Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Protesters in Israel and Gaza took to the streets against their respective governments on Wednesday, a week after Israel resumed its war in the Palestinian enclave with a bombing campaign and ground operations.
In Jerusalem, anti-government protesters blocked a motorway and academics marched to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence, while residents of northern Gaza gathered in the town of Beit Lahia and areas of Gaza city to protest against Hamas.
Gazans were seen marching with banners reading "Hamas does not represent us", a rare show of dissent against the militant group, which has held absolute power in the enclave since 2006. The conflict began when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostage.
It was the second day in a row that hundreds walked among the destroyed buildings to call for an end to the war and to Hamas's control of Gaza.
Residents of the enclave once again face hunger and displacement by bombing and Israeli eviction orders after almost two months of calm since a ceasefire began on January 19. Neither the Israeli government nor Hamas have shown a willingness to agree to concessions demanded by the other side to allow for a return to peace, the resumption of aid deliveries and the release of hostages.
Gaza resident Mohammed Qadada told The National that the protests reflect the people's urgent demand for relief. "Regardless of their motivations, these protests ultimately call for the well-being of the people," he said. "Whether their goal is to end the war or achieve other objectives, their impact depends on their scale and strength, showing how the Palestinian public perceives the cause."
Saber Matter, a 40-year-old resident who lost his home and office in the conflict, expressed his frustration over the fighting.
“I support people speaking out and demanding an end to the war – this challenges the occupation’s narrative that all Gazans are armed militants seeking conflict,” he told The National.
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim wrote in a post on Facebook that people had the right to protest, but their focus should be on the “criminal aggressor” Israel.
Israel has threatened to continue with the conflict until all hostages, of whom 59 remain captive in Gaza, are returned.
In Israel, anti-government protesters belonging to the Mounted Battalions group chanted “no traffic without democracy”, as they blocked a motorway near Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, staff from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, one of Israel’s most prestigious academic institutions, descended on the Prime Minister's official residence, calling for an end to his “government of death and corruption”. Lecturers at Tel Aviv University also marched towards Jerusalem.
Wednesday’s demonstrations come after days of protests against the government, which have grown in intensity since Mr Netanyahu ended the Gaza ceasefire deal, tried to dismiss the head of Israel's Shin Bet security service and the Attorney General, and advanced deeply controversial changes to the judicial system.
The issue of hostages is also at the forefront of the protests. For months, polling has consistently showed a strong majority of Israelis favour prioritising the return of the captives over prolonging the fighting in Gaza.
While demonstrations to get hostages back have been constant throughout the war, they have taken on new urgency since the attacks on Gaza resumed last week.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
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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
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
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Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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