Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Difficulties in “co-ordinating” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have led to the postponement of Gaza ceasefire talks until next week, a source in Doha told The National on Thursday.
Talks were scheduled today in the Qatari capital between warring parties and included officials from Egypt and the US, as well as Qatar and Israel.
The postponement was “due to difficulties in co-ordinating with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his pending meeting with President Joe Biden” in Washington, said the source, who is involved in the negotiations in Doha.
“The Israeli negotiation team faced challenges in reaching an agreement on several elements with Mr Netanyahu and to schedule a meeting, leading to the delay of their departure until early next week.”
Mr Netanyahu is visiting Washington where he made a speech to Congress on Wednesday as protesters gathered outside his hotel and marched towards the Capitol, demanding an end to US aid to Israel.
He was due to meet the US President on Thursday.
Mr Netanyahu had been criticised by the families of hostages captured by Hamas on October 7 for initially delaying his delegation's departure to Doha from Wednesday until Thursday.
On Wednesday, US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said Secretary of State Antony Blinken had discussed the talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
They "discussed the remaining issues on the table and practical solutions to bridge the differences between the parties", Mr Miller said.
"The secretary reiterated that the US continues to see a deal as critical to bringing the hostages home and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people."
Einav Zangauker, who is the mother of one of the hostages, said Mr Netanyahu is "preventing the implementation of the deal for personal reasons", adding that he will "continue stalling" during his visit to the US.
Released detainees
Israel released on Thursday seven Palestinian detainees, including two women arrested by the Israeli army in October.
The detainees were released at the Kissufim checkpoint and were met by members of the Palestinian Red Crescent before being taken to hospital in Deir Al Balah, the Wafa news agency reported.
One of the detainees, Mohammed Al Louh, said he spent 30 days in Israeli prisons, where he was subjected to "severe torture, continuous beatings and electric shocks".
Detainees are blindfolded and handcuffed round the clock and kept in overcrowded rooms, he added.
Mohammed Abu Shaar, another detainee, also said he was abused, describing beatings, electrocutions and sleep deprivation.
Israeli forces have been accused of torture and other human rights abuse of Palestinians held at various detention centres.
More than 4,000 Palestinians have been arrested in Gaza since October 7, according to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club.
This is in addition to 9,800 arrested in the occupied West Bank, including 680 children, 340 women, and hundreds of workers from Gaza.
At least 16 detainees have died in Israeli prisons since October, the authorities said in a report shared by the official Wafa news agency on Thursday.
Their bodies have not been released.
The army also said it had retrieved the bodies of five Israelis killed on October 7, including two hostages.
The bodies, found in black bags in Khan Younis, were identified through Shin Bet intelligence, the army and the agency said in a joint statement.
Three soldiers were among the dead, who were killed in Israel and taken across the border into Gaza.
A soldier who filmed and uploaded a video of the bodies during the operation is expected to face military prison, Israel's Kan public broadcaster reported on Thursday.
Khan Younis, which is situated in the south of the Gaza Strip, has been the focus of a new Israeli military offensive.
Israeli shelling on Khan Younis killed seven Palestinians and wounded several more on Thursday, according to the official Wafa news agency.
Three others were killed and several wounded in a strike on Bani Suhaila, east of the city.
More than 150,000 people have fled eastern parts of the city after an Israeli evacuation order earlier this week, the UN said.
Air strikes hit eastern neighbourhoods just minutes after the order was issued, killing almost 100 people, according to the health ministry.
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
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Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
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8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1
Alonso (62')
Huddersfield Town 1
Depoitre (50')
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
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INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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