In a rare but significant display of defiance against Hamas inside Gaza, hundreds of war-weary Palestinians marched through the bombed-out ruins of the northern part of the strip this week. One voice among the protesters cut to the heart of the matter. Majdi, a demonstrator who did not wish to give his full name, asked: "If Hamas leaving power in Gaza is the solution, why doesn't Hamas give up power to protect the people?"
It was an incisive question that puts the ball firmly in Hamas’s court. Is the group’s priority its own political and military survival while locking Gaza’s people into an apocalyptic conflict with Israel, or is it the building of the future of the Palestinian nation? Its actions thus far, including building tunnels and shelters for its fighters but not Gaza’s civilians, point to the former.
The result of Hamas’s wild gamble in attacking Israel on October 7, with no way to defend Gaza from the inevitable Israeli onslaught, can been seen in the group’s waning popularity. This is not the first time that Palestinians in Gaza have publicly hit out at the militants – three months before October 7, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza city, Khan Younis and other areas took to the streets, angry at the Hamas government over chronic power cuts and a lack of fuel. Even during the conflict with Israel, dissenting voices among Gaza’s people spoke out, furious with the group for its ruinous war strategy.
The results of a public opinion poll published by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Research in September found that although Hamas still has the highest support of all Palestinian factions in Gaza, there had been a fall in backing for the group’s postwar control over the enclave and a rise in support for a Palestinian Authority-led administration. The poll also found a drop in support for armed struggle and more backing for negotiations to end the Israeli occupation. It is a far cry from the enthusiasm that greeted the militants when they took charge of Gaza back in 2007, ousting the Fatah-led PA whose weak governance and reported corruption had frustrated and angered the enclave’s people.
The protest also undermines the dangerous Israeli narrative that all Palestinians in Gaza are aligned with Hamas
Importantly, this week’s protest also undermines the dangerous Israeli narrative that all Palestinians in Gaza are aligned with Hamas. This assumption has been used to justify a military response to October 7 that long ago became a campaign of collective punishment. Given the Israeli state’s history in encouraging the militants’ rise as a counterweight to the Palestine Liberation Organisation, there is a painful irony in its mischaracterisation of all Gazans being part of the Hamas machine.
In reality, Palestinians are held hostage by their circumstances. Those in Gaza live under the rule of Hamas, an organisation that brooks little dissent. In the West Bank, Palestinians are represented by an ailing PA that has not held elections in nearly 20 years. More than nine million Palestinians live in exile as refugees, with limited control over their destinies. That these are the results of a decades-long Israeli occupation does not take away from the fact that Palestinians deserve a better future from those who purport to fight in their name.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
IF YOU GO
The flights
FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.
The tours
English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people.
The hotels
Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.
St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
The biog
Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza
Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby
Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer
Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
You may remember …
Robbie Keane (Atletico de Kolkata) The Irish striker is, along with his former Spurs teammate Dimitar Berbatov, the headline figure in this season’s ISL, having joined defending champions ATK. His grand entrance after arrival from Major League Soccer in the US will be delayed by three games, though, due to a knee injury.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.
Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.
Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
