Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Egypt has presented Israel and Hamas with new proposals to break the deadlock over the future of the ceasefire in Gaza, including a 60-day truce, the release of the remaining hostages held by the militants and the start of negotiations on ending the war, sources briefed on the matter told The National on Sunday.
The sources said Hamas's initial response was “encouraging”. They said Israeli officials are studying the proposals. Israel announced it was sending a delegation to Qatar on Monday “in an effort to advance the negotiations” on the Gaza ceasefire
“The proposals are a new road map whose main points have been agreed with the Americans,” said one of the sources. “It's conceived as a way out of the deadlock we have had since March 1, when the ceasefire in Gaza ended.”
The proposals, said the sources, were discussed in Cairo over the weekend by Egyptian mediators and top Hamas officials Mohammed Darwish, Khalil Al Hayya and Zaher Jabareen. Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif Al Qanoua said there were “positive signals” in the group's latest talks with mediators.
Under the Egyptian proposals, the sources said, Hamas will kick off the two-month truce with the release of 10 living hostages, including all or some of the five Americans believed to be held by the group in Gaza. The 10 are not likely to be freed in one batch, the sources added. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others, according to the Israeli military.
According to the proposals, Israel is obliged to release an unspecified number of Palestinians held in its prisons in exchange for the hostages. They should include some of the most high-profile prisoners in the first batch, said the sources.
The proposals also include rescinding Israel's decision last week to halt the entry into Gaza of humanitarian assistance, fuel, tents and caravans. They provide for the start of negotiations on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire that formally ends the war in the enclave, said the sources.
A 42-day ceasefire in Gaza that came into effect on January 19 paused the war in Gaza after 15 months of fighting and led to the release of 33 hostages – 25 living and the remains of eight others – who had been held by Hamas, in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinians incarcerated in Israel. As part of an agreement brokered by US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators, Israel and Hamas should have started negotiations on the second phase of the deal in early February, but they never did.
Instead, Israel offered an extension of the first phase until mid-April and pressed Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas has rejected the offer, insisting on a transition to negotiations on the second phase.
The latest Israel-Hamas war was sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 were killed and about 250 taken back to Gaza as hostages. Israel's military response to the attack has killed more than 48,400 Palestinians and injured more than twice that number, according to Gaza's health ministry. It has also reduced to rubble most of the sector's built-up areas, and displaced the vast majority of its 2.3 million residents.
Last week, the White House confirmed the start of unprecedented direct talks with Hamas, with whom Washington had refused contact since designating it a terrorist organisation in 1997. The sources who spoke to The National on Sunday said direct US-Hamas contacts were continuing, but gave no further details.
Also last week, US President Donald Trump threatened further destruction of Gaza if all remaining hostages were not released, issuing what he called a “last warning” to Hamas leaders. He also warned of repercussions for all Gazans, writing: “A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”
The US President provoked global shock last month when he floated a plan to resettle Gaza's Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan before a US “takeover” of the enclave that would turn it into a high-end beach resort. The proposal was widely condemned and an Arab summit last week adopted an alternative Egyptian plan that has also won the support of Muslim nations as well as the governments of Britain, France and Germany.
The $53 billion Egyptian plan would involve Gaza's reconstruction being financed through a trust fund, with the Palestinian Authority, which is based in Ramallah, returning to govern the territory from which it was expelled by Hamas in 2007.
“We need more discussion about it, but it's a good-faith first step,” Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump's Middle East envoy, told reporters in Washington in response to the plan. Mr Witkoff will return to the region this week as he travels to Saudi Arabia for talks on the war in Ukraine.
Revival
Eminem
Interscope
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
The%20specs
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Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
Formula%204%20Italian%20Championship%202023%20calendar
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Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3
Danilo (16'), Bernardo Silva (34'), Fernandinho (72')
Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Ulloa (20')
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
Superliminal%20
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Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
