Hamas, the rulers of Gaza, have vowed revenge for a covert Israeli mission that left eight people dead including one of its commanders on Sunday.
Undercover Israeli special forces entered around two kilometres into the territory in a civilian car near the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, opening fire when they were discovered, the Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, said in a statement.
The clash killed seven Palestinians, including local commander Noor Baraka, and one Israeli officer. It was unclear if all of the Palestinians killed were Hamas fighters. The trading of fire prompted dozens of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and returning rocket fire into Israel. The strikes killed several people, allowing the Israeli officers to evacuate.
The group said that “the blood of the martyrs will not be without price” and "the battle between us and the enemy is continuing”. Mosheer Almasry, a Hamas leader, said the operation represented the “establishment of a new stage of our struggle with the occupation”.
Israeli military chief, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot said a “special force” carried out “a very meaningful operation to Israel's security,” but did not provide further details.
The clash threatened to further escalate tensions between the two sides that have fought three wars since 2008 and put a nail in Egyptian-led efforts to secure a long-term truce. Both had agreed to indirect cash and fuel deals with Qatar and Egypt last week and it was not clear if they would continue.
Another Hamas leader, Ismael Radwan, said the attack “let the mediators know that the real murder is the Israeli occupation who keep attack our people". He added that Israel “does not care about the Egyptian efforts”.
Hussam Aldejani, a Gaza-based political analyst, told The National that the clash indicated the preparedness of the Hamas fighters in responding to a secretive Israeli operation.
“The Israeli army was intended to commit a silent operation in Gaza and not leave any impact of it, only to befuddle the unity of Palestinian street, but the operation failed,” Mr Aldejani said.
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On Monday, thousands of Palestinians participated in the funerals of the seven Gazans killed in the attack, burying them and chanting for revenge against Israel. The burials of several of those killed were led by Hamas leader in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh.
Hamas bolstered its checkpoints in the territory after the incursion. At least 15 rockets were fired into southern Israel late on Sunday. On Monday, a rocket fired from Gaza struck a bus, critically injuring a 19-year-old man. Israel said it was carrying out strikes across Gaza in response.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a visit to Paris because of the flare-up, and he returned to Israel on Monday for consultations with top security officials.
In a tweet after his arrival back home, Netanyahu praised the slain officer, whose identity was being kept confidential for security reasons, and said "our forces acted courageously." The officer's funeral was being held Monday.
Clashes between Israel and Hamas have threatened another outbreak of war in the territory. Weekly protests since March 30 against Israel’s siege of the enclave have turned deadly, with Israeli forces killing at least 220 people, many of them unarmed and targeted by snipers, others killed in airstrikes and tank fire. The rallies were a call to return to lands lost to Israel at its creation in 1948.
Israel severely restricts the access of goods and the crossing of Gazan residents through Israel. It maintains a blockade on Gaza’s coastline and has destroyed its airport, preventing any air transport in and out of the territory.
But Mr Netanyahu had allowed $15 million in Qatari money to enter the territory last week, a move criticised by several senior ministers. The money was intended to help pay salaries.
A total of $90 million is to be distributed in six monthly instalments, Gaza authorities said.
"I'm doing what I can, in coordination with the security establishment, to return quiet to the southern communities," Mr Netanyahu said late on Saturday.
Results
Female 49kg: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) bt Thamires Aquino (BRA); points 0-0 (advantage points points 1-0).
Female 55kg: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Amal Amjahid (BEL); points 4-2.
Female 62kg: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR); 10-2.
Female 70kg: Thamara Silva (BRA) bt Alessandra Moss (AUS); submission.
Female 90kg: Gabreili Passanha (BRA) bt Claire-France Thevenon (FRA); submission.
Male 56kg: Hiago George (BRA) bt Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA); 2-2 (2-0)
Male 62kg: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) bt Joao Miyao (BRA); 2-2 (2-1)
Male 69kg: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Isaac Doederlein (USA); 2-2 (2-2) Ref decision.
Male 77kg: Tommy Langarkar (NOR) by Oliver Lovell (GBR); submission.
Male 85kg: Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE); 2-2 (1-1) Ref decision.
Male 94kg: Kaynan Duarte (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL); submission.
Male 110kg: Joao Rocha (BRA) bt Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE); submission.
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SCE%20Studio%20Cambridge%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%2C%20PlayStation%204%20and%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Civil%20War
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alex%20Garland%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kirsten%20Dunst%2C%20Cailee%20Spaeny%2C%20Wagner%20Moura%2C%20Nick%20Offerman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Score
Third Test, Day 2
New Zealand 274
Pakistan 139-3 (61 ov)
Pakistan trail by 135 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the innings
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
Education reform in Abu Dhabi
The emirate’s public education system has been in a constant state of change since the New School Model was launched in 2010 by the Abu Dhabi Education Council. The NSM, which is also known as the Abu Dhabi School Model, transformed the public school curriculum by introducing bilingual education starting with students from grades one to five. Under this new curriculum, the children spend half the day learning in Arabic and half in English – being taught maths, science and English language by mostly Western educated, native English speakers. The NSM curriculum also moved away from rote learning and required teachers to develop a “child-centered learning environment” that promoted critical thinking and independent learning. The NSM expanded by one grade each year and by the 2017-2018 academic year, it will have reached the high school level. Major reforms to the high school curriculum were announced in 2015. The two-stream curriculum, which allowed pupils to elect to follow a science or humanities course of study, was eliminated. In its place was a singular curriculum in which stem -- science, technology, engineering and maths – accounted for at least 50 per cent of all subjects. In 2016, Adec announced additional changes, including the introduction of two levels of maths and physics – advanced or general – to pupils in Grade 10, and a new core subject, career guidance, for grades 10 to 12; and a digital technology and innovation course for Grade 9. Next year, the focus will be on launching a new moral education subject to teach pupils from grades 1 to 9 character and morality, civic studies, cultural studies and the individual and the community.
Hurricanes 31-31 Lions
Wellington Hurricanes:
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett
British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 4 (Salah (pen 4, 33', & pen 88', Van Dijk (20')
Leeds United 3 (Harrison 12', Bamford 30', Klich 66')
Man of the match Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)