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Homeless Gazan man Sabir Noufal has been living in a burnt-out school alongside 16 relatives, with no walls, no bathroom, no running water and no power, waiting desperately for aid deliveries into the devastated enclave.
He is just one of 100 people sheltering in the decrepit structure in Jabalia, hoping he will soon be able to take refuge in a caravan due to be sent by humanitarian organisations, who have been scaling up their work while the ceasefire holds between Israel and Hamas.
“Everything around us is destruction, pulsing with pain and devastation,” said the 26-year-old, whose three-storey home was destroyed by Israeli bombing. “In winter, water leaks from everywhere, flooding our space, and our children constantly get sick from the cold.”
Widespread destruction has forced hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans to live in apocalyptic conditions with no basic amenities or a clear timeline for relief. About 280,000 Palestinian families have seen their homes destroyed by Israeli forces in the 15-month Gaza war, according to the territory's Governmental Media Office.
“We need 280,000 caravans or mobile homes to shelter these people,” Ismael Thawabta, the office's director, told The National.
But no such assistance has crossed into Gaza so far, he said. Hamas has accused Israel of blocking the entry of tens of thousands of tents and other materials for temporary shelters, an accusation that Israel has rejected.
Delivering enough shelters to Gaza has been difficult because aid workers have prioritised food, while Israeli inspections and restrictions on what can enter complicate the process.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas says Israel must allow at least 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents into Gaza during the first 42-day phase of the truce. Israel must also allow entry of equipment for rubble removal. Dozens of bulldozers, construction vehicles and lorries carrying caravans are lined up at Gaza's border with Egypt at Rafah.
“The Gaza Strip requires 500 heavy machines, including bulldozers, excavators and cranes, to clear the massive destruction,” Mr Thawabta said. “Yet the occupation has only allowed six machines to enter, some of which are small, while others are broken and require spare parts and maintenance. This behaviour reflects a blatant disregard for the suffering and humanitarian crisis.”
Mr Noufal said he had heard talk that a caravan would arrive to shelter his family, but “the promise had so far turned out to be empty”. Daily survival is a battle. “Our suffering isn’t just about living in a burnt-down place – it’s present in every aspect of life. Nothing is easy,” he added.
The school was meant to be a temporary refuge but many inside fear they may be stuck there indefinitely. Musab Abu Sultan, a 38-year-old father of six, sought shelter there after exhausting all other options.
“Our home, like so many others, was completely destroyed. We searched everywhere for a place to stay until tents or caravans arrived, but we found nothing. Eventually, we had no choice but to take shelter in the nearby school, even though it had been burnt and destroyed by the Israeli army,” he said.
“Along with some neighbours, we cleaned the burnt area, put up tarpaulin as makeshift walls, and tried to make the space somewhat liveable, at least temporarily.”
But the temporary is turning into permanent, he lamented. “So far, we haven’t seen any relief efforts reaching us – no new camps, no rubble removal, no caravans. We are starting to feel that this destroyed, crumbling place – where people wonder how we even manage to survive – will be our reality,” he said. “Somehow, we are adapting to it.”
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
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Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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MATCH INFO
Everton 2 (Tosun 9', Doucoure 93')
Rotherham United 1 (Olosunde 56')
Man of the Match Olosunde (Rotherham)
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
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The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
How to volunteer
The UAE volunteers campaign can be reached at www.volunteers.ae , or by calling 800-VOLAE (80086523), or emailing info@volunteers.ae.
Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs – Panamera
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TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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- 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
SPECS
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PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
