Live updates: Follow the latest from Israel-Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to call for a ceasefire in Gaza on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Mr Blinken restated Washington’s “unwavering support” for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, while taking part in a panel discussion with the German and Indian foreign ministers.
More than 28,800 Palestinians have been killed in the densely populated enclave since Israel launched its air and ground assault following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7 when Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted 240.
The US has been Israel’s biggest ally throughout the war, twice vetoing UN resolutions calling for a ceasefire and sending weapons and ammunition to the Israeli military.
But as the war has dragged on, calls for a ceasefire have amplified both domestically and abroad.
Speaking just before Mr Blinken at the security conference, Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called for a ceasefire and an “accelerated state of Palestine.”
Mr Wang said that “generations of Palestinians have been displaced”. Addressing the Munich Security Conference. Mr Wang said that recent events proved that “the question of Palestine is at the heart of the Middle East”.
Mr Blinken, seated alongside Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said he believed that a path forward that saw Israel integrated into region remained possible.
“I think there's an extraordinary opportunity for Israel in the months ahead … starting with the fact that virtually every Arab country now genuinely wants to integrate Israel into the region to normalise relations if they haven't already done so,” Mr Blinken said.
The secretary has made five trips to the region since October 7. In recent visits he has been pushing hard for Israel to reduce civilian casualties and to allow more aid to reach those in need.
Despite his efforts Israel's military campaign contiues unnabted and appears to be bearing down on Rafah, a city of about 280,000 people before the war that has now swelled to more than 1.4 million people as Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes elsewhere in Gaza.
Washington has said Israel should not embark on a military campaign in the southern city until it has put together a detailed plan on how to protect civilians.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Afcon 2019
SEMI-FINALS
Senegal v Tunisia, 8pm
Algeria v Nigeria, 11pm
Matches are live on BeIN Sports
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
