Israel launched new strikes on the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday after ceasefire talks with Hamas stalled, killing more than 400 people and sparking fears of a return to all-out war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it had instructed the military to strike Hamas across Gaza, blaming the group for refusing to release hostages and rejecting all offers from the US envoy Steve Witkoff and mediators. The US said it knew about the strikes in advance.
In a post on Telegram, the Israeli army said it was “conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip”.
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” the Prime Minister's office said. Sources told The National that Israeli negotiators had informed their Egyptian counterparts that Hamas was rearming, a claim the group strongly denied on Tuesday evening.
"The occupation’s claims that the resistance had made preparations to attack its troops are baseless and false pretexts to justify its return to the war and escalation of its bloody aggression," the group said in a statement.
The first phase of the ceasefire expired on March 1, but neither side made serious violations of its conditions until Monday. Hamas said it had "remained committed to the agreement until the very last moment, and was keen on ensuring its continuation", in a statement on Tuesday evening. It also accused Mr Netanyahu of continuing the war for his own political gain.
Two senior officials working with Gaza's Interior Ministry were among the fatalities. The ministry said in a statement that its undersecretary Maj Gen Mahmoud Abu Watfa, 58, and director general of the internal security service Maj Gen Bahjat Abu Sultan, 56, were killed in one of the strikes.
The strikes come after nearly two months after a ceasefire was agreed on to pause the 17-month war. Under the terms of the truce, dozens of hostages were released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.
Ceasefire negotiations in Egypt were at a standstill on Monday, with neither side willing to make the compromises needed to reach a deal, sources told The National.
A child inspects the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Reuters
Following Tuesday's strikes, Hamas blamed Israel and Mr Netanyahu for breaking the ceasefire. “Netanyahu and his extremist government are making a decision to overturn the ceasefire agreement, exposing prisoners in Gaza to an unknown fate,” the group said, demanding that mediators and the international community hold Israel responsible.
“Netanyahu not only prevented food and medicine from entering Gaza, but also bombed and killed children in their sleep. The enemy will not achieve through war and destruction what it failed to achieve through negotiations.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said “the gates of hell will open in Gaza” if hostages are not released. “We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals,” he added.
The strikes also come after Israel carried out attacks in Deraa, Syria. Two civilians were killed and 19 injured in the air strikes, Syrian state media reported.
The Israeli army confirmed the attacks, which were the latest on Syria's military infrastructure. It said it struck military headquarters and sites containing weapons and equipment.
Hamas also criticised the US administration's "unlimited political and military support" for Israel's deadly wave of air strikes in Gaza. The administration of President Donald Trump was consulted on Monday by Israel about the strikes, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.
"With its unlimited political and military support for the occupation [Israel], Washington bears full responsibility for the massacres and the killing of women and children in Gaza," the group said.
The strikes have drawn condemnation from UN officials and regional countries.
The UAE condemned the attack in the strongest terms and said it constitutes a breach of the ceasefire agreement reached in January, Wam reported on Tuesday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of the consequences of any military escalation which threatens to cause further loss of innocent life and exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Stephane Dujarric, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres's spokesman, said he was "shocked by the Israeli strikes, in which a meaningful number of civilians have been killed". Another UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, said Mr Guterres "strongly appeals for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be re-established and for the remaining hostages to be released unconditionally".
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by the strikes. "Israel's resort to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions."
Egypt called the strikes a "flagrant violation" of the ceasefire that took effect on January 19. The attacks constitute a "dangerous escalation which threatens to bring serious consequences for the stability of the region", said the Foreign Ministry, which brokered the Gaza ceasefire alongside Qatar and the US.
It called for giving the mediators the chance to continue efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in the enclave.
Jordan, meanwhile, has been following "since last night Israel's aggressive and barbaric bombing of the Gaza Strip", government spokesman Mohammed Momani said, underlining "the need to stop this aggression".
Turkey said the strikes are "a new phase" in Israel's "genocide policy", saying the Netanyahu government has defied humanity through its breach of international law.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei called the strikes a "continuation of the genocide and ethnic cleansing" in the Palestinian territories and accused the US of "direct responsibility" in the attack.
Read next: Hamas-Israel ceasefire negotiations in Egypt at a stalemate
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
if you go
The flightsFly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE's final round of matches
Sep 1, 2016 Beat Japan 2-1 (away)
Sep 6, 2016 Lost to Australia 1-0 (home)
Oct 6, 2016 Beat Thailand 3-1 (home)
Oct 11, 2016 Lost to Saudi Arabia 3-0 (away)
Nov 15, 2016 Beat Iraq 2-0 (home)
Mar 23, 2017 Lost to Japan 2-0 (home)
Mar 28, 2017 Lost to Australia 2-0 (away)
June 13, 2017 Drew 1-1 with Thailand (away)
Aug 29, 2017 v Saudi Arabia (home)
Sep 5, 2017 v Iraq (away)
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
MCC v Surrey, four-day match, starting on Sunday, March 24, play starts at 10am
Both matches are at ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City. Admission is free.
Personalities on the Plate: The Lives and Minds of Animals We Eat
Barbara J King, University of Chicago Press
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Fixtures
Friday, April 12, Malaysia v UAE
Saturday, April 13, UAE v Nepal
Monday, April 15, UAE v Kuwait
Tuesday, April 16, UAE v Singapore
Thursday, April 18, UAE v Oman
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
