For one fleeting moment on Wednesday night, an apparently unstoppable war between Israel and Hezbollah looked like it could at least be put on pause. The US, France and other partners unveiled a proposal for a 21-day ceasefire that would pave the way for talks and a more durable truce along the Israel-Lebanon border.
It was not to be.
As soon as he learnt of the proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed it. He did not even respond to the plan, his office announced, while Foreign Minister Israel Katz said: “There will be no ceasefire in the north.” Israel will fight Hezbollah “with all its might until victory” and the return of displaced Israelis to their homes in the north, he added.
US President Joe Biden should not be surprised that his latest attempt to prevent a broader war was so summarily – and publicly – rejected. Time and again since October 7, when the Hamas-led attack against Israel killed 1,200 people, Mr Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet have ignored entreaties from the Biden administration to bring an end to the fighting – first against Hamas in Gaza and now against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In May, after months of unsuccessful attempts to broker a truce between Israel and Gaza, Mr Biden staked considerable political capital on Mr Netanyahu by publicly declaring that Israel had put forward its own ceasefire proposal. In a detailed presentation from the White House, the US President elucidated how the phased ceasefire would bring an end to the violence.
The only problem was Mr Netanyahu was not on board and quickly rejected the plan, making Mr Biden, who had given Israel unconditional backing since October 7, appear like the junior partner in the US-Israel relationship, an absurd position given the amount of financial support and military aid the US provides its ally.
The Israeli government has ignored near-daily calls from senior Biden administration officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to do more to protect civilians in Gaza, where more than 41,500 Palestinians have been killed.
Mr Biden, a self-described Zionist, has suffered politically for his support of Mr Netanyahu, facing anger from Arab and Muslim-American voters and dissent from within his own administration. Mr Netanyahu, a right-wing populist, shares little political common ground with Mr Biden and has appeared perfectly happy to ignore the US President or fob him off with vague promises, such as committing early on to end the war in Gaza by the end of 2023.
It's not clear if Hezbollah would accept the peace plan on the table, but Israel's fast rejection of it further underscores Mr Biden's weakness in containing the crisis in the Middle East, where each passing day seems to bring new perils for the people living there. While Israel has not declared all-out war against Hezbollah, the definition is becoming increasingly academic.
The Lebanese people are in a collective state of shock. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed at least 700 people this week, according to Health Minister Firass Abiad, and thousands more were wounded last week when pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded. Tens of thousands have been displaced as fears of war intensify.
Israel sees its fight against Hamas and Hezbollah as existential, and says its strikes are aimed at Hezbollah’s leaders in an attempt to stop the Iran-backed militants from attacking Israel. It wants to “escalate to de-escalate”, and force Hezbollah to back down.
In the almost one year since October 7, the Biden administration has pointed to the war between Israel and Hamas being contained to Gaza as a sign of its success in handling the crisis. But despite the best efforts of its diplomats, the Biden administration has been unsuccessful in its attempts to limit Israel's killing of civilians.
And now, with civilians being killed in Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza and the Red Sea, where Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis are striking ships they say are linked to Israel, the Biden administration's continuing claim that it has forestalled a regional war rings hollow.
During Mr Biden's speech to the UN General Assembly this week, he sought to frame his foreign policy legacy by highlighting the crucial role the US has played in supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion and tried to project the image of an elder statesman within reach of a grand bargain in the Middle East.
“Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest. Even as the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible,” he said.
There is always hope for diplomacy, but with less than four months until he leaves the White House, Mr Biden's time to secure peace is almost at an end.
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. RESULTS FOR STAGE 4
Stage 4 Dubai to Hatta, 197 km, Road race.
Overall leader Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal) 2. Matteo Moschetti ITA (Trek - Segafredo) 3. Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
World Cup 2022 qualifier
UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm
Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
