US Vice President JD Vance told Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there is "a lot of work to be done" to build on the ceasefire in Gaza, as a series of top American officials visit to keep it in place.
Mr Netanyahu lauded President Donald Trump's administration during a meeting in Jerusalem with Mr Vance, saying there has “never been anything” like the strength of partnership between the countries, despite reports of US concerns about Israel's intentions.
Speaking at the Prime Minister’s office on the second day of his visit to Israel, Mr Vance said: “We have a very difficult task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but to rebuild Gaza, to improve the lives of the people of Gaza but also to ensure that Hamas no longer poses a threat to our friends in Israel.
"It's not easy. I think the Prime Minister knows that as well as anyone. But it's something that we are committed to in the Trump administration.
“I didn't know what to expect, honestly," Mr Vance added. "I know the President was here last week to welcome the hostages home and sign the agreement. A week later, there's a lot of work to be done but I feel optimistic about where we stand.”
Mr Netanyahu said Israel-US relations are “changing the Middle East and the world”, after Mr Trump’s contribution this month in securing a Gaza ceasefire and wider peace deal. Mr Vance’s visit comes days after the agreement was put under strain because of widespread Israeli attacks on Gaza, sparked by a disputed incident in which two Israeli soldiers were killed.
A flurry of senior US officials have arrived in Israel this week. The New York Times earlier reported there was concern in Washington that Mr Netanyahu was working to scupper the deal, which is deeply unpopular with important blocs within his far-right coalition.
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived first. They reportedly left Israel on Wednesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday, Israeli media reported.
With a fragile ceasefire in place for 12 days, focus has switched to the second phase of Mr Trump's Gaza plan. Mr Netanyahu suggested he is opposed to any role for Turkish security forces in the Gaza Strip as part of an international mission to monitor the ceasefire.
Mr Netanyahu said he and Mr Vance had discussed the "day-after" scenario for Gaza, including who would provide security in the territory shattered by two years of war.
This requires Hamas to disarm and foresees the establishment of an internationally supervised Palestinian committee to run Gaza, with an international force supporting vetted Palestinian police.
Responding to a question about the idea of Turkish security forces in Gaza, Mr Netanyahu said: "I have very strong opinions about that. Want to guess what they are?"
Following his meeting with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Vance met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem. “I truly believe that the fact you're here is another brick in building the future for peace,” Mr Herzog said.
Mr Vance is expected to depart for the US on Thursday, after a trip to Jerusalem’s Old City, a source said.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
No_One Ever Really Dies
N*E*R*D
(I Am Other/Columbia)
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
The biog
Name: Gul Raziq
From: Charsadda, Pakistan
Family: Wife and six children
Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8
Golf Handicap: 6
Childhood sport: cricket
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
