The world held its breath to see if it would really happen, and it finally did. A ceasefire and hostage deal to stop the horrendous, two-year-long war in Gaza went into effect between Israel and Hamas. Even more intriguing was the framing of the agreement, which was presented as a US-sponsored “peace deal” brokered by President Donald Trump that goes beyond the immediate Gaza conflict and speaks of Palestinians’ long-term future – albeit in unspecific terms. (Notably, neither in his plan, nor at the “peace summit” in Egypt for the formal signing, does Mr Trump make any references to the occupied West Bank, which still faces the risk of Israeli annexation.)
The two-phased plan has plenty of merit, but there are already signs that it is being implemented poorly, in a way that will leave those of us who have longed to see Gaza free from the tyranny of Hamas wondering if that will ever happen.
Beyond the first phase, in which living and deceased Israeli hostages would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and detainees from the war, the plan ostensibly offers what many have called for over the past two years: a true reshaping of the Gaza Strip. The second phase includes the disarmament of Hamas, the introduction of an international force to stabilise the territory, a transitional period with a transitional administration, a “de-radicalisation process” and a gradual reconstruction plan – all of this under the auspices of a “board of peace” chaired by Mr Trump.
Most critically, Mr Trump’s 20-point plan seems to have put an end to any notion of the forced displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza – a major reversal from what the President had declared his intent was back in February. Indeed, Mr Trump’s plan seems to crush the hopes of far-right Israeli government ministers and ideologues, who have been salivating at the prospect of resettling Gaza after the military’s conquest, looking to Trump’s “Gaza Riviera” non-idea idea as a green light to pursue the settlement agenda.
Despite the plan’s many promising components, there is still cause for scepticism. It became abundantly clear immediately after all living Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners were released that nothing concrete was in place to quickly link phase one with phase two of the deal, and to ensure that Hamas would be held accountable for its end of this bargain. The militant group quickly began asserting its power throughout the areas of Gaza vacated by the Israeli military, deploying men with guns in markets, public areas, roads and various locations that maximised its visibility.
It is a strange departure from a key premise of the US peace plan: that this is meant to be the end of Hamas. Reports this week suggest Hamas mobilised up to 7,000 fighters, who have not only comprised a show of force but also waged a campaign of retribution against opponents, including rival groups and those Palestinians it believes betrayed its cause. This was perhaps most visible in the deadly clashes Hamas had with the Doghmush clan, a Gazan armed group which has been accused of collaborating with Israel, and a few others almost immediately after the ceasefire went into effect. Videos, thought to have been taken this week inside Gaza City, have circulated showing Hamas militants carrying out gruesome executions.
The people of Gaza continue to pay the price for a war they did not start and were powerless to stop
Worse, Mr Trump appeared to be unbothered by Hamas’s actions, describing the gangs involved in the clashes as “very bad” and suggesting on at least two occasions that Hamas was given permission to re-establish order.
Given that Hamas surrendered its chief bargaining chip and only remaining leverage, one cannot help but wonder what it was offered in return. After all, Hamas’s public statements since the ceasefire suggest it has no intention of disarming, nor will it accept an international stabilisation force. It does not agree to the formation of a board of peace and continues to see itself as part of Gaza’s future, even if it doesn’t govern directly.
Was Hamas promised a role in a future policing and security apparatus if it ceased being a threat to Israel? One must ask this question because it would have been extraordinarily difficult to align the desires of President Trump with the interests of an intransigent Hamas. And it is very difficult to see how temporarily empowering Hamas to reassert itself in Gaza and exact brutal violence upon its enemies is a viable bridge to the group disarming and surrendering.
What most Gazans are thinking about right now is the need for safety, sustained access to basic sustenance and a means to earn a living. Establishing the conditions to enable Gazans to meet these three needs requires rapid and urgent steps to minimise the gap between the first and second phases of the agreement. It is critical to prevent the risk of stagnation and to ensure that the war is not merely frozen, but rather permanently resolved. Stopping criminal enterprises and gangsters who terrorised Gazans, looted aid during the war and more is indeed important. But that cannot be achieved with Hamas’s terror campaign and field executions, which are anyway more about settling scores than law and order.
Hamas can never be trusted to be an enduring partner for anything in Gaza. They have lost their right to govern or even to exist as an organisation. It would be naive to think they could be tamed and repurposed as Gaza’s police force. They should only be engaged through the prism of a temporary transitional period. And one way or another, the international community must ensure that Hamas’s militant infrastructure is defanged, and its tunnel network is destroyed. The future of Gaza depends on this.
The longer the time passes, and Hamas continues to assert its control throughout Gaza, the greater the risk of a complete collapse of the ceasefire and a return to war because of an ill-conceived strategy that appears to be paralysed by the fast-moving nature of events. The people of Gaza continue to pay the price for a war they did not start and were powerless to stop. They cannot continue to be held hostage by the same extremist group that has imposed endless wars on them.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 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
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Zayed Sustainability Prize
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
