Palestinians have travelled long distances to collect aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation food banks. AFP
Palestinians have travelled long distances to collect aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation food banks. AFP
Palestinians have travelled long distances to collect aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation food banks. AFP
Palestinians have travelled long distances to collect aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation food banks. AFP

One Gazan's desperate quest to fetch food on 'black Eid' as bullets rained down


Nagham Mohanna
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

On the morning of Eid Al Adha, while many Muslims were gathering for festive meals, Al Motaz Kafarna was running for his life on a quest to feed his family.

Mr Kafarna, 38, had walked for eight hours through the night in search of a box of food, hoping, like many Palestinians, to beat the crowds at food banks run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Its operations have been marred by violence, and this night was no exception.

Mr Kafarna recalled to The National reaching a barricade near the aid centre in Rafah at 2.30am after failing to find a ride south. An Israeli loudspeaker warned the crowd there would be no aid and urged them to leave. But some among them whispered: “Don’t go. This is a trick to scatter us.”

Hours passed as hungry Gazans waited and about 5,000 people tried to get closer to the food bank. After loudspeaker warnings, Israeli forces opened fire, Mr Kafarna said.

“Bullets rained down on us,” he said. “People screamed, bled, died. I saw them fall, young men, fathers like me, who just wanted to bring food home. No one could raise their head to help. We were paralysed.”

Al Motaz Kafarna walked eight hours through the night in the hope of collecting food. Photo: Al Motaz Kafarna
Al Motaz Kafarna walked eight hours through the night in the hope of collecting food. Photo: Al Motaz Kafarna

Eventually a hush fell and Gazans went back on their way with heads lowered, carrying fear, sadness and pain, the father of five recalled. “Some who had stood beside us in line were now either wounded or gone forever, on Eid morning. This black Eid forced us, out of hunger, to seek food from the hands of our enemy, food wrapped in humiliation and disgrace.”

Israel denies wrongdoing over shootings and deaths near the aid sites, saying it has fired warning shots to control crowds. After an 11-week blockade of the territory, it says the controversial GHF is a way of cutting Hamas out of the loop in aid distribution.

Displaced and desperate

Displaced eight times since his home in Beit Hanoun was destroyed, Mr Kafarna now lives with his wife and five children in a shelter in Gaza city. Like hundreds of thousands of others in Gaza, he has lost his house and the very idea of safety.

After the burst of gunfire, he tried to sleep on the bare ground near Rafah's beach, hoping eventually to be allowed into the aid centre. At about 6.45am the gunfire resumed, he said, prompting people to lie flat on their stomachs or curl up in the foetal position.

“Your whole life flashes before your eyes. You think of those who love you,” he said. “You say, 'Woe to me, death isn’t my only worry today. It’s how I can die without returning to my children with food to ease their hunger.' They wait for me in the shelter, starving, hoping I’ll come back alive, with something to eat.”

People carry relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. AFP
People carry relief supplies from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. AFP

When the gunfire stopped “they told us it was our chance”, he said. “So we ran.” The escape route took him over 2km of open ground scattered with the dead and injured. “You run like an animal,” he said. “Your hands up, your bag raised, trying to say: 'I'm not a fighter, I just want food'.”

Then came another checkpoint, where soldiers issued orders with guns aimed at people's chests. “They retreated slowly,” Mr Kafarna said. “As if releasing bulls in a rodeo. But we are not bulls. We are human beings, starving, humiliated, desperate.”

He finally reached a hill where supplies had been dumped and managed to grab a box before fleeing in panic. The contents were meagre: 2kg of lentils, a little flour, a bottle of oil and a few cans of beans.

Still, as he opened the bag, tears ran down his face. “Was this what I risked my life for? Was this why I stepped over the injured, ran past the dead? Was this why people around me died?”

He returned to his family trembling and exhausted. “As soon as I walked in, my children ran to me. Their eyes lit up. They said, ‘Finally, we will eat, Dad.’”

That sentence, simple, innocent, full of hunger and hope, broke him more than the gunfire ever could.

This Eid in Gaza, there were no new clothes, no meat, no sweets. Only gunfire, dust and children hoping their father would return with enough food to make it through to the next day.

Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace

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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

BMW M5 specs

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Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net

Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.

Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.

A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.

Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.

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The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

Salama bint Butti Street

Al Dhafra Street

Rabdan Street

Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)

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Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: nine-speed

Power: 542bhp

Torque: 700Nm

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The biog

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Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

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Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

SHAITTAN
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Burnley 0

Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')

Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)

Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)

Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

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What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing

In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.

While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.

In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all). 

“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”

Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.

"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."

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How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

MEYDAN%20RACECARD
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Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

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CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

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Updated: June 09, 2025, 12:13 PM