Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Medics and emergency responders killed in an Israeli attack on ambulances in Rafah, southern Gaza, last week had their hands and feet tied and appeared to have been shot in the head, rescue workers told The National.
The bodies of eight medics from the Palestine Red Crescent, six members of the Gaza Civil Defence Agency and another UN employee were recovered from Rafah, in the south of the strip, on Sunday. They had been missing for about a week after responding to reports of injuries from Israeli shelling on the area of Hashashin, the Red Crescent said, adding their vehicles were marked as humanitarian and medical personnel.
An Israeli military statement said its troops had opened fire on vehicles approaching them “suspiciously” and without identification, and that it had killed "terrorists" in the operation. It had issued an eviction notice in the area hours earlier, saying Hamas militants were operating there.
Israeli forces would not allow access to the site where the bodies were for days, the UN said, before eventually revealing where they were. Destroyed ambulances and other vehicles were also found at the site.
A Gaza Civil Defence worker and a Red Crescent employee involved in the recovery of the team's bodies spoke to The National on condition of anonymity. Both said the bodies of the men were found some distance from the vehicles they had been travelling in and their hands and feet were bound.
"It appears that the army executed them first, placed them in a hole, then bulldozed the area, scattering their remains across the site. This made the search incredibly difficult," the Gaza Civil Defence worker said. "We found bodies stacked on top of each other. One of the Civil Defence workers had a wire tied around his foot, resembling handcuffs – clear evidence that they were interrogated, tortured and then executed in cold blood."
The worker said the pattern of injuries on the bodies, including gunshot wounds to the head and chest, suggested "execution-style" killings. "After they were killed, their bodies were covered with a black cloth before being buried and the burial site bulldozed."
Israel has killed more than 100 Civil Defence workers and more than 1,000 health workers since the war broke out 18 months ago, the UN says. The Red Crescent has called the latest incident the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight years.
The death toll in Gaza breached 50,000 last week, days after Israel resumed its attacks on the territory following the breakdown of a two-month ceasefire. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since March 18, Gaza's Health Ministry reported.
“They were killed by Israeli forces while trying to save lives,” UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said of the medical crew, who were buried on Monday. He called for justice for those killed.
In response to a request for comment on the injuries the staff said they found on the bodies, their burial and their status as medical, rescue or UN staff, the Israeli military referred The National to a post on X from its international spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani.
He said Israeli forces had determined they killed Mohammad Amin Ibrahim Shubaki, who he said was a member of Hamas that had played a role in the October 7 attack on Israel, as well as eight other "terrorists".
This name did not feature among the list of the dead from the Palestinian Red Crescent or Gaza Civil Defence.
The Red Crescent worker said finding the dead was a lengthy process, taking more than a day. Footage released by the UN showed recovery workers digging through dirt in the Tel Al Sultan area of Rafah, then pulling out the bodies of uniformed workers.
"When we finally located the martyrs, their hands and feet were bound – clear evidence that they had been tortured," the Res Crescent employee said. "It was also apparent that they were not all executed at the same time, but rather in stages, as the condition of the bodies suggested."
"The army killed the paramedics and Civil Defence workers after forcing them out of their vehicles. The vehicles were found in one area, while the bodies were discovered in completely different locations."
Eviction orders oust thousands from homes and makeshift camps
The Israeli army continues to issue eviction orders to residents across Gaza. On Tuesday morning, it ordered those in northern Gaza's Beit Lahia, Beit Hanoun and Sheikh Zayed to leave, sparking fears the orders may be part of a larger plan to forcibly remove Gaza’s population.
Khaled Al Jamal, 30, a father of two, has already been displaced nine times. Now, after the latest Israeli evacuation order for Rafah issued on Monday, he finds himself once again forced to flee.
"It was extremely difficult to leave. The bombing never stopped, and we couldn’t find a safe way out. They ordered us to evacuate while simultaneously shelling everywhere," he told The National. "When I left home with my family, a quadcopter hovered above our heads. We walked, fully expecting to be killed at any moment. This time feels different. We fear we may never return to Rafah."
Kareem Sobaih, 16, was displaced from Rafah for the fifth time yesterday, leaving his family of nine's Eid Al Fitr celebrations in tatters. "We were staying in our home, hoping to celebrate Eid like the rest of the world – peacefully, with joy and festivities. Instead, we received leaflets warning us to leave Rafah because it had been declared a red zone," Kareem said from Al Mawasi. "Before, they targeted specific areas, but this time, they are talking about all of Rafah."
"We felt immense fear. We had seen how they executed Civil Defence workers in cold blood, so we decided to leave. It was one of the most terrifying moments of our lives. The quadcopter hovered above us, making us feel like we could be killed at any moment. But, thanks to God, we survived."
As evacuation orders continue and reports of executions surface, the people of Gaza remain trapped between relentless displacement and the fear that they may never be allowed to return home.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Super Bowl LIII schedule
What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
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Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
SERIES INFO
Schedule:
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
1st ODI, Wed Apr 10
2nd ODI, Fri Apr 12
3rd ODI, Sun Apr 14
4th ODI, Sun Apr 16
UAE squad
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Zimbabwe squad
Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
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