A new year has brought no respite to the people of Gaza. The death toll from Israel's ground invasion and aerial bombardment of the Palestinian enclave has pushed on. At least 22,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes in the past three months, the highest loss of Palestinian lives since the Nakba in 1948.
More than half of Gaza's homes have been destroyed or damaged. There are shortages of electricity and gas for cooking. Queues for food are long and drinking water is scarce. For the 2.3 million people in Gaza, 85 per cent of whom are now internally displaced, there is inadequate aid coming in but grief is plentiful.
Although it continues to reject calls for a ceasefire and insists the war will continue for "several more months", on Sunday Israel's government announced a new direction for its military strategy, beginning the withdrawal of thousands of Israeli troops for "rest and training". This will allow many soldiers to return – albeit temporarily – to civilian life. A key driver is the toll the war is having on the Israeli economy, with most working-age Israelis on the battlefield. Of course, if anyone is exhausted and truly in need of a return to "civilian life" after three months of violence, it is the Palestinian civilians themselves.
"The war has dismissed us," Nagham Mohanna, a reporter for The National in Gaza, wrote in these pages. The suffering is not limited to Gaza. Last year, violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank was the worst it has ever been, according to Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group. The Israeli army is carrying out widespread raids and arrests in the West Bank. What is transpiring in Gaza has taken the shape of a public health tragedy. The combination of displaced Gazans and overcrowded health facilities is unleashing another set of problems. The World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said he is very concerned about the growing threat of infectious diseases in the Gaza Strip. With little clean water, the Strip has been reduced to a breeding ground for epidemics.
This is especially true among children, the elderly and the immune-compromised. About 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza are suffering from malnutrition and health complications. More than 40 per cent of the population is at risk of famine. Donors have sent aid. The UAE, for example, has distributed aid to Palestinians, set up a field hospital and water desalination plant. But Palestinians require more, and for a more sustained period of time. While the Israeli government has repeatedly spoken about safe zones for families to flee to, such statements are callous. There are no zones for such a vast number of people that can reasonably be considered safe. The shortages are stark and facilities lack proper sanitation or trained medical staff with medicine and equipment. Basic needs that any human needs to stay healthy and alive are sorely lacking. Unicef has delivered at least 600,000 doses of vaccines, but even that number is not nearly enough. The international community must renew pressure on Israel to declare a ceasefire. The US, Israel's chief supporter on the international stage, must realise that the continued onslaught is neither sustainable nor conscionable. But in the absence of that, the world must come together to ensure that there are serious efforts to at least help mitigate the healthcare disaster worsening, amid the threat of famine, in Gaza.
Follow the latest on the Israel-Gaza war
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
MO
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
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The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
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Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m, Winner: ES Rubban, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Al Mobher, Sczcepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: Jabalini, Tadhg O’Shea, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m, Winner: AF Abahe, Tadgh O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Makerah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Law Of Peace, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
