The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan on Sunday welcomed Hamas’s response to US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.
In a joint statement released on Sunday, the foreign ministers of the eight countries also welcomed Mr Trump’s call on Israel to stop the bombing in the enclave.
“The Foreign Ministers reiterated their joint commitment to support efforts towards the implementation of the proposal, to work for the immediate end of the war on Gaza, and achieve a comprehensive agreement,” they said.
They called for the “immediate launch of negotiations to agree on mechanisms to implement the proposal and address all of its aspects”.
The statement comes as Israel, Hamas and mediators prepare for meetings in Egypt aimed at mapping the way forward.
It follows comments from Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, who on Sunday said “all eyes are on Gaza” amid hopes of a “lasting peace”.
“All eyes are on Gaza today, on ending the suffering of its people, securing the release of hostages and prisoners and seeking prospects for a lasting peace that spares the region and its people from the cycle of these devastating wars,” Dr Gargash wrote on X.
“As always, the United Arab Emirates will fulfil its active and responsible political and humanitarian role during this critical period, in support of the region’s stability and security.”
What happens next?
Those in the enclave know all too well the situation is precarious, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning late on Saturday that “Hamas will be disarmed … either diplomatically via Trump's plan or militarily by us”.
He said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza “in the coming days” and that he had sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalise technical details”.
The Israeli leader spoke after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of a plan put forward by Mr Trump to end the war. Mr Trump welcomed the Hamas response but warned on Saturday that “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off”.
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was travelling to Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on the way forward, sources told The National, while the White House told US media that Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will attend as well.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced the talks but gave no further details.
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
SCORES IN BRIEF
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26)
bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
How Beautiful this world is!
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The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
1. Dubai silk road
2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
3. First virtual commercial city
4. A central education file for every citizen
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6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
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8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info
Manchester United 1
Fred (18')
Wolves 1
Moutinho (53')
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
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Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
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Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
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