Israel’s creation of buffer zone in Gaza may be a war crime, top UN official says

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Israel’s ongoing destruction of buildings in Gaza with the aim of creating a buffer zone along the border is unjustified and a war crime, the UN's human rights chief said on Thursday.

The “extensive destruction of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, amounts to a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and a war crime”, Volker Turk said in a statement.

Israeli leaders have said the buffer zone is aimed at preventing a repeat of the October 7 attack by Hamas.

The UN human rights office reported that demolitions have occurred in recent weeks in Beit Hanoun in north Gaza, As Shujaiyeh in Gaza city, An Nuseirat Camp in middle Gaza, and Khan Younis.

He warned that the objective of creating a buffer zone for general security purposes did “not appear consistent with the narrow 'military operations' exception set out in international humanitarian law”.

“Israel has not provided cogent reasons for such extensive destruction of civilian infrastructure,” Mr Turk said.

He pointed out to the Israeli authorities that Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention “prohibits destruction by the occupying power of property belonging to private persons”.

The US, Israel's top ally and provider of military aid, has repeatedly said Gaza's territory should not change and that a buffer zone would be a breach of that principle.

“When it comes to the permanent status of Gaza … we remain clear about not encroaching on its territory,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the destruction of homes and crucial civilian infrastructure “appears to be aimed at or has the effect of rendering the return of civilians to these areas impossible”.

A satellite photo shows the Gaza Strip, including new demolition along a 1km-deep path on the border with Israel. Planet Labs PBC / AP

He added that the “forcible transfer of civilians” may also constitute a war crime.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to prepare to enter Gaza's crowded southern city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are sheltering, even as new talks aimed at securing a truce with Hamas were set to open on Thursday in Cairo.

The Israeli leader announced the order after rejecting Hamas's response to a ceasefire proposal at the centre of recent intensive diplomatic efforts.

Heavy fighting has raged on in the enclave despite international efforts towards a ceasefire in the bloodiest ever Gaza war, sparked by Hamas's October attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of almost 1,200 people.

Israel vowed to eliminate the Palestinian militant group and launched air strikes and a ground offensive that have killed tens of thousands.

During a press conference in New York, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told journalists that Israeli leaders have repeatedly said that they are not fighting the Palestinian people, they are fighting Hamas.

Mr Guterres stated if that was the case, he could not understand how the war is being conducted in such a way that has led to the deaths of 27,800 people, the displacement of 75 per cent of the population and the destruction of entire neighbourhoods.

“I think that there is something wrong in the way the military operations have been conducted,” said the UN chief.

He also expressed full support for the decisions of the International Court of Justice, which is currently hearing a case brought by South Africa in which Israel is accused of committing genocide in Gaza, and stressed that all their “decisions must be implemented”.

100 days of Israel Gaza war – in pictures

What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Match info

Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')

Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')

How does ToTok work?

The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store

To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.

The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.

Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.

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

CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP

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Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year

2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)

Understand What Black Is

The Last Poets

(Studio Rockers)