• Palestinian children wounded in Israeli strikes amid the Israel-Gaza war wait for treatment at Nasser Hospital. Reuters
    Palestinian children wounded in Israeli strikes amid the Israel-Gaza war wait for treatment at Nasser Hospital. Reuters
  • Wounded Palestinians are assisted out of an ambulance to receive treatment at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Reuters
    Wounded Palestinians are assisted out of an ambulance to receive treatment at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Reuters
  • Displaced Palestinian children gather for breakfast at a refugee camp in Rafah. AFP
    Displaced Palestinian children gather for breakfast at a refugee camp in Rafah. AFP
  • Children inside a damaged building following strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
    Children inside a damaged building following strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. AFP
  • People salvage belongings from a damaged building following strikes on Rafah. AFP
    People salvage belongings from a damaged building following strikes on Rafah. AFP
  • A girl is assisted as Palestinians search for casualties after an Israeli strike on a house, in Rafa in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
    A girl is assisted as Palestinians search for casualties after an Israeli strike on a house, in Rafa in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
  • A Palestinian woman is evacuated at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Rafah. Reuters
    A Palestinian woman is evacuated at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Rafah. Reuters
  • Police officers push back a counter protester who snatched a pro-Palestinian placard from a woman during a demonstration in solidarity with Gazans, London. Reuters
    Police officers push back a counter protester who snatched a pro-Palestinian placard from a woman during a demonstration in solidarity with Gazans, London. Reuters
  • Israeli soldiers inside the Gaza Strip, amid the continuing ground operation. Reuters
    Israeli soldiers inside the Gaza Strip, amid the continuing ground operation. Reuters
  • An Israeli flag can be seen inside the Gaza Strip, from the Israeli side of the border. Reuters
    An Israeli flag can be seen inside the Gaza Strip, from the Israeli side of the border. Reuters
  • A Palestinian woman evacuates her home, heading to the southern Gaza Strip. EPA
    A Palestinian woman evacuates her home, heading to the southern Gaza Strip. EPA
  • Thomas Hand, the father of Irish-Israeli Emily Hand, 8, who was announced dead following the October 7 attack, then later confirmed as one of the hostages held in Gaza, speaks from his hotel where he was evacuated to in Israel. Reuters
    Thomas Hand, the father of Irish-Israeli Emily Hand, 8, who was announced dead following the October 7 attack, then later confirmed as one of the hostages held in Gaza, speaks from his hotel where he was evacuated to in Israel. Reuters
  • A residential building on fire following Israeli air strikes in Gaza city. Bloomberg
    A residential building on fire following Israeli air strikes in Gaza city. Bloomberg
  • The rubble from destroyed residential buildings fills a street in Gaza city. Bloomberg
    The rubble from destroyed residential buildings fills a street in Gaza city. Bloomberg
  • A Palestinian child drinks water as they evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip. EPA
    A Palestinian child drinks water as they evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip. EPA
  • Palestinians displaced from Gaza city head towards the south. Bloomberg
    Palestinians displaced from Gaza city head towards the south. Bloomberg
  • Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip. AP
    Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip. AP
  • Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip on Salah al-Din Street in Bureij, Gaza Strip. AP
    Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip on Salah al-Din Street in Bureij, Gaza Strip. AP
  • A group picture ahead of an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Riyadh. AFP
    A group picture ahead of an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation in Riyadh. AFP

US says no surge in aid to Gaza and no pause in war until Israeli hostages are released


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

The release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas is the pathway to “pause” the war in Gaza, a top US official said on Saturday.

US White House Co-ordinator Brett McGurk, speaking during the annual Manama Dialogue security summit in Bahrain, called for the need to plan for the time after “Hamas is degraded” and said if the group wants to protect civilians then hostages should be freed immediately.

“The release of hostages is the pathway to a pause in the fighting. To pause the fighting, release the hostages, the women, the children, the toddlers, the babies,” he said.

“The onus here is on Hamas.

US National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk speaks during the IISS Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama on Saturday. AFP
US National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk speaks during the IISS Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama on Saturday. AFP

“I want to stress that once the hostages are released you will see a significant change.”

Mr McGurk said there was not enough aid coming into the Gaza Strip to meet the needs of civilians.

"We are working to get humanitarian aid into Gaza but the surge in humanitarian relief, the surge in fuel, the pause and fighting will come when hostages are released," Mr McGurk said.

He said the only way out of this conflict is “one that results in an Israel that is fully secure and the establishment of a Palestinian state”.

Israel has vowed to “crush” Hamas in response to the group's October 7 attack, when it broke through Gaza's militarised border to kill about 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Militants took about 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

Israel's army air and ground campaign has killed more than 11,400 people, including 5,000 children, according to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007.

“Israel will not go back to 6 October, neither will the Palestinians,” he said.

His statement came as Jordan's Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, said nothing will move without a US role in this crisis.

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Multitasking pays off for money goals

Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.

That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

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Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings

1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points

2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188

3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169

4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116

6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67

7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56

8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45

9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35

10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26

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."
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Updated: November 18, 2023, 4:37 PM