Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
September 02, 2024
Having received the news on Saturday night that six Israeli hostages’ bodies were recovered from Gaza, Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, apologised “for failing to bring them home safely”. For nearly a year, Israel has been gripped by the fates of those who were taken captive by Hamas during a murderous assault against mostly civilian targets in Israel on October 7. Ninety-seven are thought to remain in Gaza.
The Hostage Families Forum has accused Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of “abandoning” their loved ones by prioritising an unwinnable war in Gaza over the diplomacy needed to reach a ceasefire and see more hostages released. Mr Netanyahu says his government’s invasion of Gaza, nearing the end of its eleventh month, aims to free the hostages through a combination of rescue operations and military pressure on Hamas.
Of the 251 Israelis and foreign citizens kidnapped on October 7, 117 have been returned alive. Only eight of them were rescued by the Israeli military; 105 were released through a diplomatically brokered prisoner exchange and four were released by Hamas on humanitarian grounds. Mr Netanyahu’s “military pressure” strategy has not forced the release of a single hostage, though it has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and devastated the lives of close to two million Gazans.
Netanyahu’s 'military pressure' has not forced the release of a single hostage, though it has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians
Sunday marked the start of a three-day pause in Israeli military operations in Gaza, during which Israel has agreed to allow the UN to run a polio vaccination drive after initially rejecting it. The effort, funded in part by the UAE, will see 640,000 children under the age of 10 vaccinated against the virus, which emerged in Gaza this year for the first time in a quarter of a century.
The vaccination campaign is a positive development in a very dire situation, and would not have been necessary had Israel abided by its obligations under international humanitarian law during the war. It should also be used to bring renewed focus on the need for a ceasefire deal, but Israel has already undermined that opportunity by extending the conflict to the West Bank. Last week, the military launched an offensive in several West Bank towns, killing at least 20 Palestinians, including civilians, and raising fears of a second front being opened. The tension has been compounded by news in recent months of abuse of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli military prisons.
The increasingly fraught atmosphere in Israel extends to the government. A security cabinet meeting on Thursday night discussing the latest developments in ceasefire talks brokered by Qatar, the US and Egypt reportedly turned into a shouting match between Mr Netanyahu and his Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant. The point of contention was Mr Netanyahu’s plans for Israeli soldiers to continue occupying the Philadelphi Corridor, the boundary between Gaza and Egypt, despite Hamas and Egypt’s objections. Continued Israeli occupation in the corridor would not only violate previous agreements on how the Egypt-Gaza border is managed but also diminish the prospect of any long-term peace; a final settlement between Palestinians and Israelis requires less Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation – not more.
Mr Gallant suggested that offering some compromise on the issue would make a hostage deal more likely. Mr Netanyahu allegedly said holding Philadelphi was more important than that.
Perhaps the most striking element of the cabinet meeting was Mr Gallant’s warning that, one way or another, Mr Netanyahu would eventually be forced to give in to Hamas’s demands. Such a dire prediction from the country’s own Defence Minister speaks volumes about the prospect of Israel achieving any of its aims. In the meantime, the likelihood of more tragedies, like the deaths of Israeli hostages and many more innocent Palestinian civilians, only grows.
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Tentative schedule of 2017/18 Ashes series
1st Test November 23-27, The Gabba, Brisbane
2nd Test December 2-6, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3rd Test Dcember 14-18, Waca, Perth
4th Test December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
5th Test January 4-8, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
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.
