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Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in Gaza on Wednesday after more than a year of being hunted by the Israeli military.
He was one of the suspected masterminds of the attacks that killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7 last year. He was the leader of Hamas in Gaza at the time, and became political leader of the group in August this year after Israel assassinated his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
Sinwar, 61, was the most-wanted Hamas militant throughout the war that Israel launched in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the October 7 attacks, with a $400,000 dead-or-alive bounty on his head. More than 42,400 people have been killed in the enclave since the start of the conflict, Gazan health authorities said.
Israeli officials long believed that he was hiding – and commanding operations – from somewhere inside the extensive network of underground tunnels Hamas built in Gaza. Recent reports said he had resurfaced after weeks of being incommunicado.
Sinwar spent much of his adult life in Israeli jails before being released in a 2011 prisoner swap. He became the militant group’s leader in Gaza in 2017. After October 7, Israel described him as the “face of evil” and the mastermind of the raids.
Commonly known as Abu Ibrahim, Sinwar grew up in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, and helped found Hamas in the 1980s. In 1985, he founded Al Majd intelligence and security apparatus that worked to identify Israeli collaborators among the population in Gaza. It was his harsh treatment of suspected collaborators that earned him the nickname "the Butcher of Khan Younis".
In early 1988, he was arrested and given four life sentences for his role in the killing of two Israeli soldiers. He used the subsequent 23 years in prison, nearly four of which were spent in solitary confinement, to become fluent in Hebrew and learn about Israel's society and culture.
According to one of about 240 hostages captured on October 7, who was freed during an exchange between Hamas and Israel last November, Sinwar visited the captives held in Gaza's tunnel network early in the war. "Hello, I am Yahya Sinwar. You are the most protected here. Nothing will happen to you," he reportedly told the group in flawless Hebrew.
Sinwar positioned himself as a leader among inmates during his time in prison and led a series of hunger strikes to demand better conditions. He served several terms in the leadership body of the Hamas prisoners' union.
While incarcerated he translated several books on Israel's security apparatus and, like many Palestinian detainees, published several of his own works by smuggling them out of jail in bits and pieces. One such work was his semi-autobiographical novel Thistle and Cloves, about a young Palestinian man navigating Israeli occupation after the 1967 war.
Israeli intelligence assessments from his time in prison describe Sinwar as a “cruel, authoritative, influential” leader who had “unusual abilities of endurance” and an ability to “carry crowds".
In May, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bore responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Mr Khan said he was seeking arrest warrants for both men, among others.
In February, Israel's army released a video purporting to show the Hamas leader, filmed on October 10, with members of his family in a tunnel in Gaza. The black and white images show a man being led through a tunnel together with a woman and three children. It was claimed to have been the first footage of him since Israel’s war on Gaza broke out.
Israeli security officials also extensively questioned hostages released by Hamas, hoping they could have heard or seen anything that might have helped them track him down.
In November, during the negotiations that led to a week-long truce and hostage and prisoner swap, Egyptian officials said Sinwar occasionally stopped taking calls for days on end because of security concerns. He routinely had aides schedule calls from Egyptian and Qatari mediators or fellow Hamas leaders.
He used secure lines that he would frequently change and sophisticated jamming devices to avoid exposing his location to Israel. He often communicated with Hamas field commanders through coded written messages.
In 2021, shortly after the fourth war between Hamas and Israel since 2008 and following an attempt on his life, Sinwar openly challenged Israel to assassinate him during a live news conference in the coastal territory.
“When I am done here, I will be walking for most of my journey home,” he said. “I will wrap this up in 10 minutes and it will take me another 10 minutes to get ready to leave, then I will walk for 20 or 30 minutes. That's nearly one hour or 3,600 seconds; enough for Israel to weaponise an aircraft and launch it,” he taunted. “Yet, I will not bat an eyelid."
Shortly after the news conference, Palestinian TV networks broadcast footage of the Hamas leader confidently walking the streets of Gaza, surrounded by aides and security guards while joyfully greeting and shaking hands with his supporters.
The last time he was seen in public is believed to be a year before the attack on Israel.
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RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m
Winner: AF Mozhell, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Majdi, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Athabeh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: AF Eshaar, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi
4pm: Gulf Cup presented by Longines Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Al Roba’a Al Khali, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Younis Al Kalbani
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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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
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if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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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
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Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)
Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Referee Bobby Madley
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
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Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
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