Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Representatives of the UN Security Council flew to the Rafah border on Monday to call for a ceasefire.
A UAE-chartered flight carrying diplomats, health workers and journalists landed at Al Arish Airport.
The trip aims to highlight the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people and the need for an immediate ceasefire.
Britain, China and Russia were the three permanent members of the Security Council on the flight. France and the US declined to join. Of the non-permanent members, only Gabon was missing. The National was on board the flight.
We have clearly seen in UN reporting that the aid reaching Gazans is insufficient
Lana Nusseibeh,
UAE Permanent Representative to the UN
Lana Nusseibeh, UAE Permanent Representative to the UN, was the driving force behind organising the trip. Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), was also on the flight, along with several UN personnel.
Ms Nusseibeh told The National: “We are here today to examine the humanitarian operations for the delivery of aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. It is important for council members who have travelled here to see firsthand the challenges faced by humanitarian actors on the ground.
“We have clearly seen in UN reporting that the aid reaching Gazans is insufficient, due to the current inspections and verification processes and because no other crossings and entry points have been opened to scale up aid delivery. We thank Egypt and the UN, as well as the Palestinian Authority for their tireless efforts in that regard.”
Ms Nusseibeh added: “I want to especially recognise the extraordinary work of the staff of the United Nations, who have facilitated the delivery of life-saving assistance to Palestinians in desperate need. We join them in mourning the loss of 103 UN colleagues in Gaza.
“The recent pause made the need for an enhanced aid delivery mechanism to allow full, rapid, safe, and unhindered access clear. Even with the temporary halt in fighting, the amount of aid that was able to enter Gaza fell far short of the scale required to meet the needs of more than 2 million people in Gaza.”
In addition to Mr Lazzarini, the other senior UN official on the flight was Lynn Hastings, UN Resident Co-ordinator and Humanitarian Co-ordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ms Hastings, who is usually based in Jerusalem, has had her visa revoked by Israeli authorities due to her demand for life-saving aid to Palestinians, criticising Israeli bombing of Gaza and her limited criticism of Hamas.
Ms Nusseibeh added: “We’re going as countries, ambassadors in our national capacities to Rafah to learn firsthand what is needed in terms of a humanitarian operations scale up that meet the needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza and to promote why a humanitarian ceasefire is an imperative.
“And also to recognise the crucial life-saving work of the UN and humanitarian organisations in this crisis who need our support for their life-saving work on ground in extremely challenging circumstances.”
The UAE has also had doctors accompany the diplomatic delegation, in addition to Dr Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Health and Life Sciences, who has played a pivotal role in coordinating medical aid and treatment of patients.
The trip comes days after the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire to the Israel-Gaza war. The resolution, sponsored by the UAE, was supported by 13 countries. Britain abstained and the US voted against the motion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Afghanistan squad
Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKim%20Seung-gyu%2C%20Jo%20Hyeon-woo%2C%20Song%20Bum-keun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKim%20Young-gwon%2C%20Kim%20Min-jae%2C%20Jung%20Seung-hyun%2C%20Kim%20Ju-sung%2C%20Kim%20Ji-soo%2C%20Seol%20Young-woo%2C%20Kim%20Tae-hwan%2C%20Lee%20Ki-je%2C%20Kim%20Jin-su%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPark%20Yong-woo%2C%20Hwang%20In-beom%2C%20Hong%20Hyun-seok%2C%20Lee%20Soon-min%2C%20Lee%20Jae-sung%2C%20Lee%20Kang-in%2C%20Son%20Heung-min%20(captain)%2C%20Jeong%20Woo-yeong%2C%20Moon%20Seon-min%2C%20Park%20Jin-seob%2C%20Yang%20Hyun-jun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStrikers%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHwang%20Hee-chan%2C%20Cho%20Gue-sung%2C%20Oh%20Hyeon-gyu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times
If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.
A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.
The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.
In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.
The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.
Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.
Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.
“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.
The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.
“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.
“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”
