Israel's military pushed deeper into Gaza city on Tuesday in its operation to seize the area, forcing more Palestinians to flee the violence on gridlocked roads in lorries at exorbitant prices.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said “Gaza is burning” after heavy air strikes hit the city, while military spokesman Lt Col Avichay Adraee again ordered residents to leave, saying 40 per cent had already done so.
The push to control the city came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared America's “unwavering support” for Israel's pursuit of Hamas during a visit to Jerusalem.
For Gazans, there was panic as many attempted to escape, only to find routes blocked and lorry drivers demanding hundreds of dollars for the journey out.
“A hell beyond description,” resident Aya Rajab, 31, said of her experience as helicopters circled her home west of Gaza city overnight. She told The National they flew so low that the sound rattled her bones and bullet casings rained down on her roof.
She and her three children stayed awake all night, uncertain if they would live to see the sunrise, she added.
The Israeli military said its troops were moving deeper as part of a “transition into the main phase of the plan for Gaza city”.
Israel says the area is a major Hamas stronghold housing between 2,000 and 3,000 fighters, with the military operation aiming to neutralise the group's central command.
The army said “thousands” more Israeli troops will join the effort to conquer the city.
Many Gazans told The National they had no way to flee or secure transport to safety, with some lorry drivers charging up to US$1,000 for a ride out.
The only available route, by Al Rashid Road in the west of Gaza, was clogged with families moving south, some stuck for 12 hours or more, Ms Rajab told The National. “Death feels easier than this kind of suffering,” she said.
Mohammed Al Amsi, 27, said he, his sisters and their families tried to escape on a lorry piled high with their belongings. But after 10 hours on a congested road, an Israeli air strike forced the driver to turn back. With the journey aborted, Mr Al Amsi returned to Gaza city, only to find himself trapped. Every lorry was booked and any places left were selling for a thousand dollars, he said.
If they cannot find a vehicle, he and 24 relatives, including children and the elderly, had resolved to walk, he said. “The situation is unbearable, and the longer it lasts, the worse it gets.”
Israel's push into the city came a day after Arab and Islamic nations condemned its actions at an emergency summit in Doha. They criticised what they called a flurry of Israeli aggression, from the Gaza war to Israel's strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar last week and bombardments of Lebanon, Syria and Iran, as well as its policies of settlement and expansion in the West Bank.
However, many Gazans lamented the lack of action from the Doha meeting, saying it would do nothing to alleviate their suffering.
“We thought the Arab summit might help,” Mr Al Amsi told The National. “But the statements disappointed us - no threat to Israel, no pressure.”
Another Gaza city resident, Tayseer Faraj, 36, said Gaza’s destruction would continue regardless of diplomacy. “The occupation tramples over agreements and condemnations,” he said.
Mr Rubio said the window of opportunity to reach a ceasefire was closing.
“Well, as you saw the Israelis have begun to take operations there. So, we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen,” he said. “We don’t have months any more, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks, so it's a key moment – an important moment.”
Israel's leaders have remained defiant in the face of international criticism. Defence Minister Katz said “Gaza is burning” in a post to X on Tuesday morning. “The [military] is striking with an iron fist at the terrorist infrastructure and soldiers are fighting heroically,” he added. “We will not relent and we will not go back – until the completion of the mission.”
Shortly after his post, UN investigators released a damning report accusing Israel of committing genocide in an effort to “destroy the Palestinians”. They also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials of incitement to the cause.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which does not speak on behalf of the world body and has faced Israeli criticism, found that “genocide is occurring in Gaza and is continuing to occur”.
The commission is not a legal body, but its reports can influence diplomatic pressure and serve as evidence for later use by courts.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said it “categorically rejects this distorted and false report and calls for the immediate abolition of this commission of inquiry”.
The military also denied the accusations, highlighting its efforts to minimise civilian harm. It said it had recently fixed a new water line in Gaza providing 14 billion litres daily.
Mr Netanyahu and Mr Rubio said on Monday that the only way to end the conflict is the elimination of Hamas and the release of the 48 hostages held by the group. About 20 of them are believed to be alive.
Hamas has said it will only free the hostages in return for Palestinian detainees held in Israel, as well as a lasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
While the wrangling continues, Gazans continue to pay the price. “The children cry with every sound of shelling and gunfire. You feel like you wish you had never been born, never had children,” Mr Faraj told The National.
He and his six children chose to flee Gaza city for the south of the enclave, leaving behind what he said would be certain death.
“Gaza is a place where survival itself is a daily negotiation,” he said.
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Mission%3A%20Impossible%20-%20Dead%20Reckoning%20Part%20One
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Christopher%20McQuarrie%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tom%20Cruise%2C%20Hayley%20Atwell%2C%20Pom%20Klementieff%2C%20Simon%20Pegg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
DUNE%3A%20PART%20TWO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
Featherweight
James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Bantamweight:
Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
