An injured woman at a hotel in Eilat, which is hosting survivors from the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz. AFP
An injured woman at a hotel in Eilat, which is hosting survivors from the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz. AFP
An injured woman at a hotel in Eilat, which is hosting survivors from the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz. AFP
An injured woman at a hotel in Eilat, which is hosting survivors from the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz. AFP

Eilat, the Israeli city hosting refugees and bracing for the Houthis


Thomas Helm
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

Irit Lahav feels lucky to be living in Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city, despite moving there in the worst circumstances imaginable.

She is a senior member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the communities stormed by Hamas on October 7.

A quarter of its population was lost that day, either killed or taken hostage, Ms Lahav tells The National.

She is grateful her community is getting a chance to regroup in the relative safety of Eilat.

“We needed a lot of peace at the beginning and the fact that we are right next to the beach is so helpful – it lets us sit and process what we’ve been through,” the one-time peace activist says in a busy resort hotel that is accommodating internally displaced Israelis.

“Every one of them was like a family member,” she says of those killed by Hamas.

“During my childhood in the kibbutz, the rule was that the community’s children would sleep communally and not at their parents’ home, so it's like losing many brothers and sisters.”

A woman carries toys for children from donations at a hotel in Eilat. AFP
A woman carries toys for children from donations at a hotel in Eilat. AFP

Tents housing temporary schools, art therapy centres and even free massage parlours have popped up, although evening activities including singing and visits from a clown soon stopped, with Ms Lahav saying people were too traumatised to engage.

Nor has the potential for renewed trauma disappeared.

Like all of Israel, Eilat is still at threat from rockets, although most Hamas projectiles do not have the range to reach the city.

Eilat's residents have two minutes to reach bomb shelters in the event of emergency sirens, the longest amount of time in Israel.

However, rockets and drones, many coming from Yemen, have been intercepted at a steady rate over Eilat’s skies in recent weeks.

Ms Lahav says she is not afraid of the sirens, but some in her community find them extremely traumatic. The most recent sirens sounded on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, Israel made its first ever use of the Arrow 3 air defence system – the most advanced in the country’s arsenal – to intercept a surface-to-surface missile over the Red Sea. It came mere hours after a drone crashed into an Eilat school building.

Just more than a week after the conflict began, US military officials said one of their warships intercepted missiles and drones fired by Houthis from Yemen that could have been intended for targets in Israel.

Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, says the dilemma of a more emboldened Houthi adversary is causing some debate in Israel, despite there being little the country can do to counter the threat.

“They have an arsenal of UAVs as well as cruise and ballistic missiles that Iran and Hezbollah have helped supply, but it’s very hard for Israel to respond to a threat that’s 2,000km away,” he says.

“One needs to think rationally about what we can do, how we can do it and when. My answer to all of those questions is that we should wait and simply contain the threat in the interim. I don’t see how a reaction at the moment would do any good.”

Mr Guzansky says that, while the Houthis do not pose a significant danger to Israel at present, they have the means to inflict major damage on the country’s trade routes.

“I think people aren’t speaking enough about the real threat posed by the Houthis to Israel: limiting freedom of navigation,” he says.

“Much of Israel’s trade is sea-bound. Targeting that could cause not just an Israeli response but an Arab and western one, too.”

A pro-Palestine demonstration in Yemen. AFP
A pro-Palestine demonstration in Yemen. AFP

Yemen expert Helen Lackner predicts that the Houthis will keep up the current tempo of strikes against Israel, because it is giving them “enormous” domestic popularity at a time when public anger in Yemen is otherwise high against the group.

“Anything they send that hits Israel would be little more than symbolic,” Mr Lackner says.

“I don’t think they present in any way a threat to the Israelis. What they are doing is improving their internal circumstances.

“The Palestine cause is extremely popular in Yemen. Support for Palestinians has been there throughout all Yemeni regimes during the past 50 years.”

Despite concerns over the Houthi threat for the new residents of Eilat, it seems for now that Israel has a manageable situation in its south.

However, the challenge of such a hostile adversary on some of Israel’s most important waterways is starting to prompt debates in the country, particularly as it enters the toughest phase of its ground operation in Gaza and potentially catastrophic tensions in the West Bank and on the northern border.

TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
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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

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Various%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rosario%20Dawson%2C%20Natasha%20Liu%20Bordizzo%2C%20Lars%20Mikkelsen%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
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Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP

Men’s: 
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)

Women's: 
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

Batti Gul Meter Chalu

Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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Going grey? A stylist's advice

If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Company%20profile
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How it works

1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground

2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water

3) One application is said to last five years

4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare 

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
'Panga'

Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari

Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta

Rating: 3.5/5

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

Updated: November 15, 2023, 4:55 AM