Live updates: Follow the latest from Israel-Gaza
Palestinians who sought safety in the southern city of Rafah at the beginning of the war are now preparing for an expected Israeli ground invasion, unsure to where they can flee as strikes and shelling continue across the war-torn enclave.
At least six people were killed and several more wounded in dawn strikes on the city on Thursday as residents say the army is upping attacks across Rafah.
Five others were killed in strikes elsewhere in Gaza, including Wadi Gaza and Nuseirat refugee camp.
Hadi Ibrahim, 40, fled from Gaza city to Rafah five months ago, and is worried the city will come under attack.
"We are worried about the Israeli threats to invade Rafah. We are aware that Israeli forces have committed massacres in areas they have invaded, showing no respect for international law," he told The National.
"I have already packed our belongings, and we are prepared to flee at any moment if we feel we are in danger. But honestly, we do not know where to go."
About 34,300 people have been killed since Israel began its offensive in Gaza, figures compiled by the enclave's Health Ministry show. The Israeli military began its operation after Hamas-led groups carried out an attack in October, killing 1,200 people.
Israel is “moving ahead” with the Rafah operation and has bought 40,000 tents for civilians who will be displaced from the city, Reuters cited an Israeli government official as saying, corroborating widespread reports in Israeli media of an imminent invasion and the construction of tent cities.
The defence official said the Israeli military could begin immediately but was waiting for approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said a “date has been set” for the invasion.
Hussam Abed Al Aziz, fled Gaza city for Khan Younis before moving into a tent in Rafah. He is deeply frustrated with the situation.
"Let the war end. If invading Rafah will bring an end to the war, then let them do it and kill all of us," he told The National.
"We are enduring scorching weather inside the tent. Who can tolerate this situation? We left our homes and came here seeking security, and the result is constantly worrying about the safety of your family."
"All we want is to put an end to this suffering, but who will listen to us? Who will care about us? No one cares. All we can do is wait for God's mercy."
The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that reservist brigades previously withdrawn from the Palestinian enclave had been sent back there to fight.
Suliman Jaber, 45, runs a bakery in Rafah, and says he believes the daily shelling of the city is preparation for a ground invasion.
"Before, I felt they would not enter Rafah because it has become the only place of security for one and a half million people. It seems that no one cares about us or our safety," he told The National.
Israel says four of six remaining Hamas battalions are stationed in the city.
On Wednesday, Israeli media reported the government will meet in the coming weeks to approve civilian evacuations from Rafah – the first phase of the invasion.
The UN has reportedly refused to co-ordinate with Israel on civilian evacuations, as it opposes the planned offensive.
“[The UN] is telling Israel, don’t do this,” a person familiar with the matter told The Financial Times.
So-called “humanitarian enclaves” would be set up by “local actors” from within Gaza in absence of UN aid workers, a second source told the newspaper.
Elsewhere in the enclave, dawn strikes were reported on Wadi Gaza as a siege continued in Gaza city.
Shelling and strikes were reported across the city and its surroundings, particularly in Jabilia and Al Zaytoun districts, Wafa reported.
The US and other countries, along with the UN, have publicly called on Israel to abandon its plans to invade Rafah, on the border with Egypt.
On Tuesday, Qatar's foreign ministry said the situation in the city is a “human catastrophe” even without an invasion.
Doha, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, said an Israeli assault would negatively affect continuing talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Washington said it had not approved an Israeli attack on the city.
“Absolutely not. I cannot confirm that we have done any such thing. We have not greenlit a military operation,” Barbara Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said.
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
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Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
The five pillars of Islam
More from Neighbourhood Watch
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
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On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
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