Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Facing intensified Israeli attacks, mass forced displacement and dwindling food supplies, civilians in Gaza have lost patience with the drawn-out negotiations for a renewed ceasefire and are calling on Hamas to accept truce terms that would bring a permanent end to the war.
Israel has offered a temporary pause to allow the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees, along with a lifting of its blockade on aid deliveries, but Hamas insists on a formula that will ensure an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory. It also rejects Israel's demand that the group must disarm and its leadership leave Gaza for the war to end.
Hamas official Suhail Al Hindi, a member of the group's political bureau, reiterated this stance in a statement acknowledging that it had received a new proposal from mediators for a 45-day truce.
“The movement has begun studying the latest proposal presented to the Hamas leadership delegation and will respond once our internal consultations are complete,” Mr Al Hindi said.
“The resistance will not concede on the complete cessation of the war and the total withdrawal of the occupation forces. Any new ideas or proposals that fail to guarantee these conditions are bound to fail.”
Adham Salama, 44, a displaced resident of Deir Al Balah whose home in Rafah city was destroyed, said that while he agreed that a temporary truce was not enough, he also did not believe that Hamas was able to fight effectively any longer.
“We want any decision that could end the war but if it's a temporary ceasefire that leads to the resumption of the war, then we say no – we don't want temporary solutions,” Mr Salama told The National.
“Hamas doesn't have weapons now. Fifty per cent of Gaza has become isolated and the pistol or Kalashnikov is not a strategic weapon,” he said, referring to the Israeli military's strategy of cordoning off large areas of the enclave after fighting resumed on March 18.
“Militarily, Hamas is finished. And politically, it's finished too. Even its civil institutions have collapsed. Only small groups remain, those with the prisoners [hostages] and the movement abroad with its supporters. This is what remains,” he said.
Recent weeks have seen rare protests against Hamas, which has not tolerated any signs of opposition since it seized control of the enclave in 2007, to demand an end to the war.
“Hamas doesn't listen to anyone, and therein lies the dilemma between it and the people. There has to be a solution,” Mr Salama said.
Ashraf Mahmoud, 51, a resident of Al Nasser Street in Gaza city, whose home was also destroyed, expressed frustration with Hamas’s priorities.
“It is clear that all Hamas cares about is what happens the day after the war,” Mr Mahmoud said. “It wants to remain in control of Gaza, preserving what little power it has left to impose its rule on the wounded, grieving and hungry citizens.
“Every time it rejects an offer, a worse one follows, because Israel has realised Hamas's weakness in the face of its strength. It’s no secret that Hamas's survival actually serves Israel’s interests. It fits into their plans, most importantly, preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state and maintaining the division between Gaza and the [occupied] West Bank.”
He despaired over Hamas's unwillingness to lay down arms. “Have weapons ever stopped the killing? Weapons can be replaced, but lives cannot. This isn't about submission; preventing harm takes precedence over gaining benefit. Enough killing and displacement, we are tired.”
Mahmoud Taha, 40, whose home in Al Zahra neighbourhood south of Gaza city was destroyed, said he was in favour of “stopping this massacre against the Palestinian people in Gaza under any circumstances and under any agreement, even if it is somewhat unjust”.
“We are enduring the worst kinds of suffering, personally, socially, and psychologically, at the hands of a criminal, bloodthirsty enemy that no one in the world can stop,” he said.
“Personally, I have not authorised any person to speak on my behalf. A leader who sees his people being slaughtered and subjected to the worst forms of oppression in history, and then carries a draft [truce] and says, 'We will study it within a week,' is not a responsible leader.”
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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The five pillars of Islam
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
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Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
