Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Hamas is being run by a six-man leadership that brings together top officials in the occupied Palestinian territories and the diaspora. Khalil Al Hayya, a close aide of Yahya Sinwar, the group's former leader who was killed by Israel in Gaza this month, has emerged as his probable successor, sources told The National on Wednesday.
They said the six-man leadership took over the militant group shortly after the killing of Mr Sinwar. Hamas has been run by a joint leadership before: the model was adopted for several years in Gaza in the 1990s when Sheikh Ahmed Yassin served as the group's spiritual leader.
The members of the joint leadership, according to the sources, are Khaled Mashal, who was Hamas's leader until 2017, Mr Al Hayaa, and Zaher Jabareen, the group's intelligence and financial chief. All three are based in Qatar, and Mr Jabareen also spends time in Turkey.
It is obvious now that the way forward for Hamas will be high-profile attacks, suicide missions and an upsurge of attacks in the West Bank
Source
Also included in the collective leadership are Mohammed Sinwar, the late Yahya Sinwar's younger brother, and Rawhi Mushtaha, who Israel claims to have killed but who sources say is still alive. Both are veterans of Hamas's military wing and are now “operational field commanders”, sources say. Muhammad Darwish, the powerful head of the group's Shura Council, who resides in Turkey, is the sixth man in the group's current leadership.
No overall leader for Hamas will be selected, the sources said, until elections are held early in 2025. However Mr Al Hayaa has already emerged as the most probable successor to Yahya Sinwar, they confirmed.
Mr Al Hayya, who is known to maintain close ties with both Iran and Egypt, was often Hamas's chief representative in nearly a year of fruitless negotiations to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli and other hostages held by Hamas since its fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7 last year.
Like Yahya Sinwar, Mr Al Hayya, 63, was jailed by Israel for three years in the early 1990s. He survived several assassination attempts which were blamed on Israel and in which nearly 30 of his family members, including two of his sons, were killed. He earned a doctorate in Islamic studies from a university in Sudan in 1997. A faithful disciple of Sheikh Yassin, Mr Al Hayya was one of the founders of Hamas in the 1980s.
“Hamas will continue to work towards the creation of a Palestinian state on Palestinian soil with Jerusalem as its capital,” he declared when announcing the death of Yahya Sinwar. The sources said the ascension of Mr Al Hayya to become leader of Hamas is far from a foregone conclusion, adding that Mr Mashal also has a good chance of taking the helm.
The choosing of a new leader comes at a critical time for Hamas. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared the total annihilation of the group as being among the top goals of the Gaza war. The coastal enclave has been devastated by Israel's military response to Hamas's October 7 attack, with about 42,800 Palestinians dead according to the enclave's Health Ministry, and more than twice that number wounded.
Large built-up areas of Gaza have been razed and the vast majority of the enclave's 2.3 million residents displaced, multiple times in many cases. Hamas and UN officials maintain that continuing Israeli military operations in northern Gaza appear designed to lay waste to the region and depopulate it, as a prelude to the creation of a buffer zone there.
The sources said Hamas may have lost at least 30 per cent of its military-wing commanders during the war, and as much as 40 per cent of its storied network of underground tunnels. There have also been immense casualties among fighters on the ground, according to the sources, who gave no figures.
Israel claimed in February that it had killed 10,000 Hamas fighters in nearly four months of bombardment and ground operations. Hamas was believed to have up to 30,000 fighters on the eve of the war.
“There have been no significant replenishment of Hamas's weapons and ammunition given that the war has been going on for more than a year,” said one of the sources. “It is obvious now that the way forward for Hamas will be high-profile attacks, suicide missions and an upsurge of attacks in the West Bank,” the source said.
“Netanyahu's declared goals are unlikely to be achieved, but he is working very hard on the undeclared ones,” said prominent military analyst Samir Ragheb, a retired army general known to be close to the government. “These include making Gaza a place unfit to sustain communities, forced evictions, and shrinking the size of Gaza by creating militarised buffer zones.”
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
MANDOOB
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The%20specs
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Fiorentina v Torino (8pm)
Hellas Verona v Roma (10.45pm)
Sunday
Parma v Napoli (2.30pm)
Genoa v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (8pm)
Juventus v Sampdoria (10.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Bologna (10.45om)
Playing September 30
Benevento v Inter Milan (8pm)
Udinese v Spezia (8pm)
Lazio v Atalanta (10.45pm)
THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Race%20card
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
The biog
Age: 46
Number of Children: Four
Hobby: Reading history books
Loves: Sports
MO
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The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
