Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
President Joe Biden's administration has authorised sending thousands of bombs and dozens of fighter jets to Israel, The Washington Post reported on Friday, as the US pressures the country to use restraint ahead of a planned military offensive in southern Gaza.
Pentagon and State Department officials told the newspaper, under condition of anonymity, that the arms package worth billions of dollars includes MK84 2,000-pound (450kg) bombs and MK82 500-pound (225kg) bombs, along with 25 F-35A fighter jets and engines.
Two sources familiar with the development confirmed the report to Reuters.
Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant visited Washington to meet US officials earlier this week and, according to Axios, had planned to request US-made weapons as well as F-35 fighter jets.
The Biden administration has been facing calls from Congress, including members of the President's Democratic Party, to re-examine the military relationship with Israel.
In December, the administration bypassed Congress to send weapons to Israel.
The US has a long-time defence relationship with Israel, providing the country with $3.8 billion in military assistance annually.
The White House and the Pentagon referred The National to the State Department for comment on the Post's report.
A State Department representative told The National on background that the agency could not confirm arms transfers before a formal notification to Congress, which has not yet occurred.
The representative also said that any weapons that have been already approved by Congress may sometimes not be authorised for shipment until years later, given what the “decades-long life cycle” of congressional notification.
The Post called the authorisation a “quietly” done move that comes at a time when the Biden administration is urging Israel exercise some restraint in its military operations on Gaza.
Hamas militants attacked Israel in October last year, killing about 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.
More than 32,000 people have been killed in Gaza amid the retaliatory Israeli bombardment, according to officials in the enclave.
Israel says its army will take aim at eliminating Hamas battalions it alleges are in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza that UN officials estimate is hosting 1.4 million people, many of whom have fled other parts of the enclave.
Mr Biden has called entering Rafah without a plan to account for civilians a “red line”.
Dozens of House Democrats earlier this month wrote to Mr Biden saying that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would breach requirements that military aid be used in accordance with international law.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
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Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
Price: Dh601,800
On sale: now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Company%20Profile
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
