A Palestinian child walks through the rubble of a house hit by overnight Israeli bombing in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. AFP
A Palestinian child walks through the rubble of a house hit by overnight Israeli bombing in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. AFP
A Palestinian child walks through the rubble of a house hit by overnight Israeli bombing in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. AFP
A Palestinian child walks through the rubble of a house hit by overnight Israeli bombing in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. AFP

At least nine killed in Israeli attack on Rafah, including children and women


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Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

At least nine people died – six children, two women, and a man – in an overnight Israeli air strike on a building in the Tal Al Sultan district of Rafah, Gaza’s civil defence said.

Palestinian Faten Al Masry was asleep in a tent for displaced people in Tal Al Sultan when a house nearby was struck. Her son was wounded in the shelling.

“We were sleeping and suddenly we woke up jolted by the attack. My son had blood covering his face. I began to shake him to see if was still alive,” she told The National.

During the chaos of the attack, Ms Al Masry lost contact with her sister. She says she does not know if she is dead or alive.

“I have no information about my sister. Her daughter was also injured,” she added.

Like millions of other Gazans who are living in tents, displaced from their homes and forced to move repeatedly, Ms Al Masry feels unsafe.

“We live in a tent, and nothing protects us. We are human beings. We want protection. We are civilians.”

At least 34,000 Gazans have been killed since Israel's war began on October 7. More than 13,000 are children, the Health Ministry said on Friday. The actual figures are believed to be higher, as thousands remain missing and under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

The Israeli military began its offensive after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people.

On Saturday, Israel also struck Al Salam area, south-east of Rafah. Mohammed Daraghma was walking when the attack took place.

“Most of the wounded are children. I tried to evacuate people,” he told The National.

“Why do they [Israel] continue to target civilians?”

Moath Al Arja lives in the neighbourhood. He managed to flee his house just before the shelling began, as his neighbours had warned him of the impending attack.

“We left our home, and the explosion occurred. It was so intense that even those who evacuated their homes were affected. Due to the strength of the explosion, there were casualties. We ran to see what was happening and found injuries,” he told The National.

Like Mr Daraghma, he began helping transport the wounded to safety, taking them to the nearby Abu Yousef Al Najjar hospital.

Israeli forces also struck Rafah from naval boats, firing machine guns towards the shore.

Residents in Rafah have been on alert for an impending ground invasion, where almost all of Gaza's 2.1 million people are seeking shelter in makeshift tents, displacement camps, UN schools and hospitals.

Meanwhile, Israel continued one of its most destructive raids on the camp of Nur Shams in Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank for the second day, which has left two people dead so far, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

At least eleven people were also wounded, several Palestinians were detained and three homes blown, the Wafa news agency said.

Seven of the people were hit by Israeli bullets, while four were beaten by Israeli soldiers, it added.

The Israeli army said on Saturday that its forces killed 10 militants in the continuing raid.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces prevent its ambulances from entering the camp to transfer injured people.

On Thursday night, Israeli forces, accompanied by bulldozers, stormed Nur Shams camp and imposed a siege.

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Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

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."
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.

Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.

For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae

 

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets

Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2

PROFILE OF STARZPLAY

Date started: 2014

Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand

Number of employees: 125

Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners

Updated: April 20, 2024, 12:37 PM