Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
The US should consider using its clout as Israel's top weapons provider to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lower the number of civilian deaths in the Gaza strip, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday.
The comments made by Mr Borrell, a Spanish diplomat, come as international concern mounts over a planned Israeli incursion into Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than half of the enclave's two million inhabitants have sought shelter.
US President Joe Biden said Israel needs a "credible" plan to ensure their safety. Overnight Israeli strikes killed close to 100 people.
Gaza's population has nowhere to go as the border with Egypt remains closed.
"Netanyahu doesn't listen to anyone," said Mr Borrell. "They are going to evacuate. Where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people?"
In an unusually sharp rebuttal, Mr Biden said this week that Israel was "over the top" in its military response in Gaza, where close to 30,000 people have died as Israel attempts to eradicate Hamas after the October 7 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people.
"President Biden says it's over the top, it's not proportional," Mr Borrell told reporters at a press conference in Brussels attended by the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini.
"Well, if you believe too many are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many being killed. It's not logical?
"This is a little bit contradictory to continue saying too many people are being killed, please take care of people, please don't kill so many people. Stop saying please, and do something," Mr Borrell said.
The US is the world's biggest supplier of military aid to Israel. Some European countries also sell weapons to Israel. German defence exports approvals to Israel rose tenfold last year to $323 million. The EU as a bloc does not provide military aid to Israel.
Mr Borrell pointed to a court ruling in the Netherlands on Monday that ordered the Dutch government to stop sending F-35 parts to Israel, citing risks of violations of international law. Three human rights organisations sued the government in December saying it risked becoming complicit in war crimes committed by Israel.
"By the way, today a court in the Netherlands has ordered the government to stop exporting spare parts of F-35 fighters to Israel in order to be sure that an international court of justice ruling is being implemented," said Mr Borrell.
The court said the state had to comply with the order within seven days and dismissed a request by government lawyers to suspend the order pending an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Presiding Judge Bas Boele said there was a possibility the Dutch government could allow the export of F-35 parts to Israel in future, but only on the strict condition they would not be used in military operations in Gaza.
In a first ruling in December, a Dutch lower court stopped short of ordering the Dutch government to halt the exports, even though it said it was likely that F-35s contributed to violations of the laws of war.
The state immediately appealed the decision at the Supreme Court, but in the meantime it must implement the court’s decision. This may take several months.
"In the government's view, the distribution of American F-35 parts is not unlawful. The government believes it is up to the State to determine its foreign policy," it said. "The government will do everything it can to convince allies and partners that the Netherlands remains a reliable partner in the F-35 project and in European and international defence co-operation."
The government said the provision of F-35 parts to Israel was crucial both for Dutch and for Israeli security, "in particular with regard to threats emanating from the region, for instance from Iran, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon."
The state's decision to lodge an appeal is "separate from the situation in Gaza," it said.
"The Netherlands continues to call for an immediate temporary humanitarian ceasefire, and for as much humanitarian aid as possible to be allowed to reach the suffering people of Gaza."
Yet one of the NGOs involved told The National that there was a clear link with the continuing war in the enclave.
"Hopefully, it contributes to protect the people in Gaza," said Dirk Jan Jalvingh, policy adviser for conflict and humanitarian response at Oxfam Novib.
"The fact that we had to take the state to court is quite depressing. Ideally, you'd want the Dutch government to stand firmly for international humanitarian law. Hopefully this will bring a change in the political discussion," said Mr Jalvingh.
He described the court ruling as a "slap on the fingers legally speaking regarding how the Netherlands has been operating and the wider positioning of the Netherlands as a whole. The Dutch state has basically said they unequivocally support Israel since the October 7 attacks and have been very uncritical of the Israeli government’s actions.”
He said he hoped that the ruling would give EU countries “something to think about.”
The Netherlands is bound by the EU's common position on arms exports, which includes a clause on respect for human rights and international humanitarian law in the country of final destination. The court ruling was all the more symbolic because it came on the same day as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“It’s quite a coincidence,” said Mr Jalvingh. “It could be that he’s there to explain his position.”
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
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RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
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Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports