Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
US President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to Hamas on Monday, saying that if all Israeli hostages were not freed from Gaza by noon on Saturday, then “all hell is going to break out”.
“As far as I'm concerned, if all of the hostages aren't returned by Saturday at 12 o'clock – I think it's an appropriate time – I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” he said. “And if they're not returned – all of them, not in dribs and drabs … after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out.”
He added that Israel could “override” such a decision. Asked whether the US would intervene in Gaza after the Saturday deadline, Mr Trump said: “We’ll see what happens.”
It was not clear what time zone the noon deadline would fall under.
Hamas earlier on Monday announced it would delay the release of hostages after saying Israel had committed breaches and failed to abide by the terms of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement struck three weeks ago.
The development comes during phase one of a fragile pause in the 16-month war in Gaza. Under the terms, brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt, Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
The ceasefire began on January 19, the day before Mr Trump took office.
More than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes and most of Gaza's homes and infrastructure have been reduced to rubble. The war was ignited on October 7, 2023 when Hamas gunmen attacked Israel killing 1,200 and taking about 250 people hostage.
Mr Trump's comments also come after the US President has been pushing a proposal to permanently displace roughly two million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, while saying the US would “own” the coastal enclave and develop it. Palestinians would not have the right to return after the coastal enclave is rebuilt, he said.
He first made the proposal last week during the official visit of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington. He said he would turn the enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The President's relocation plan has been met with almost unequivocal rejection from Arab and world leaders as well as the UN and Palestinians, who have said such a move would be a grave injustice and amount to ethnic cleansing.
Mr Trump said Palestinians would be sent to Jordan and Egypt, though both countries have rejected the proposal.
The President has so far insisted that the two countries, as well as others would take displaced Palestinians.
“I do think he'll take [Palestinians],” he said, referring to Jordan's King Abdullah II, who is visiting the White House on Tuesday. “And I think other countries will take also, they have good hearts.”
And when asked if he would withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if they do not comply with his plan, he said: “Yeah, maybe, sure why not? If they don’t, I would conceivably withhold aid, yes.”
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is expected to visit Washington next week, although his trip has not yet been officially announced.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Washington on Monday to discuss “post-conflict planning” for Gaza.
A readout from the State Department made no mention of Mr Trump’s displacement plan. He has said Egypt and Jordan would take the refugees, but both countries have repeatedly said they would not.
Mr Abdelatty told Mr Rubio that Arab states remain firm in their stance against the President's proposals, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
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It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
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.
if you go
The flights
Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.
The tour
Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, Friday, March 29, 5pm at The Sevens, Dubai
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
