As Israel's government pushes ahead with plans to reoccupy Gaza, Israeli opponents of the war are becoming more strident, with one telling The National the move would not bring further security to the country but would instead endanger it.
“From a military point of view, we've reached the point we wanted to achieve. The impact now will be that our security will be decreasing,” said Ami Ayalon, a former head of Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet.
Mr Ayalon argued that those who say reoccupying Gaza after 22 months of Israeli bombardment would bring an end to Hamas do not understand what occupation means, nor what eliminating the Palestinian militant group would entail.
He said Israel had achieved its military goal of ensuring that Hamas was no longer a threat by killing its leadership, including Yahya Sinwar, his brother Mohammed Sinwar, and Ismail Haniyeh, but this did not put an end to the beliefs they represented.
“You cannot defeat the ideology by the use of military power, but [instead] by presenting a better horizon, which is a state for the Palestinans. Unless we do it, Israel will not be secure.”
Mr Ayalon is one of 550 signatories of an open letter to US President Donald Trump, calling on him to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza immediately.
The former security official acknowledged the heavy toll that Israel's actions have taken on the people of Gaza, something that many in Israel either deny or attribute to “propaganda” by Hamas.
So far, Israel has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, and wounded more than 152,000 others, according to local health authorities, whose figures the UN considers to be reliable.
“You have to understand the meaning of occupation. First of all, you have to kill hundreds or thousands of people,” Mr Ayalon said. “You have to be able to control the life every person.”
Israel's military now controls about 75 per cent of Gaza's territory, 20 years after it “disengaged” from the Palestinian territory. It has forced much of Gaza's population into a small area in the south, where more than 40,000 people are living in every square kilometre, according to UN estimates.
Israel's planned offensive on Gaza city, as part of its reoccupation goal, is expected to drive another one million people – half of the enclave's population – into the south.
Internal divisions
Mr Ayalon said a fundamental issue is that Israel views its enemies in one of two ways: either as targets that need to be destroyed, or as statesmen, who will be negotiated with at a later stage.
He referred to the 1973 war in which Israel lost thousands of soldiers in exchange for control of the Sinai Peninsula and withdrew when they established diplomatic relations with Egypt.
Mr Ayalon said the Israeli government's goal of reoccupation and its conduct of the war in Gaza was causing further divisions within Israel.
The government that was elected legally as part of a democratic system no longer represents the people, he said.
“The government has not presented a political goal until today. They refuse to discuss the day after [the war] because they understand that they will not get the support of the people.”
Israeli polls show that at least 70 per cent of people want to bring back the hostages in Gaza and end the war. Hamas and other militant groups are believed to be still holding 50 hostages, of who 20 are alive, out of the 250 people they seized from Israel during the attack on October 7, 2003 that started the war.
Mr Ayalon said the case can no longer be made that killing one person in Gaza is a means to save the lives of many.
“If you cannot prove it to yourself then it's not just. It is against human nature and humanity. So I cannot justify what we are doing today in Gaza.”
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Barcelona 3
Messi (27’, 32’, 87’)
Leganes 1
El Zhar (68’)
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.
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
