Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Gazans living along the border with Israel are in despair after being ordered by the Israeli military to leave neighbourhoods that they had returned to barely two months ago.
The eviction order was issued on Tuesday morning after overnight air strikes across the Palestinian enclave that killed more than 460 people – 75 per cent of them children, women and the elderly – and injured more 650, according to updated figures released by Gaza health ministry on Wednesday.
People living in Beit Hanoun in the north and in Khirbet Khuza’a, Abasan Al Kabira and Al Jadida in the south were told to leave immediately because these areas bordering Israel were now considered “dangerous combat zones”.
Mohammed Qudeih, a father of five, left his home in Khirbet Khuza’a and took his family back to the coastal Al Mawasi area. Israel forced thousands of families to move there during 15 months of devastating war with Hamas that was halted by a ceasefire that began on January 19.
“We told ourselves that the war was over, that it wouldn’t return,” Mr Qudeih, 37, told The National. “We did our best to repair our destroyed homes, trying to rebuild some sense of normality. But what happened [on Tuesday] was beyond all expectations – it turned our lives upside down.
“Suddenly, we were forced to evacuate again, leaving our homes behind and returning to a life of displacement in tents because war had come back once more.
“Being displaced during Ramadan is incredibly difficult. There is no food, no water, because the border crossings are closed. In short, this is suffering beyond imagination.”
Israel has banned the entry of aid into Gaza since March 2 to pressure Hamas into accepting new terms for the ceasefire instead of beginning negotiations on the second phase of the truce as previously agreed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Tuesday's air strikes were “only the beginning” unless the militant group agreed to immediately free more of the hostages it seized during the October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
Adham Al Masri, 47, said his family fled Beit Hanoun in panic after Israel's new eviction orders. “We ran out of our tents, terrified that the army would suddenly advance on us and launch a military operation like they did in the past,” Mr Al Masri said.
“The moment I saw the evacuation orders for Beit Hanoun, fear gripped me. The same question that has haunted us throughout the war resurfaced – where will we go this time? Every new evacuation forces us into the unknown.”
He said his family of 14, including a married son and his family, grabbed whatever essentials they could carry and ended up seeking refuge with cousins in the Al Nasr neighbourhood of Gaza city.
“As for food, there was barely any to begin with. The siege has been suffocating us since the start of Ramadan, leaving us with nothing. That’s why we took whatever little supplies we had – just enough to get us through iftar.”
About 60 per cent of an estimated 30,000 people living in Beit Hanoun have left the area since Tuesday, according to the Joint Humanitarian Operations Centre for Gaza, while between 4,500 and 5,500 families had left eastern areas of Khan Younis including Khirbet Khuza'a.
“The hardest thing we are facing is the return of war,” Mr Al Masri said. “Honestly, all parties bear responsibility for this. The Israeli occupation refuses to uphold any agreements. Hamas must provide us with alternatives since they threw us into this catastrophe, and the international community is equally responsible. No one is taking responsibility for us as displaced people, as ordinary civilians. We should at least have access to basic necessities – food, water, and the means to survive.”
Abdul Rahim Hamad, 41, said his family fled from Beit Hanoun to Jabalia camp, several kilometres away.
“We left with our tents on foot because we had no means of transportation, carrying only the basic necessities and some canned food and legumes,” he said.
“This war has to stop, it’s enough. People can no longer endure this life or its hardships.”
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
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
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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RACE CARD
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m
Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15
Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered
UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered
Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered
Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered
Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered
Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered
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Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Racecard
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
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Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
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Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
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.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5