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Hamas must hand over its weapons and international forces could be posted in the Palestinian territories, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, a week before a Saudi-French conference on the two-state solution.
Mr Abbas condemned the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel and called on all hostages to be released, as well as pledging further reforms, the Elysee Palace said on Tuesday. France could use the conference to become the most prominent western power to back recognition of an independent Palestinian state.
The letter to Mr Macron contains “unprecedented” pledges, his office said, without elaborating.
“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian security forces, which will oversee their removal outside the occupied Palestinian territory, with Arab and international support,” the French leader's office quoted Mr Abbas as saying in the letter.
He said he was “ready to invite Arab and international forces to be deployed as part of a stabilisation/protection mission with a [UN] Security Council mandate”.
The Elysse Palace welcomed “concrete and unprecedented commitments, demonstrating a real willingness to move towards the implementation of the two-state solution”.
French officials have said Mr Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state ahead of the UN conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting from June 17 to 20. Mr Macron has said he is “determined” to recognise a Palestinian state, but also set out several conditions, including the “demilitarisation” of Hamas.
The conference at UN headquarters will aim to resurrect the idea of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The PA exercises limited self rule in parts of the occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007. The PA has previously condemned Hamas for the attack that led to the Gaza war and has called for the group to be disarmed in a future settlement.
Israel has said it will not accept any role for the PA in Gaza after the war and has denounced countries that consider recognising Palestinian independence, which it says would reward Hamas for its attacks.
Mr Abbas has lead the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority since the death of leader Yasser Arafat in 2004.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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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
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
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Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
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UAE v United States, T20 International Series
Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.
1st match: Friday, 2pm
2nd match: Saturday, 2pm
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
