A fragile ceasefire in Gaza is back in effect after Israel launched strikes against Hamas at the weekend, accusing militants of attacking its troops. Thousands of kilometres away in Bridgeview, Illinois – known colloquially as “Little Palestine” – residents and business owners are watching closely, torn between fear, scepticism and cautious hope over the peace plan.
The neighbourhood in suburban Chicago is home to the largest Palestinian-American community in the country. Arabic signs line the streets and Middle Eastern restaurants dot nearly every corner, many proudly displaying their support for Gaza.
Living with constant fear
Deanna Othman, a lifelong resident of the area, teaches English and journalism at a high school and serves as a board member of American Muslims for Palestine in Chicago. Her family is from the village of Beitunia, in the occupied West Bank, and her husband is from Gaza.
The war, she says, has left them in a state of relentless worry. Ms Othman last visited Gaza in June 2023, only months before the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and the Israeli offensive that has since killed more than 68,100 people.
“Obviously, it’s impacted the whole community but it’s been more personal because of my husband’s family being there [in Gaza],” she said. “It’s been a very difficult two years … not knowing if our family is safe, not being able to reach them, not knowing if they have food to eat, or shelter. It’s an endless list of worries and concerns.”
The uncertainty makes it impossible to trust any peace agreement, says Ms Othman, whose husband’s mother, siblings and extended family are scattered across Gaza.
“I hesitate to think that the war is over just because Israel has continued to kill Palestinians, even after signing the peace plan,” she said. “You can never really rest assured that anyone is safe or that this is over.”
For her, any plan that excludes Palestinians from shaping the future of Gaza is bound to fall short.
“Unless Israel is completely out of Gaza, there’s no guarantee that they’re going to be able to rebuild or live safely,” she said. “Things have escalated in the West Bank, too. They haven’t got better. They’ve actually got worse.”
The past two years have been “a roller coaster of emotions … sadness, anger, depression, worry".
Amid the horror, she clings to hope, although it is often hard to sustain. “It’s difficult to see that, considering the situation we’re in and the horrifying images from Gaza – starved children, charred and dismembered bodies – it’s hard to see all of that, to process it and to have hope moving forward.”
Yet she also sees a responsibility for her community to act. “We really have a spotlight on us, because we are the largest Palestinian community in the United States,” she said. “We need to continue raising our voices until we see our people living in liberation.”
‘Little Palestine’ rallies
That shared sense of purpose has brought the community closer. At Al Bawadi Grill, a family-owned Palestinian restaurant that has been a local landmark for 17 years, support for Gaza is woven into everyday business. The owners recently expanded with a new Middle Eastern seafood restaurant, Al Bahaar, in Orland Park.
From donating sales to joining protests, the restaurant's founders and employees have been outspoken in their solidarity.
Hamza Ismail, the son of the owner, grew up in the restaurant of which he is now manager. “We’ve definitely seen families that have been coming here for 17 years,” Mr Ismail said. “I used to come here when I was seven, running around the restaurant. I’ve grown with so many memories here and met so many people that I’ve continued to see for almost two decades.”
He describes the neighbourhood as “a huge family” that rallied quickly when war broke out. “As soon as everything happened in Gaza, it’s been a continuous effort to make sure that people are aware and that we’re doing what we can to support Gaza.”
But trust, Mr Ismail said, is hard to come by. “It’s hard for anyone to trust Israel or that government as of now. They’ve indiscriminately killed our people. When you look at the footage of what’s left in Gaza, it’s almost all rubble. Yes, optimism has to be there but the trust is definitely not.”
Scepticism runs deep
Tarek Khalil, a lawyer and education co-ordinator with American Muslims for Palestine, says the ceasefire is welcome but fragile.
“It is relief that is needed for the Palestinians in Gaza,” he said. “There’s still a blockade. There’s still a military occupation. People are still displaced and hungry. This is only the beginning.”
For Mr Khalil, Little Palestine embodies both cultural pride and solidarity. “Every little aspect of Palestine you can find here,” he said. “Palestinian food, people, mosques, life. But it’s not just Palestinians. It’s whites, Jews, Blacks, Latinos, Asians. Every marginalised community stands with justice for Palestinians, and we stand for justice for their causes as well.”
His distrust of political leadership is clear. “Now that [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu has the hostages back, I really don’t see an incentive for him to keep this going in a way that doesn’t cause further slaughter,” he said. “I’m not hopeful in the Arab world or this administration but I do have faith in the American people.”
He urged Americans to use their power to demand accountability. “We can’t give up hope,” he said. “We need to hold our elected officials to account. Palestine is the litmus test of our day.
"If you want to tout that you are pro-universal health care, you're pro this issue or that issue, but you are actively complicit in denying those same things to Palestinians, then you're a hypocrite and you should not be in office."
Holding on to hope
Amid the fear and uncertainty, there is still cautious hope. Mohanad Aburas, who opened Prince Sweets in Bridgeview in 2010 after moving from Nablus in the West Bank, said the ceasefire has brought a sense of relief.
“We are so happy, because they ended the war and the genocide over there,” he said. “The community is so happy to stop the war, to stop the killing of innocent people, the kids and women and the elders.”
Mr Aburas hopes the agreement will hold. “If the Israeli government keeps its promises, I think, yeah, we will reach to the end of the agreement."
Vivian Khalaf, a Jerusalem-born lawyer and chairwoman of the board at the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, said the community remains “cautiously optimistic".
“We are optimistic that the violence has stopped to a certain extent,” she said. “But it’s very, very tenuous. We have no choice but to hope.”
She doubts a lasting resolution is possible with Israel’s current government but says the conflict has strengthened community bonds.
“The war galvanised the Little Palestine community. It brought them together,” Ms Khalaf said. “People are so generous. Any dollar they have to spare is going to organisations such as PCRF to help support the people of Gaza. It has really brought us together more than ever.”
SUNDAY'S ABU DHABI T10 MATCHES
Northern Warriors v Team Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangla Tigers v Karnataka Tuskers, 5.45pm
Qalandars v Maratha Arabians, 8pm
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
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
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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
Superliminal%20
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Pillow%20Castle%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Pillow%20Castle%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20One%20%26amp%3B%20X%2FS%2C%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PC%20and%20Mac%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Schedule
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ENovember%2013-14%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20World%20Youth%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Championship%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENovember%2015-16%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%20World%20Masters%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Championship%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENovember%2017-19%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20World%20Professional%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Championship%20followed%20by%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20World%20Jiu-Jitsu%20Awards%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
