Israel’s resumption of widespread strikes in the Gaza Strip has starkly exposed the country’s political divisions, with many set to take to the streets to protest that the fighting endangers hostages in Gaza, as far-right politicians welcome the surprise campaign which has already killed hundreds of Palestinians.
Advocates for hostages in Gaza said the Israeli bombing campaign, which appears to have all but ended a ceasefire that brought two months of relative calm and hostage releases in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is condemning the remaining captives, most of whom are Israeli, to death.
It comes after months during which polling has shown growing support in Israel for the release of hostages in preference to continuing the Gaza war, despite many in Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition advocating full-throttle war against Hamas, including a total siege on the strip and the blocking of all humanitarian aid.
There are also fears in Israel that a major new campaign would add stress to the economy, which is struggling after 18 months of war. The calling up of thousands of reservists, many of whom have already spent hundreds of days on duty during the conflict, is also likely to add to political tensions.
The far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his government had delivered on a promise to launch a “powerful attack on Gaza with the goal of destroying Hamas, returning all the hostages and removing the threat posed by the Gaza Strip to Israeli citizens”.
He added that the campaign was “built and planned in recent weeks” as the country’s new military chief of staff took up his position, and that the new war effort would “look completely different from what has been done so far”.
Prominent settler organisations welcomed the campaign. Nachala, which leads the push to re-establish Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, said that “from here on, the path to decisive victory is clear and unambiguous – occupation, expulsion, settlement”. It added: “The time has come for a full Jewish return to the Gaza Strip.”
Fear for remaining hostages
News of the strikes was met with horror by the largest forum representing hostages held in Gaza, which said that “the greatest fear of the families, the hostages, and the citizens of Israel has come true”.
“The Israeli government has chosen to give up on the hostages ... Returning to fighting before the last hostage returns will come at the cost of the 59 hostages who are still in Gaza and could still be saved,” a statement added.
Former hostages took to social media to decry the strikes. Emily Damari, who was released in the latest deal, said her “heart is broken, crushed and disappointed”, in a post on Instagram. The wife of hostage Omri Miran and the former hostage Noa Argamani posted broken heart emojis on X after the news.
The right-wing Tikva Forum, representing a smaller number of hostage families who want Israel to pursue an intense military campaign against Hamas, which they call “the Nazi enemy”, welcomed the resumption of widespread strikes.
“The past weeks have proven what we have been saying all along – Hamas will never return all the hostages willingly. Only massive military pressure, a complete blockade including cutting off electricity and water, and occupation of territories that will lead to Hamas's collapse, will cause them to beg for a ceasefire and a deal that will return ALL the hostages together, in one stage,” a statement from the group read.
“If the attack that began this morning continues with intensity and without interruption – we can bring all our loved ones home in one stage, on one bus.”
Opponents of the bombing have also accused Mr Netanyahu of launching the new violence to distract from the scandal of his attempt at the beginning of last week to fire the domestic intelligence agency chief Ronen Bar, which opponents view as an illegal move that amounts to an existential threat to Israel’s future.
Mr Bar, who heads the Shin Bet, was reportedly overseeing investigations into allegations that staffers of Mr Netanyahu were paid large sums by Qatar during the Gaza war and in favour of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks, something Mr Netanyahu reportedly views as a major threat to his leadership.
Yair Golan, now one of the country’s most prominent opposition politicians, accused the Prime Minister of “using the lives of our citizens and soldiers because he trembles in fear of us – the public protest against the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet”. He added that Israelis must take action to wrest their country “from the hands of this corrupt and dangerous man”.
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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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Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20(2022)
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
More coverage from the Future Forum
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
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
