Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Humanitarian aid co-ordinator Marie-Aure Perreaut-Revial should have been in Gaza by now with a team of doctors and medical supplies.
Instead, she and the surgical team have spent the past few days in Cairo, waiting for the go-ahead from Egyptian and Israeli authorities to cross the border into Gaza.
“We’re on stand-by. We’re ready to enter Gaza with supplies. We’re waiting to see how negotiations pan out,” she told The National.
Ms Perreaut-Revial is an emergency co-ordinator at Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the French charity that provides medical care in crisis zones.
She is only one of many aid workers stationed in Egypt as they wait for access into Gaza. Thousands of tonnes of humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, have been shipped to the Egyptian border city of Arish.
“We’re really eager to go in and support our colleagues on the ground in Gaza. We see them needing help and it’s really difficult not being able to go in,” she said.
More than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began three weeks ago, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. A siege has left Palestinians with limited fuel, water, food and medical supplies.
The Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities urged Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to issue “uncompromising directives” to open the Rafah border crossing – the only route into the enclave – “without any constraints” on Sunday, describing the situation in Gaza as “critical”.
Yet only small amounts of aid have reached Gaza in recent days, since Israel allowed the humanitarian corridor to reopen about a week ago.
Convoys are subject to lengthy security checks by Israeli officials at the inspection station at the Al Awga crossing, 4km south of Rafah, which delayed their entry into Gaza.
An eighth convoy of 24 lorries entered the Gaza Strip through Rafah on Sunday afternoon, an Egyptian Red Crescent officer told The National. The convoy was the second to enter on Sunday after 10 lorries arrived earlier in the day.
But no aid entered the enclave on Saturday due to rigorous Israeli checks at Al Awga, the officer said, explaining that 20 lorries entered the inspection station on Friday and were only approved on Sunday morning.
The build-up of aid supplies has exhausted Arish's storage capacity, the official added.
Back in Cairo, Ms Perreaut-Revial spends her days co-ordinating with the Egyptian authorities, and following the news in the hope of a possible breakthrough that would allow MSF to take its aid and team into Gaza. “It’s a lot of talking, following the latest news, monitoring online and co-ordinating with other actors,” she said.
MSF has about 300 Palestinian doctors on the ground in Gaza, who report being overwhelmed by the numbers of dead and wounded.
But for aid workers to get through and support them, organisations such as MSF need assurances their staff will be safe.
Israel has significantly increased the intensity of its strikes on the Gaza Strip in the past two days. A total internet and telecoms blackout on Saturday, understood to be imposed by Israel, has meant emergency services in Gaza could not contact people affected by air strikes.
Israel announced the war had entered its “second phase” on Sunday, as ground troops and armoured vehicles rolled in.
Dr Christos Christou, MSF’s international president, warned the intensity of Israel’s campaign in Gaza could undermine aid efforts. “As long as the bombing continues with the current intensity, any effort to increase medical aid will inevitably fall short,” he said.
The organisation also called for an “immediate ceasefire”, a “lifting of the siege” and “basic guarantees of safety” for its aid team, in a statement released on Saturday.
Ms Perreaut-Revial said unpredictable conditions on the ground made it more difficult to negotiate the safe passage of aid.
She and other members of her team were involved in negotiations with the Egyptian and Israeli authorities to get aid in. “We don’t know what the conditions are because it’s changing every day. We need the safe, rapid and unimpeded access to civilians who require medical care,” she said.
Ms Perrault-Revial has worked on emergency responses across the world but she said the amount of humanitarian aid required in Gaza was unlike anything she has experienced.
“It's the scale of the needs and the difficulty communicating with colleagues on the ground,” she said. “For the past few days it's been difficult to co-ordinate even the regular activities that we have in Gaza."
Despite all her efforts, the wait has left her feeling frustrated and helpless.
She said: “The frustration is that we see the situation, we know the needs are gigantic, but we can’t go in the way that we want to.”
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The view from The National
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
SPECS
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BLACKBERRY
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Imperial%20Island%3A%20A%20History%20of%20Empire%20in%20Modern%20Britain
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
