Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to meet Benny Gantz in Israel on Tuesday, two days after the opposition politician quit the wartime cabinet in a rift over Israel’s approach to the war in Gaza.
Mr Blinken defended his anticipated meeting with the Israeli opposition leader, saying Mr Gantz was someone for whom he has deep respect.
“The decisions that the Israelis make about their government, who’s in, who’s out – those are decisions for Israelis to make, not for us,” Mr Blinken said.
“But I’ll continue to meet with Mr Gantz and others who lead major political parties in Israel and who are going to be critical to the path forward.”
Mr Gantz resigned from the wartime cabinet on Sunday after growing increasingly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war strategy in recent months.
“Netanyahu is preventing [Israel] from progressing towards a true victory,” he said.
Mr Blinken is working to push a ceasefire deal that President Joe Biden put forward late last month.
The deal envisions a three-phase plan that would start with a pause in fighting and would go on to see the withdrawal of Israeli forces from and a permanent cessation of hostilities to be negotiated in a later phase.
On Monday, the UN Security Council endorsed the proposal but hopes for a deal are fragile.
Mr Biden insisted the ceasefire proposal was Israeli and that the government has agreed to it, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly expressed concern and two far-right members of his coalition government have threatened to resign if Israel follows through with it.
Hamas has yet to formally respond to the proposal but signs point to the militant group not agreeing to it outright.
On Monday, Mr Blinken met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Cairo before flying to Israel to meet Mr Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
In all three meetings, Mr Blinken spoke of the importance of pushing the deal home and stressed that it was up to Hamas to accept it.
“My message to governments throughout the region, to people throughout the region is: If you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say yes,” he told reporters in Cairo.
“If you want to alleviate the terrible suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, press Hamas to say yes. If you want to get all the hostages home, press Hamas to say yes.
“If you want to put Israelis and Palestinians alike on the path to more durable peace and security, press Hamas to say yes.”
Putting the responsibility squarely on Hamas has rankled the militant group.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Mr Blinken's comments show “bias toward Israel”.
“Blinken’s speech during his visit to Egypt … offers an American cover to the holocaust conducted by the occupation in Gaza,” Mr Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
The US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal for months, but the last time guns fell silent was in November, when 105 hostages were released in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
“There have been almost no high points, maybe in mid-November and the other day's freeing of hostages, but it was a nightmare for Palestinians,” said Aaron Miller, a former veteran Middle East analyst at the State Department.
The current mediation efforts are “not working”, Mr Miller told The National.
Mr Miller said that while the US and others have been pushing hard, neither Hamas nor Israel appear overly eager to bring the conflict to an end.
“The administration is in a hurry but not the two principal parties, and that's why … it's not working,” Mr Miller said.
Mr Blinken is due to travel to Jordan later on Tuesday for a conference “on the urgent humanitarian response to Gaza”, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement announcing the trip.
The conference will co-hosted by Egypt and the UN.
Mr Blinken, who is making his eighth diplomatic visit to the region since October 7, will conclude his travels on Wednesday in Qatar.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
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
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
match details
Wales v Hungary
Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
