The open-ended ceasefire between Israel and the Gaza resistance to end thefighting has dominated the Arabic-language press, with most comments hailing it as a victory for the Palestinian people beyond the conventional means of weighing gains and losses.
Abdel Bari Atwan, editor-in-chief of the London-based news website Rai Al Youm, wrote that the Palestinians fighters won the fighting because they had instilled panic in the hearts of six million Israelis. The Palestinians had displayed highly skilful fighting capabilities, much to the shock of the Israelis.
The writer said this victory was attained not only by the steadfastness of the Palestinians, but thanks to the negotiators who withstood all kinds of pressure and stuck to their demands to have the blockade lifted and the border crossings opened. Talks on a seaport and airport were postponed to the next round.
The writer claimed that Gaza, which once defeated Alexander the Great, had inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. None of the objectives set by out by Mr Netanyahu, including destroying and disarming the resistance, were achieved.
Writing for the Jordanian daily Addustoor, Areeb Al Rantawi said that under conventional equations of war, Israel’s losses represented only about three per cent of what the Palestinians in Gaza suffered. Counting the cost in a traditional way, 68 Israelis were killed and a few hundred were wounded, whereas on the Palestinian side, more than 2,000 Palestinians died and 10,000 others were injured.
Yet, it does not take much effort to establish who really won the battle, he added. Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem took to the streets to celebrate their victory; messages via mobile phones and social media all pointed to the winning party. On the other hand, Israel’s cabinet ministers were informed of the truce by phone, with silence reigning among the ruling class and speculation rising about the looming end of Mr Netanyahu’s political career.
Gazans displayed brave resistance and their victory against an army equipped with the most advanced weaponry was well deserved.
The writer said that Israel failed on many fronts in its latest attack on Gaza. It lost the sympathy of many of its allies and lost a great deal in the battles of “image and narrative”. It also failed to achieve any of the goals it set for the offensive.
Palestinians, on the other hand, emerged more unified and confident in themselves and in the resistance, as the Israeli occupiers succumbed to demands for the immediate reconstruction of Gaza and opening of the border crossings.
Israel’s third war on Gaza has pumped new life into Palestinians and should usher in a new period in the long and costly struggle for freedom, the writer said.
Striking a similar tone, Fahmi Huwaidi remarked in the Cairo-based newspaper Al Shorouk that after more than 50 days of fighting, joy has swept the streets of Gaza. Crowds were jubilant at news that their fighters had repelled the aggressors and shifted the fear into Israel, he wrote.
According to an opinion poll by Israel’s Channel 2, 80 per cent of Israelis were dissatisfied with Mr Netanyahu’s performance and 90 per cent said they did not approve of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.
Granted, the people of Gaza suffered a hellish situation at the hands of the occupiers and all of them paid dearly during the attack. Yet they retained their dignity and put their agonies aside when the ceasefire was declared and went out to celebrate the feat of standing up to arrogance and brutality, the writer concluded.
An editorial in the UAE-based Al Bayan said that the Palestinians had won the fight despite a huge disparity in the balance of power. After nearly two months of hostilities during which Israelis used their arsenal of weapons from air, land and sea, the Palestinian resistance remained cohesive and capable of striking back right up until the ceasefire.
The occupation forces failed on a domestic level because half the Israeli population had sought shelter and the economy was hit hard, despite Israel’s Iron Dome defence shield and image of military invincibility.
The war also sparked division and finger-pointing inside Israel on the political and military levels, amid signs of a government crisis that could topple Mr Netanyahu.
The assault on Gaza created a new reality that could soon translate into a strategic defeat for Israel, the editorial said.
Translated by Abdelhafid Ezzouitni
aezzouitni@thenational.ae
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About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Company%20Profile
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Copa del Rey final
Sevilla v Barcelona, Saturday, 11.30pm (UAE), match on Bein Sports
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
More from our Neighbourhood series:
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
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