from the streets and rubble since the ceasefire began on Sunday, with countless more still missing. In northern Gaza, dozens of bodies were retrieved from the streets in the first days of the truce.
“We are making strenuous efforts to collect the bodies and re-bury the martyrs in designated cemeteries,” Mahmoud Basal, a spokesman for Gaza's civil defence, told The National. “But we face enormous challenges – a severe lack of resources, limited tools for searching and removing debris, and a critical shortage of equipment to reach the bodies.”
OCHA estimates that the enclave has more than 42 million tonnes of rubble to clear. The operation is complicated not only by lack of appropriate equipment such as diggers, but also unexploded ordnance.
“We face a daunting task of searching for the bodies of over 10,000 martyrs buried under the rubble of homes,” Mr Basal said. The bodies of about 2,840 people had disintegrated due to the types of weaponry used during the conflict, he added.
As aid agencies focus on food assistance, families have resorted to digging with their bare hands, trying to recover the bodies of loved ones.
In the Tel Al Sultan neighbourhood of Rafah, Sobhi Ziyad, 53, has been searching for his three children, who were last seen near the municipality. “Since the truce began, we’ve been running to search for them, but the entire area has turned into piles of rubble and ash. We can’t locate them, despite many people trying to help,” Mr Ziyad said.
“We asked the civil defence and ambulance teams for assistance, but they’re overwhelmed and lack the resources for extensive searches. Right now, they can only retrieve visible bodies.
“The dignity of the dead is in their burial, and I just want to bury my three sons – Imad, Saeed and Ramzi – like everyone else. I want them to have a grave I can visit. If that doesn’t happen, it will remain a heartbreak for me for the rest of my life.”
Othman Al Bayk, 42, is still searching for the bodies of his brother Ibrahim and nephews Fadi and Mohammed, who were killed in a strike on Beit Lahia. “My brother refused to leave his home, despite the dangers. He stayed with his two sons,” Mr Al Bayk said.
“Our only wish is to find their bodies so we can honour them with a proper burial. If they remain missing, it will be a sorrow that stays in our hearts for ever.”
Discovering the true scale of north Gaza's destruction
Returning to northern Gaza, an area that was under siege for months by Israeli forces, has been an especially harrowing experience for many. In December, residents in the area told The National that bodies of people shot by Israel's military or killed in strikes were being eaten by stray dogs, because it was too dangerous to retrieve the remains.
“The streets were littered with decomposed bodies and dogs had ravaged most of them,” Mr Al Bayk said. "It’s incredibly painful to see the dignity of the dead violated like this."
The clear-up of dangerous materials left over from the bombardment, which has killed about 47,000 people since the start of the conflict in October 2023, could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion, a UN damage assessment found. Given the initial ceasefire period is six weeks before steps towards a more permanent peace are taken, Gazan families are moving quickly to try to recover what is left of their relatives.
For Ayman Al Souri, 48, from Jabalia refugee camp, the truce brought an opportunity to search for his son, Mahmoud, 24. “He was trapped in northern Gaza during the invasion,” Mr Al Souri told The National. "He and some other young men tried to escape through Al Faluja Cemetery, but the army targeted them.
"Mahmoud was injured, and while two young men managed to escape, they told us he had been left behind, wounded. We were certain he had been martyred.
“As soon as the truce began, I rushed with my remaining sons to the area. We found the site bulldozed and tried to locate where the rubble had been moved. After searching through a pile of debris nearby, we were certain it came from Mahmoud’s location.”
The family spent the first day of the ceasefire digging through the rubble without success. The next day, they found his clothes and later his remains.
“We gathered his remains, took him to the hospital to register him as a martyr, and then buried him in Beit Lahia Cemetery,” Mr Al Souri said. “My heart finally found some peace after I was able to bury my son and honour him. His martyrdom is difficult to bear, but it would have been even harder if he had been left without a grave.”
Watch: The Gaza ceasefire explained
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
EA%20Sports%20FC%2024
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20EA%20Vancouver%2C%20EA%20Romania%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20EA%20Sports%3Cbr%3EConsoles%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Bareilly Ki Barfi
Directed by: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao
Three and a half stars
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
