Food distribution to half the Gaza Strip's 1.5 million population resumed today although the United Nations warned aid supplies would soon run out unless Israel eases its crippling blockade.
"Distribution will go on of the very small amount we brought in on Monday," said UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spokesman Chris Gunness. "The supplies will last days, not weeks," he said.
Crowds rushed to the UNRWA distribution centres to try to get hold of the limited supplies of flour, sugar, rice, powder milk and luncheon meat.
"I can't wait to receive the aid. Our lives are in ruins," said Um Said, 60, who with her husband looks after 15 children and grandchildren.
The first shipment of supplies in two weeks arrived on Monday, making it possible to resume food distribution after a four-day interruption. However, Israel sealed off the impoverished Palestinian territory again today, citing continuing violence.
Israeli armoured vehicles, which rolled into southern Gaza for what the military said was a routine search for explosive devices along the border fence, came under mortar attack from Palestinian gunmen.
Israel responded to a recent surge in rocket and mortar attacks by completely sealing off Gaza on Nov 5, preventing delivery of the basic supplies that had been allowed in under a blockade imposed after the Islamist Hamas movement seized control of the territory in June 2007.
Amid mounting pressure from the international community, Israel last week allowed some industrial fuel to be delivered to Gaza's sole power plant and yesterday it let in 33 truckloads of humanitarian and other basic supplies.
UNRWA, which feeds 750,000 people in the impoverished sliver of land, said thousands of dollars worth of powder milk were lost after Israeli officials slashed the packages for inspection.
"Babies should not be punished by being deprived of milk. I am not aware of babies firing rockets or baby milk being used to power rockets," said Mr Gunness.
He also said food would run out in days unless new supplies are allowed in. Israeli officials indicated the crossings into Gaza were to remain closed today.
"This decision has been taken by defence minister Ehud Barak because of the continued Palestinian rocket fire at southern Israel," said Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesman.
At least six rockets were fired at southern Israel yesterday, without causing any casualties.
In the past two weeks, Israeli forces and Gaza militants have engaged in almost daily tit-for-tat attacks, which left 15 Palestinian gunmen dead.
Israel had been expected to ease its blockade of the overcrowded territory after a truce went into effect on June 19, but it says continuing rocket and mortar attacks make this impossible.
Hamas accuses Israel of failing to deliver on its side of the bargain.
"Civilians continue to pay the price of conflict and violence and their access to humanitarian assistance is at stake," the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, pointing out that more than half of Gaza's population are children.
Israel and the Islamist rulers of Gaza have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, while the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on all parties to exercise restraint and uphold international law.
The Oxfam charity expressed concern that the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband "neglected to address the Gaza blockade during his visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories" on Sunday and Monday.
"Only the bare minimum of goods have been allowed to enter Gaza in the past couple of days and Oxfam fears a serious worsening of the situation if action is not taken," said Oxfam Britain's chief executive, Barbara Stocking.
* AFP
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Islamic%20Architecture%3A%20A%20World%20History
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eric%20Broug%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thames%20%26amp%3B%20Hudson%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20336%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20September%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.
Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.
Ben Okri,
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Aguero 1', 44', 61'
Arsenal 1
Koscielny 11'
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
