Israel’s plan to forcibly evict one million people from Gaza city, half of Palestinian territory’s population, is “impossible” to carry out in a safe and dignified manner, the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said.
“Such an evacuation would trigger a massive population movement that no area in the Gaza Strip can absorb, given the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and the extreme shortages of food, water, shelter and medical care,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement on Saturday.
Israel‘s military has ordered residents to leave the city ahead of what the government has billed as a decisive battle to defeat Hamas and recover hostages held by the militant group.
But Ms Spoljaric said the order “would be imposed on civilians who are already traumatised by months of fighting and terrified by what could come next. Many are unable to comply with evacuation orders because they are starving, sick, injured or suffering from physical disabilities”.
She pointed out that, under international humanitarian law, Israel “must do everything to ensure that civilians have satisfactory conditions of shelter, hygiene, health, safety and nutrition, and that families are not separated”, after ordering them to move.
“These conditions cannot currently be met in Gaza. This makes any evacuation not only unfeasible but incomprehensible under the present circumstances,” she said.
Israel has intensified attacks across Gaza city as its troops prepare to enter. The military on Friday declared the city a “dangerous combat zone” and said its daily pauses in fighting to allow the delivery of aid would be suspended.
Israel introduced the daily halt in fighting from 10am to 8pm earlier this month amid mounting international concern over rising hunger caused by Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid.
The decision to stop the daily pauses comes a week after the UN declared a famine in Gaza city.
Gaza’s health ministry on Friday reported 79 people killed in Israeli attacks over the previous 24 hours, most of them in Gaza city, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The ministry reported 62 more deaths on Saturday, including four people killed in previous attacks whose bodies had just been recovered, raising the Palestinian death toll to 63,371 since the war began in October 2023. The number of injured rose to 159,835, it said.
It also reported 10 more deaths from hunger, raising the number of such deaths since the war began to 332, including 124 children.
Israel has restricted aid deliveries throughout the war, including a nearly two-month total blockade imposed in early March. Israel justified the move by accusing Hamas of stealing supplies, without providing proof.
The war began with an attack on southern Israel by Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza on October 7, 2023. The militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostage. There are 48 hostages still in captivity, of whom only 20 are alive, according to the Israeli military.
MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2′, Gray 52′)
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
Key findings of Jenkins report
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, “accepted the political utility of violence”
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: “The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism.”
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) – £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) – £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) – £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) – £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) – £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) – £10.8m
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsWar 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 290hp
Torque: 340Nm
Price: Dh155,800
On sale: now
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politicsUAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsOur legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Killing of Qassem SuleimaniRed flags
Promises of high, fixed or ‘guaranteed’ returns.
Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions – this can make legal recovery difficult.
Hard-selling tactics – creating urgency, offering ‘exclusive’ deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it’s downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn’t long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It’s like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they’re still in the testing phase. It isn’t terrible, but something isn’t quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it’s probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
‘Cheb%20Khaled’
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in MayUAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsHow much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
Brighton College Abu Dhabi – Dh68,560
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) – Dh54,170
Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder’s friends and Family
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)