Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
The first exchange of hostages and Palestinian detainees between Hamas and Israel was completed on Friday and Saturday, part of an agreement during a temporary, four-day truce under which 50 hostages will be freed and 150 Palestinians released from Israeli jails.
So far, the truce accompanying the deal has not been broken, with 41 people held in Gaza – including 14 Thai hostages and one Filipino – freed by Hamas, and 78 Palestinians released by the Israelis.
A third stage of the deal – out of a total of four transfers – was under way on Sunday, when the Israeli government said it had received a list of names for the next batch of hostages.
The first transfers were welcomed by US President Joe Biden on Friday but he offered mixed messages at a press briefing, saying that while Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas was “legitimate”, he hoped “the rest of the Arab world in the region is also putting pressure on all sides to slow this down to bring this to an end as quickly as we can”.
Those remarks could fuel speculation that pressure is growing on Israel to turn the four-day truce into a longer pause in fighting, amid increasing international anger at the massive Palestinian death toll, which has exceeded 14,000, and worsening conditions in Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza.
Israel has already published a list of about 300 Palestinian detainees, women and teenagers set for release, although 150 are on the initial list in this phase of the transfer.
But questions remain as to how durable the temporary truce will be, especially since Israel said it could be extended if more hostages are freed.
Hamas says Israel has fired on Palestinians trying to get back into Gaza city – many are reportedly trying to head back to check on their homes and belongings, after being told to flee south by the Israeli army last month.
The truce was therefore fragile and in its first two days, both Hamas and the Israelis threatened to resume fighting, claiming the enemy was not fulfilling the deal.
Hamas has, however, shifted from a demand last month that 6,000 Palestinians, or roughly the total held in Israeli jails, must be released by Israel in exchange for all hostages.
An ongoing issue is delays sending aid – while more than 500 lorries a day brought vital supplies to the Gaza Strip during the prewar blockade, fewer than 200 a day have been making it through Rafah, although estimates vary.
For most of the period since aid convoys began moving on October 21, that number has been far less, often a few dozen per day.
On Friday, 230 lorries were ready to cross but only 196 made it through, according to the Red Cross, while 185 of 200 ready to cross on Saturday made it through.
Hamas, meanwhile, said 350 lorries had crossed on Saturday, claiming this was fewer than agreed. The reason for the discrepancy was not clear.
The hostage deal is also seen as insufficient by many in Israel. Kibbutz Be’eri, from where all but one of the 13 hostages was released, published a community statement saying residents were pleased with the release so far but were angered that Hila Rotem, 13, was released without her mother, “violating” the deal.
The Thai government also says 20 more of its citizens are still being held, among about 200 others from a number of nations.
Will Gaza fighting resume?
Israeli military commanders have been adamant the truce will not result in a longer-term armistice, or the resumption of peace talks to end the war.
On Saturday, Admiral Daniel Hagari said the war “would not stop until Hamas has been dismantled”, after the army’s Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi told Israeli soldiers that "at the end of the operational pause, we will return promptly to our operations and offensive in Gaza”.
“We will return the hostages in any way, through the deal, or through the next stages of the war," he said.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
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“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
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Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Stoke City v Tottenham
Brentford v Newcastle United
Arsenal v Manchester City
Everton v Manchester United
All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
THE SPECS
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
