Buildings destroyed by last week's Israeli bombardment included the office of Ismail Haniya, a senior leader of the political wing of Hamas.
Buildings destroyed by last week's Israeli bombardment included the office of Ismail Haniya, a senior leader of the political wing of Hamas.
Buildings destroyed by last week's Israeli bombardment included the office of Ismail Haniya, a senior leader of the political wing of Hamas.
Buildings destroyed by last week's Israeli bombardment included the office of Ismail Haniya, a senior leader of the political wing of Hamas.

The Shama family, stuck between the anvil of Hamas and the hammer of Israel


  • English
  • Arabic

GAZA STRIP // It has now become a foregone conclusion for the Shama family. Every time a rocket or mortar is fired into Israel, the land at the back of their house in the Twam area of the Gaza strip will be attacked in retaliation.

Consisting of a few low-rise buildings and dusty open fields, the area, known as Force 17, has been a training facility for Hamas security personnel. It was bombarded in the opening salvo of Operation Cast Lead, Israel's devastating three-week assault on Gaza that began in December 2008. And then, after being partly rebuilt and reused, it was again pummelled last Monday by three Israeli airstrikes.

Ahmed Shama, 28, and his uncle Moayin, 30, took their usual precautions during the most recent attacks. Their family of 17 moved to the far corners of their small compound of unpainted cinderblock shacks, as far away from the Force 17 land as possible. The family survived the attack, but the buildings were not so fortunate.

"The flames were six metres high," Moayin said as he showed the stress fractures crisscrossing his home's walls caused by the exploding munitions. Its roof is bowed, the foundations are sagging, and the bathroom is notably sinking.

The damage could be expected. But the family could not help but notice the absence of Hamas personnel at Force 17 in the few days before Monday's strikes. "We used to see a lot of people training there, running around," Ahmed said.

And then they left - suddenly. "We did our best to try to stay relaxed after they left," he said.

But, inevitably, the fear set in. And then the strike came, on Monday, and then Ahmed's questions about the Islamist group: what, exactly, did Hamas know and when did they know it?

"At least they could warn us if they think there is going to be airstrikes, evacuate us, do something to protect us," he said a few days later as he toured his damaged home, which cost him US$10,000 (Dh36,700) to build, much of it loans from friends.

"They only came after the attacks to see if we were OK."

Many did not expect that the recent flare-up of violence with Israel would bring Gaza to the brink of war again. Then, last Saturday, militants fired dozens of rockets at Israel, jeopardising a two-year truce between Hamas and Israel.

Gazans point to Hamas as much as they do Israel for the cause of the recent violence, given that the group so firmly controls the cloistered Palestinian enclave. Both are accused of deliberately escalating attacks against each other in order to scuttle a proposed visit here by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president and the head of Hamas's main Palestinian rival, Fatah. The topic of the visit was reconciling Hamas and Fatah - an idea that Israel and, it seems, Hamas loathe.

Raed Meshrawi, 38, who works in banking, lives near a bombed-out facility in northern Gaza once used as an intelligence base, known here as the Mukhabarat building. It was destroyed during Cast Lead and, on Thursday evening, struck again by what residents said was a particularly powerful bomb that shattered windows in Mr Meshrawi's two-level home. A day before, he noticed the trail of rockets launched by militants near the building, something he had not seen in several months. "Hamas has the power to stop people from doing this [rockets], but they chose not to," he said

The militants usually take cover in the surrounding neighbourhood, Mr Meshrawi said, exposing residents to Israel's wrath. "Believe me, if I had a weapon, really I would kill them if I saw them shooting a rocket," he said, calling their activities not resistance but a deadly nuisance.

At the Shama household, Ahmad and Moayin also suspect that the exchange of rocket and missile fire was planned far in advance. Sitting in plastic chairs at the entrance of Force 17 over the weekend were two Hamas policemen who admitted receiving orders, a week before last Saturday's opening barrage of rocket strikes, from their commanders to remain outside the facility.

"We were told to stay away," one of them said, nonchalantly.

That admission did not impress Ahmed, whose heavily pregnant wife, Iman, 24, said she was seriously discomfited after Monday's attacks. "Nobody told me. We could see them [Hamas personnel] leaving, but nobody told us," he said.

For now, though, the family is thankful that everyone is alive. They feel they have narrowly escaped death twice. The first time was on December 27, 2008, during Cast Lead when Moayin's wife, Siham, 28, and his son, Mohanned, 5, were trapped under the rubble of their bombed-out building after the first of several strikes. Ahmed had just pulled them out when another Israeli missile hit Force 17 again, tossing them all into the air. "I saw them flying next to me," Ahmed recalled of their miraculous survival.

Moayin now considers Ahmed a hero. But he said he was taking no chances. About a month ago he said he went to a Hamas police station to ask if they could train somewhere else.

"I felt they were putting us in danger," he said.

"They never responded to me."

SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
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Green ambitions
  • Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
  • Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
  • Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
  • Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water 
Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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Results

5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions Dh90,000 2,200m

Winner: Mudaarab, Jim Crowley (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer).

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,400m

Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Hassan Al Hammadi.

6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m

Winner: Salima Al Reef, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige Dh100,000 1,600m

Winner: Bainoona, Ricardo Iacopini, Eric Lemartinel.

7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m

Winner: Assyad, Victoria Larsen, Eric Lemartinel.

8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1 Dh5,000,000 1,600m

Winner: Mashhur Al Khalediah, Jean-Bernard Eyquem, Phillip Collington.

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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
The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Fight card

1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)

2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)

3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)

4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)

5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)

6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)

7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)

8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)

9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)

10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)

11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)

12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)

%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

The biog

Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists. 

Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.

Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic 

Porsche Macan T: The Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo 

Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm 

Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm 

Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto 

Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec 

Top speed: 232kph 

Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km 

On sale: May or June 

Price: From Dh259,900  

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