Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Another round of lorries carrying aid entered the Gaza strip from Egypt through the Rafah border crossing, the Egyptian Red Crescent said on Wednesday, without disclosing the exact number.
Moving foreign citizens from the enclave continued on Wednesday, with the Gaza border authority issuing another list of foreigners who have been approved for departure from Gaza.
The list comprised about 600 people.
The first shipment of fuel was allowed by Israel into the Gaza strip on Tuesday night, a volunteer who delivered the shipment told The National.
The shipment, however, was not sent to Gaza’s hospitals where services have largely collapsed due to a shortage of fuel, but was received by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which said several of its vehicles had run out of fuel in the enclave.
Thomas White, the director of UNRWA affairs, confirmed in a post on X, formally Twitter, on Wednesday that one shipment of fuel amounting to 23,027 litres or half a tanker, was received by the organisation in Gaza.
“This is only 9 per cent of what we need daily to sustain life-saving activities,” Mr White wrote on X.
The UNRWA said on Tuesday that its humanitarian activities in Gaza were on the verge of collapse due to a lack of fuel, with Mr White saying in an earlier post on X that any aid coming into Gaza could not be distributed without the immediate entry of fuel.
Israel has thus far not allowed any shipments of fuel to enter the enclave, which it controls through checkpoints set up at the Rafah crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt. It claims the fuel could be used by militants and not civilians.
“UNRWA set off alarm bells over the fuel situation three weeks ago, warning about its fast-depleting supplies, and the impact on life-saving operations,” the organisation said, “Since then, we have heavily rationed the use of fuel and accessed pre-existing, limited amounts stored in a depot inside the Gaza Strip, through close co-ordination with Israeli authorities.”
Saudi ambassador in Egypt Osama bin Ahmed Nugali visited the crossing on Wednesday to express the kingdom’s solidarity with the Palestinian people, Egyptian state-affiliated media reported.
Saudi Arabia has thus far sent seven planes carrying aid to the Gaza Strip, the last of which arrived on Saturday in the Egyptian North Sinai city of Al Arish, where all aid to the enclave is co-ordinated.
Kuwait and Qatar are the third and fourth largest donors of aid to Gaza since the start of the war with Egypt being the first and Libya the second, according to the Red Crescent.
Kuwait and Qatar have sent 412 and 286 tonnes respectively since the start of the war.
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
