US-led negotiations on Gaza are continuing in an effort to clinch a deal to pause the war, with the conflict high on the agenda during President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East.
Sources told The National that negotiations were continuing simultaneously in Egypt and Qatar, long-time Washington allies who, along with the US, have been mediating an end to the war in Gaza since shortly after it broke out in October 2023.
Indicating that a deal could be within reach, chief US mediators Steve Witkoff and Adam Boehler left Israel on Tuesday for Doha, where they are to join Israeli and Hamas negotiators and Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
US mediators resumed direct negotiations with Hamas in Doha last week, the first time they have done so since March, when they met face to face for the first time. Like Israel and the EU, the US designates Hamas as a terrorist group.
The sources said the negotiations in Doha were focused on a truce, the release of hostages held by Hamas and the entry of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the war-devastated enclave.
They said "tangible progress" was being made, with hopes high that a deal could be reached while Mr Trump is in the region. The US President arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and is due to travel to Qatar and the UAE during his trip.
The stakeholders of the Gaza negotiations, according to the sources, were also exploring scenarios beyond a truce, looking into ways to end the conflict and start reconstruction of the devastated enclave, as well as discussing the future of Hamas.
Hamas negotiators, they added, have not budged on their long-standing demands for a "comprehensive" deal that includes the release of all 58 hostages it is still holding, in return for the freedom of hundreds of Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons, including high-profile figures serving lengthy jail terms.
Hamas has also demanded an end to the war and Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, where at least 52,800 Palestinians have been killed and more than twice that number injured since the war began, health authorities in the enclave have said.
The sources said US mediators were considering Hamas's demands, including giving the militant group a guarantee that negotiations would begin during a pause in the fighting – the US initially proposed a 21-day truce, but Hamas wants it to last up to 70 days – to hammer out a formula for ending the war.
Resuming relief aid
Also on the negotiating table is the number and indentity of Palestinians to be freed in return for the hostages held by Hamas, as well as the thorny question of the militant group laying down its arms and transforming itself into a political party, the officials said.
Hamas has indicated its willingness to exclude itself from governing Gaza, which it has ruled since 2007, and not take part in its reconstruction, while a panel of Palestinian technocrats, backed by an Egyptian and Jordanian-trained security force, runs the enclave until presidential and legislative elections are held.
Hamas has also signalled its readiness to lay down its arms but not surrender them as demanded by Israel, which has insisted the war will not end until Hamas has been annihilated.
In Cairo, a team of officials from Israel's Mossad spy agency, domestic intelligence group Shin Bet and the military are in talks with Egyptian officials over the logistics of resuming the flow of aid into Gaza, halted by Israel on March 2 as part of a total blockade, the sources said.
They are also in discussions to finalise details of Palestinian detainees to be released by Israel in Egypt, from which they will travel on to live in exile in other countries, including Algeria and Turkey, the sources added.
The sources explained that Washington's pursuit of an end to the Gaza war does not necessarily mean it has abandoned a proposal first made by Mr Trump in January to resettle Gazans outside the enclave, before the US takes control and turns it into a glitzy beach resort. That proposal was immediately embraced by Israel.
But the sources said the administration will neither support the forcible eviction of Gaza's 2.3 million population nor oppose their voluntary departure from the enclave.
Israel has been widely accused of using food as a weapon in Gaza, after it stopped all essential relief supplies from entering the enclave two months ago. That move, along with the destruction of most of the territory's built-up areas and infrastructure, is widely believed to be a deliberate attempt to make life so difficult for the Palestinians they would choose to leave when given the chance.
The US says it has a plan for resuming the flow of aid into Gaza through a private company. Israel, it says, will not be part of the operation.
"President Trump hopes to win the Nobel Peace Prize while in office. Supporting the forcible eviction of Palestinians or starving them in Gaza will, without a doubt, deny him one," one of the sources said.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Specs
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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."
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
