It is a worrying reflection of how brutal the Middle East’s latest war has been that a relatively limited cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas – which is due to begin today – has been so contested and so long in coming.
Nevertheless, should the proposed four-day halt in the Israeli bombing campaign and exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees – many of them civilians – take place, aid and some limited freedom of movement may become available to millions of beleaguered Gazan civilians.
For a Palestinian civilian population that has been corralled into a killing zone for a war it didn’t start, a respite is the very least that can be secured by world powers. The human cost of the failure to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue, leading to the Hamas attacks of October 7 and the Israeli strikes, has been devastating; more than 14,000 Palestinians have been killed so far and about 1,200 Israelis have lost their lives. About 240 Israelis, many of them civilians, were abducted by Hamas fighters and, according to the government media office in Gaza, 6,800 Palestinians have gone missing since October 7. This is not to mention the thousands of people who have been injured, traumatised or displaced.
Sadly, the four-day halt – secured with mediation from the US, Qatar and Egypt – is far from a guarantee that fighting will not resume with the same intensity – or worse – later. Comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about continuing the war to achieve the “complete elimination of Hamas and ensure that Gaza does not renew any threat to the state of Israel” do not inspire much optimism.
It is important to note, however, that many voices in Israeli civil society are opposed to further conflict and want to see the hostages return home safely. Many also call for a long-term peaceful solution. These voices are often in stark contrast to Israel’s political right who have argued against a truce, claiming it would allow Hamas to regroup or even viewing it as an obstacle to the complete destruction of Gaza ahead of longed-for resettlement.
In terms of hostages, although 50 is a limited number of people to release, this is not to downplay the relief their families will feel. They and their loved ones are no more responsible for the policies of the Israeli state than Palestinians are collectively responsible for the brutal and indiscriminate tactics of Hamas. However, even if the truce goes ahead, many, many more civilians remain in harm’s way – and these are overwhelmingly on the Palestinian side.
What the cessation represents is a small opportunity – a limited window in which to find a way out of this crisis that has cost so many lives. Sadly, such agreements are inherently prone to collapse. Therefore, it is incumbent on all those with real influence over Israel and Hamas – who also bear significant responsibility for the latest round of violence – to use this moment to turn a cessation into something more akin to a ceasefire. This could provide a breathing space for further humanitarian aid to reach Gaza and for more Israeli hostages to return home. Without a halt to the fighting, no political or humanitarian progress can be made.
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
UNpaid bills:
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN budget in 2019
USA – $1.055 billion
Brazil – $143 million
Argentina – $52 million
Mexico – $36 million
Iran – $27 million
Israel – $18 million
Venezuela – $17 million
Korea – $10 million
Countries with largest unpaid bill for UN peacekeeping operations in 2019
USA – $2.38 billion
Brazil – $287 million
Spain – $110 million
France – $103 million
Ukraine – $100 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The five pillars of Islam
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
MATCH INFO
Hoffenheim v Liverpool
Uefa Champions League play-off, first leg
Location: Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
Kick-off: Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
Specs
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Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
match details
Wales v Hungary
Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
