The European Union's border assistance mission (Eubam) at the Rafah crossing from Egypt into the Gaza, which has been on standby since 2007, is ready to be redeployed as soon as possible, the bloc's commission has told The National.
“Eubam Rafah stands ready to redeploy to the Rafah crossing point as soon as conditions allow, subject to a decision by the 27 EU member states and the agreement of the parties on the ground," an EU Commission representative said.
Discussions about a possible role for the EU in Gaza have resurfaced with the latest war, which the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell described on Monday as an "inflection point in history".
Many have also warned political change in the region is needed for EU officials to return to Gaza. But how to get there remains open to question.
It was Hamas's takeover of the enclave in 2007 and the withdrawal of the Palestinian Authority that caused the suspension of the EU's monitoring mission at the southern border crossing on the ground.
But it has never been disbanded and its staff could now go back, subject to a deal with the warring parties and international backers.
A month after the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel, war continues to rage in the enclave. The Rafah border crossing remains closed except to some dual citizens, foreigners and severely wounded Palestinians.
Egypt, which controls its side of the crossing, fears a mass arrival of refugees. Meanwhile, the number of incoming aid lorries through the crossing is much lower than in pre-war times. Israel has imposed strict controls of what enters Gaza to limit Hamas's access to goods such as fuel.
In a speech to EU diplomats in Brussels, Mr Borrell said Europe had a "moral and political obligation to be involved – not only by providing aid but contributing to a durable solution."
"The important thing is to think about a comprehensive and definitive settlement, which is clearly out of reach today," he said.
Mr Borrell suggested Israel suspend its military operation in Gaza in return for the Red Cross getting access to hostages held by Hamas.
A peace force under UN mandate?
"I think that a humanitarian pause counterbalanced by an access to hostages with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a first step to their release is an initiative in which we should work," said Mr Borrell.
He added the war was the outcome "of a collective political and moral failure, which the Israeli and the Palestinian people are paying a high price for".
"This moral and political failure is due to our real lack of willingness to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem."
In parallel, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, gave a speech in which she outlined how she envisioned the end of the conflict.
This may include setting up an international peace force under UN mandate in the Gaza Strip and making sure Gaza cannot control or govern the enclave, she said.
"There should be only one Palestinian Authority and one Palestinian State," she said.
Sixteen years on 'standby'
The EU listed Hamas as a terror organisation in 2003 and the bloc has since maintained a no-contact policy with the Palestinian militant group.
Eubam Rafah was deployed at the border for two years, between 2005 and 2007, as a "third-party presence" meant to build confidence between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Despite being in a self-described "standby mode" for 16 years, Eubam Rafah has continued to collaborate with the Palestinian Authority border agencies by mentoring and advising personnel.
Its 2023-24 budget was €2.3 million ($2.5 million), with a staff of 10 international and eight locals in its headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to its website.
In June, the European Council renewed its mandate for another year. It is currently headed by Bulgarian diplomat Nataliya Apostolova, who also heads a separate EU mission that trains Palestinian police called Eupol Copps.
Its redeployment is likely to be conditional on the return of the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza enclave, an elusive prospect, said Martin Konecny, director of Brussels-based think tank, the European Middle East Project.
"It's possible some EU officials are talking about relaunching the mission because that would be the EU's contribution. But it's not relevant today," Mr Konecny told The National.
"The question is about whether there's a prospect for the Palestinian Authority's return. Eubam is a minor thing that would follow from that, not the other way around," he said.
Need for political agreement
Kelly Petillo, programme manager of the Middle East and North Africa at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, pointed at Eubam Rafah's difficult history and deep divisions among EU member states over the Israel-Palestine conflict.
"Even before October 7, the situation was very difficult," she told The National. "The EU’s no-contact policy with Hamas and overall territorial fragmentation made the operation challenging."
The idea of relaunching Eubam Rafah has been floated numerous times since 2007 but failed in the absence of a political compromise.
Brussels-based media outlet B2, which has followed the mission for years, reported that it has extended its mandate to support Eupol Copps, which is based in Ramallah.
"It will be difficult to see how this or other proposals could succeed without a wider political agreement," said Ms Petillo.
Since the start of the latest war, the EU has been trying to strike a delicate balance between calling for humanitarian pauses – which have been ignored – while also signalling its strong support for Israel to defend itself after Hamas's unprecedented attacks on Israeli territory that killed about 1,400 people.
The EU has so far sent 260 tonnes of aid to Egypt but only 50 to 55 tonnes have made it inside the Gaza Strip in the past 10 days as access remains restricted.
There have been discussions among countries such as France, the UK and the Netherlands to send aid via the sea but the plan has not come to pass. Jordan said on Monday it had sent medical aid to Gaza overnight via parachute.
Jordan's King Abdullah is expected to discuss the situation in Gaza during a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday with Ms von der Leyen.
But aside from announcements about humanitarian aid, coming up with fresh ideas to break the seemingly endless cycle of violence has proved more difficult.
The death toll has exceeded 10,000, including more than 4,800 children, after two weeks of intense retaliatory Israeli shelling of Gaza.
Ms von der Leyen excluded Israeli security presence in Gaza and any forced displacement of its Palestinian population.
"All of this may look overly ambitious, as the war still rages on, but we must spare no effort to keep the hope alive, to find a lasting solution, based on two states, living side by side in peace and security," she said.
"It is time for an international effort towards peace in the Middle East. And we will play our part."
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
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What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Race card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
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
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
%3Cp%3E1984%20-%20Apple%20unveiled%20the%20Macintosh%20on%20January%2024%3Cbr%3E1985%20-%20Steve%20Jobs%20departed%20from%20Apple%20and%20established%20NeXT%3Cbr%3E1986%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20Macintosh%20Plus%2C%20featuring%20enhanced%20memory%3Cbr%3E1987%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20Macintosh%20II%2C%20equipped%20with%20colour%20capabilities%3Cbr%3E1989%20-%20The%20widely%20acclaimed%20Macintosh%20SE%2F30%20made%20its%20debut%3Cbr%3E1994%20-%20Apple%20presented%20the%20Power%20Macintosh%3Cbr%3E1996%20-%20The%20Macintosh%20System%20Software%20OS%20underwent%20a%20rebranding%20as%20Mac%20OS%3Cbr%3E2001%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20Mac%20OS%20X%2C%20marrying%20Unix%20stability%20with%20a%20user-friendly%20interface%3Cbr%3E2006%20-%20Apple%20adopted%20Intel%20processors%20in%20MacBook%20Pro%20laptops%3Cbr%3E2008%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20MacBook%20Air%2C%20a%20lightweight%20laptop%3Cbr%3E2012%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20MacBook%20Pro%20with%20a%20retina%20display%3Cbr%3E2016%20-%20The%20Mac%20operating%20system%20underwent%20rebranding%20as%20macOS%3Cbr%3E2020%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20M1%20chip%20for%20Macs%2C%20combining%20high%20performance%20and%20energy%20efficiency%3Cbr%3E2022%20-%20The%20M2%20chip%20was%20announced%3Cbr%3E2023%20-The%20M3%20line-up%20of%20chip%20was%20announced%20to%20improve%20performance%20and%20add%20new%20capabilities%20for%20Mac.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
