The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces, a coalition of Palestinian groups including Hamas, has called a general strike across the Palestinian Territories for Monday in protest against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
The group said that local and international efforts should be united to end the war, and that the strike is intended to raise awareness of the killing of civilians.
The UN has warned that aid stocks in Gaza are decreasing as a result of Israel’s blockade of the enclave. “It’s been over a month since the state of Israel banned the entry of aid and commercial supplies into Gaza,” the UN’s relief agency for Palestinians said yesterday. “Stocks are getting low and the situation is becoming desperate.”
After the expiry of a six-week truce, Israel blocked the entry of aid on March 2 and resumed hostilities on March 18. Since then, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed, taking the death toll to more than 50,600. Fifteen of those were Palestinian medical workers shot dead by Israel, with the Israeli military saying the medics’ vehicles had been “advancing suspiciously” without headlights or emergency signals.
However, footage of the incident taken from one of the medics’ phones appeared to contradict that version of events, showing clearly marked ambulances and medical workers in high visibility jackets. The crews do not appear to be acting unusually or in a threatening manner as three medics emerge and walk towards the ambulance.
Eight Red Crescent personnel, six civil defence workers and a UN employee were killed in the shooting before dawn on March 23 by Israeli troops in Tel Al Sultan, a district in the city of Rafah.
Younes Al Khatib, the head of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, called for an independent investigation. “We don’t trust any of the army investigations,” he told a UN briefing on Friday.
On Saturday, an Israeli military official told journalists that the army’s initial account of the incident was “mistaken”, and that a military inquiry would be presented to the chief of the general staff the following day.
At least 39 people were reportedly killed across Gaza on Saturday, including more than a dozen women and children. Israeli strikes on Khan Younis killed 19, eight were killed in Deir Al Balah, three in Jabalia and 12 in Gaza city’s Zeitoun and Al Tuffah neighbourhoods, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron was due to land in Cairo on Sunday evening for talks on the situation in Gaza with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.
Mr Macron was also expected to head to El Arish, 50km west of the Gaza Strip, to meet humanitarian and security workers.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Transgender report
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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The national orchestra
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Specs
Tomorrow 2021
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Tomorrow 2021
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• Could the UAE drive India's economy?
• News has a bright future and the UAE is at the heart of it
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• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Company%C2%A0profile
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins