In one sense, the violent death of the once-powerful Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar seems to have changed little. In the hours following his demise in a rubble-strewn apartment, several people were killed in an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza’s Al Shati camp and Hezbollah launched missiles at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. Israeli hostages and thousands of Palestinian detainees remain in captivity.
And yet, this conflict may have reached a turning point. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and French President Emmanuel Macron have both called Mr Sinwar’s death an “opportunity” to reach a ceasefire. Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign minister, described the Hamas leader as an “obstacle” to ending the war. Although, the killing of Mr Sinwar – that followed the assassination of fellow Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh – may have weakened the organisation, which publicly remains bellicose, it would be unwise to speculate about what happens next in such a volatile situation.
Nevertheless, this is undoubtedly an important moment that requires some reflection. Mr Sinwar, regarded as the architect of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, joins the more than 42,400 Palestinians to have lost their lives in Israel’s subsequent reprisal – a military operation that long ago surpassed any reasonable definition of self-defence. Unlike the majority of the Palestinian dead – mostly made up of non-combatants, women, children, aid workers, medics, journalists and others – by choosing the path of all-out direct armed confrontation with Israel, Mr Sinwar undoubtedly expected to die and publicly said he welcomed death. This was not a choice that he, nor his organisation, afforded to the Palestinian people ostensibly under their protection
Undoubtedly Mr Sinwar will continue to polarise opinion. Those who adhere to militant ideology will regard the manner of his passing – dressed in military garb, injured and alone but defiant to the end – as reason to laud him as a resistance fighter. Others will remember him as being the man who oversaw an attack that not only claimed many Israeli civilian lives but drew the wrath of one of the Middle East’s most advanced militaries on the heads of the people of Gaza, and plunge the wider region in chaos. For many, Mr Sinwar’s wild gamble – that his operation would inspire other regional forces to violently end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land – led the Palestinian people into the abyss.
Mr Sinwar leaves many questions behind. Who will lead Hamas negotiations? What now of the remaining Israeli hostages and thousands of Palestinian detainees? Will Hamas splinter? Will a more pragmatic figure emerge? Only time will tell, but events are moving quickly and this is a moment for some hard-headed decisions on how to end this brutal and costly conflict.
Mr Sinwar’s wild gamble – that his operation would inspire other regional forces to violently end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land – led the Palestinian people into the abyss
Those in Israel’s leadership who think the war is an opportunity to reshape the Middle East, resettle Gaza and increase its chokehold on the West Bank may feel further emboldened by the death of their arch enemy. Wiser leaders – confronted by missile strikes from Iran and Yemen, a stretched military, a weakened economy and tarnished international reputation – may view the former Hamas leader’s death as an exit ramp out of a war in which there are no winners. Similarly, Hamas’s remaining leaders could decide that by having forced the occupation to the world’s attention and ensnaring Israel in a regional conflict, they can now reach a settlement.
Whatever happens next, Mr Sinwar will not witness it. His militarism led the Palestinians – and the region – down a dark and violent road, from which they have yet to emerge. He will not have to grapple with the less-revolutionary but heroic work of peacemaking and rebuilding a shattered society. Nevertheless, that is a task that needs to begin as soon as possible, and for that to happen the wars in the Levant must end.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
RESULTS
Catchweight 63.5kg: Shakriyor Juraev (UZB) beat Bahez Khoshnaw (IRQ). Round 3 TKO (body kick)
Lightweight: Nart Abida (JOR) beat Moussa Salih (MAR). Round 1 by rear naked choke
Catchweight 79kg: Laid Zerhouni (ALG) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ). Round 1 TKO (punches)
Catchweight 58kg: Omar Al Hussaini (UAE) beat Mohamed Sahabdeen (SLA) Round 1 rear naked choke
Flyweight: Lina Fayyad (JOR) beat Sophia Haddouche (ALG) Round 2 TKO (ground and pound)
Catchweight 80kg: Badreddine Diani (MAR) beat Sofiane Aïssaoui (ALG) Round 2 TKO
Flyweight: Sabriye Sengul (TUR) beat Mona Ftouhi (TUN). Unanimous decision
Middleweight: Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (LIB) beat Essa Basem (JOR). Round 1 rear naked choke
Heavyweight: Mohamed Jumaa (SUD) beat Hassen Rahat (MAR). Round 1 TKO (ground and pound)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammad Ali Musalim (UAE beat Omar Emad (EGY). Round 1 triangle choke
Catchweight 62kg: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR). Round 2 KO
Catchweight 88kg: Mohamad Osseili (LEB) beat Samir Zaidi (COM). Unanimous decision
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
Blonde
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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