Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
The White House on Friday said that 17 American doctors have safely exited Gaza after they made public pleas for assistance to leave a struggling hospital in the southern part of the enclave, near where Israel is carrying out a long-threatened military operation in Rafah.
“There were 20 American doctors, 17 are out now,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
He said the 17 had wanted to leave, though he said he could not speak for the other three.
The health professionals were part of volunteer teams of medical workers from the US, Britain, Australia, Egypt, Jordan, Oman and other countries working to provide services to people in Gaza, the Associated Press reported.
But they were caught up in Israel's military operations in Rafah.
Israel claims there are Hamas battalions entrenched in the southern Gaza city.
More than a million civilians are sheltering in Rafah after being displaced from other parts of Gaza due to Israel's war with Hamas following the October 7 attacks.
The UN says more than 600,000 people have fled Rafah after Israel issued evacuation orders and bombardments increased. Israel has also taken control of the Gaza side of the city's border crossing with Egypt.
One team under US-based organisation Fajr Scientific reported that bombs had landed the house they were staying in, despite it being clearly marked as a shelter for humanitarian aid workers.
An Indian UN worker was also killed in the vicinity.
Civilians ordered to flee eastern Rafah as Israel begins invasion – in pictures
They fled for safety to Gaza European Hospital, the largest operating hospital in southern Gaza, right outside Rafah.
People connected to the Fajr Scientific group and an American doctor, Monica Johnson, told The Intercept that the hospital is understaffed and lacks supplies.
Ms Johnson told the US outlet that medical staff are experiencing dehydration, along with other health complications, while still caring for patients.
International medical workers who were part of the mission told AP and The Intercept that they had concerns about whether new volunteers would replace them if and when they chose to leave.
Palestinian doctors and nurses have faced risks on the job, in addition to low supplies and dwindling staff.
The health system in Gaza is near total collapse and even more strain is expected, with Israel appearing to be preparing for a full invasion of Rafah.
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
