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A young Gazan man who was forced to wait for months to cross the Rafah border so he could donate his kidney and save his father's life was left heart-broken when he found out he had arrived a few days too late.
Hamza Mousa, 21, was near his neighbour’s house in Tal Al Hawa, in southern Gaza, when the building was reduced to a pile of rubble by an Israeli air strike. Mr Mousa, who was injured in the blast, saw one positive in his own pain – that it gave him a chance to reach his dying father after months of waiting while the border separating Gaza from Egypt was closed, due to his need for treatment at the UAE floating hospital in Al Arish.
His father had been diagnosed with kidney failure and managed to cross the border with his wife during Ramadan last year to receive treatment in Egyptian hospitals. “He was having kidney dialysis regularly. His heart was weak, too,” Mr Mousa told The National. “I wanted to donate my kidney to him so he could stay alive but the borders were closed. He passed away last Wednesday [March 12, 2025] and I crossed the border on Sunday [March 16]. I couldn’t reach him in time.”
Surviving 'unimaginable suffering'
Since the war began in October 2023, Gaza has been under siege, with only limited supplies entering the region. Mr Mousa, who was injured on October 7, 2024, recounted the day that changed his life.
“The Israeli army hit our neighbour’s house and I was hit with shrapnel,” he said. “I woke up in Al Mamdani Hospital in Gaza and saw my leg wrapped. The doctors told me I needed surgery to insert a platinum plate." He said about 10cm of one of the bones in his leg was destroyed.
After surgery, doctors advised Mr Mousa to leave Gaza for further treatment and placed his name on a list of injured people in urgent need of treatment. When he eventually arrived, it gave him hope he would one day be able to walk again normally, but it was too late for him to save his father. “I left Gaza and crossed the Rafah border directly to the UAE floating hospital. They took X-rays and blood tests for treatment. I hope I can walk normally again.”
Mr Mousa, a construction worker, is one of seven siblings – six boys and one girl. “I left with all my brothers. Only my eldest brother stayed behind,” he added. “We have survived wars, blockades and unimaginable suffering. I don’t know what will happen to me in the future but we thank God for everything.”
Still critical need for care
The UAE's floating hospital in Al Arish, Egypt, has admitted about 30 patients from Gaza since the start of the ceasefire that came into effect on January 19. As part of Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, the medical centre receives patients through the Rafah crossing. The 100-bed floating hospital set sail from the UAE in February last year.
The hospital was established jointly between the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Ports Authority group, and involves about 100 medical and administrative staff specialising in anaesthesia, general surgery, orthopaedics and emergency services.
“With the dedication of specialised medical teams and state-of-the-art equipment, we have treated thousands of patients and performed hundreds of critical surgeries,” said Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi, the hospital’s director. “We remain committed to providing the highest standards of medical and humanitarian care, easing the suffering of the injured and fostering hope for recovery.”
The UAE's floating hospital - in pictures
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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)
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
More on Quran memorisation:
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000
Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
