JERUSALEM // Israel said on Thursday it had foiled plans by the Islamist group Hamas to attack Israelis in Jerusalem’s largest soccer stadium, other parts of the city and the occupied West Bank.
Israel’s Shin Bet security service said it had arrested 30 members of the group in September, some of whom had received weapons and explosives training from Hamas militants in Jordan and the Gaza Strip.
Planning for attacks against Israeli targets, including Jerusalem’s Teddy soccer stadium and the city’s light railway, was carried out by Hamas officials in Turkey, Shin Bet said.
In the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is dominant, a spokesman for the group said: “We have no information about these Israeli claims ... It is clear Israel wanted to create a new story to divert the world’s attention away from the escalation in Jerusalem.”
Violence has surged in recent weeks in Jerusalem amid high tensions over access to a holy site in an Israeli-annexed part of the city where Al Aqsa mosque now stands and Biblical Jewish Temples once stood.
Eleven Israelis have been killed, including four rabbis and a policeman stabbed and shot by Palestinians in a Jerusalem synagogue. Twelve Palestinians have also been killed, including several of those who carried out the attacks.
Shots were fired at an Israeli army patrol vehicle along the Gaza border on Thursday, causing damage but no casualties, the military said.
Israeli forces responded by firing a shell toward the source of the fire. No casualties were reported on the Gaza side of the frontier.
On Sunday, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian near the border, the first such fatality since a 50-day Gaza war ended in August. The man’s family said he was searching for songbirds to sell in local markets.
Israel has long designated areas near the frontier a no-go zone for Palestinians, citing concerns that militants could plant bombs or carry out surveillance of its patrols.
Palestinians seek Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza – lands captured and occupied by Israel after the 1967 war – for their future state. Already troubled peace talks between the two sides broke down in April.
* Reuters
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances