Israel has said it will conquer Gaza regardless of any ceasefire agreement with Hamas, as it increased its new offensive in the strip.
At least 11 Palestinians were killed in Israeli bombings in Gaza city, local media said. The Israeli army told doctors to prepare for a "full evacuation" as it aims to seize the city and force its residents south.
The Israeli war plan "requires you to prepare a plan to transfer the medical equipment from north to south, so that you will be able to provide treatment for all the patients in the southern strip", an Israeli army officer told medical officials in Gaza. Arab countries have repeatedly warned against Palestinians being displaced.
Saudi Arabia was leading Arab diplomatic efforts on Thursday as it condemned "dangerous Israeli plans" to expand the war and build new settlements on Palestinian land.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in the kingdom's Neom region. Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held phone calls a day earlier with foreign ministers from Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE.
Qatar and Egypt have proposed a 60-day truce and the release of some Israeli hostages. Hamas said it could accept the terms, while Israel has not formally responded but given every indication it plans to proceed with the war.
Israel says it has taken first steps of military operation in Gaza city
Asked by Sky News Australia whether Israel would retake Gaza even if Hamas accepted a deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would.
"We're going to do that anyway. There was never a question that we're not going to leave Hamas there," he said.
Late on Thursday he said Israel was ready for "immediate negotiations" to end the war in Gaza. It was not known if his comments amount to a shift in Israel's position or are just rhetoric about ramping up pressure on Hamas.
Mr Netanyahu said he had met troops to "approve the plans" for the capture of Gaza city. "At the same time, I have instructed to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and the end of the war on terms acceptable to Israel," he said.
"These two things – defeating Hamas and releasing all our hostages – go hand in hand."
Authorities in Gaza said the war's death toll reached 62,192 on Thursday, with two more people pronounced dead from malnutrition. Palestinian news agency Wafa said 11 people were killed in two separate air strikes in the Al Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza city. Israel has resisted pleas from the Arab world and beyond to call off a campaign that has left many Gazans starving in desperate conditions.
A report by British, Israeli and Palestinian news outlets claimed that 83 per cent of Palestinians killed during the Gaza war were civilians, quoting Israel's own intelligence database. The Israeli army denied the claims by Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine, the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call, and The Guardian.
“That proportion of civilians among those killed would be unusually high, particularly as it has been going on for such a long time,” said Therese Pettersson from the Uppsala Conflict Data Programme, which tracks civilian casualties worldwide.
'Pressure cooker' tactics
Two former Israeli officials told The National that Mr Netanyahu's new war plan appeared designed to push Gazans out for good. Israel wants to "create a pressure cooker there and wait for it to explode, and for people to cross the border to Sinai and do the ethnic cleansing of Gaza”, said former hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin.
Eran Etzion, a former head of Israel's National Security Council, said Mr Netanyahu "is not interested in a deal … because he is fully committed to an overarching strategy of annihilation of the two-state solution, first in Gaza then the West Bank".
A planning committee signed off on Wednesday on the construction of 3,400 homes in a wedge of land east of Jerusalem known as E1. One far-right Israeli minister has said the new settlements would "bury" Palestinian statehood.
A group of 21 mainly European countries said on Thursday that the move "brings no benefits to the Israeli people". "Instead, it risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability, taking us further away from peace," said the countries, including Britain and France. The UK separately announced it had summoned Israel's ambassador Tzipi Hotovely over the plan.
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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.
How 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
