Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Dozens of people were killed or injured in a shooting near a food bank in Gaza on Sunday, as Israel denied firing on civilians collecting aid.
The Red Cross reported a "mass casualty influx" of 179 people at a field hospital in Rafah, of whom 21 were declared dead on arrival. It said most had gunshot or shrapnel wounds, while survivors said they had been trying to reach an aid distribution site.
Witnesses said the shooting unfolded at dawn near one of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's collection points in Rafah. Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli troops had opened fire at civilians, while Gaza's Health Ministry put the toll at 31 dead and 170 injured.
Israel's army offered competing explanations. It first said it was unaware of casualties, then said it did not fire at civilians "near or within" the food bank in the south of Gaza, and that "reports to this effect are false".
An Israeli military official separately said troops had fired warning shots to "prevent several suspects from approaching" the site, but that this was unrelated to the "false claims" against the army. The military also released footage of unknown people "hurling rocks and firing at Gazan civilians" in Khan Younis, as it accused Hamas of thwarting aid delivery.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the centres, said aid had been distributed "without incidents". It said reports of fatalities were false.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of aid agency UNRWA, said aid distribution "has become a death trap". He described the new aid centres as a "humiliating system" forcing hungry Gazans to walk for tens of miles to an area ravaged by Israeli bombardment.
Witness accounts
Ibrahim Abu Taima was among the hungry Gazans who set out early in the morning in search of food, arriving shortly after dawn at the US-backed aid centre in Rafah.
The 34-year-old was "hoping to get food before the rush", he told The National. “But people were already packed in. Everyone is hungry, no food, no water, for months.”
Then, soon after sunrise, gunfire erupted near the food bank. “People were shot at without warning. Chaos broke out," said Ibrahim. His cousin Mahmoud was killed, and a young nephew was shot in the leg.
Over the past week at least 39 Palestinians have been reported dead and more than 220 wounded while trying to collect food from the new aid centres in Gaza, which are staffed by US private security guards. Officials and survivors say Israel is drawing starving civilians into a trap under the guise of humanitarian aid. The bloodiest scenes unfolded on Sunday morning after civilians had gathered in the early hours.
"This is not aid. It’s an ambush,” Ismail Al-Thawabti, director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, told The National.
He alleged that “Israel and the US administration are orchestrating these massacres under the pretence of humanitarian relief, killing civilians in cold blood without any legal or international deterrent."
Mohammed Al-Ghareeb, a journalist from southern Gaza, also witnessed the scene. “Thousands of people were there, mothers, children, elderly. The army started firing directly at people’s heads and chests. It was deliberate," he told The National.
He noted that many people had travelled through the night from Gaza city and northern areas to reach the centre. “They left empty-handed, fleeing bullets instead of receiving aid.”
Adding to the horror, looters reportedly waited near the centres to rob aid recipients. “They snatched parcels from people who made it out alive,” he said. “The situation is catastrophic. Famine is claiming lives, and the world remains silent.”
Israel says the new system of food distribution is a way of bypassing Hamas, which it accuses of pilfering aid. The Red Cross said civilians had, for months, been forced to "navigate areas affected by intense hostilities" to find food.
It said the intake at the Rafah field hospital was the "highest number of weapon-wounded in a single incident" since it opened more than a year ago.
Controversial plan
The UN has criticised the aid distribution plan, which also cuts usual aid providers such as Palestinian relief agency UNRWA out of the loop. Little is known about the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and aid groups say it endangers rather than helps civilians by delivering food through narrow, militarised corridors.
After a two-month ceasefire boosted Gaza's food stocks, Israel blocked all aid from entering the strip from March until mid-May. The entire population is thought to be at risk of famine and Gaza's farmland has been destroyed, with barely any land remaining arable.
Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza, condemned the new aid operations as a facade for military targeting.
“Civilians who came to feed their children returned in coffins,” he said. “These are not humanitarian efforts. They are Israeli-American military zones designed to humiliate and kill.”
Mr Al Shawa urged immediate international intervention. “We are living through the worst humanitarian catastrophe in our history. There is no access to the basic elements of life. This can no longer be ignored.”
As starvation and bombardments continue to devastate the population, calls for a ceasefire grow more desperate by the day. Hamas neither accepted nor rejected the latest US ceasefire proposal on Saturday, saying it was willing to release hostages but demanding that Israel should ultimately withdraw.
Ibrahim Abu Taima said there were screams, blood and "bodies everywhere" in the aftermath of the Rafah gunfire as he carried his cousin and nephew to the nearest hospital.
Mahmoud had been married for four years, a father of two. “He went out to get food for his kids and returned home in a shroud. That’s our reality now,” Ibrahim said.
“There are countless safer ways to distribute food,” Ibrahim Abu Taima said. “But they chose the one that kills us.”
More on animal trafficking
More from Neighbourhood Watch
HOW TO WATCH
Facebook: TheNationalNews
Twitter: @thenationalnews
Instagram: @thenationalnews.com
TikTok: @thenationalnews
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More coverage from the Future Forum
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
The five pillars of Islam
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
The five pillars of Islam
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
More on Quran memorisation:
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
%3Cp%3EAverage%20amount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20at%20DIC%20factory%20every%20month%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EApproximately%20106%2C000%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAmount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20from%201%20litre%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%20%3Cstrong%3E920ml%20(92%25)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETime%20required%20for%20one%20full%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%20used%20cooking%20oil%20to%20biofuel%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EOne%20day%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EEnergy%20requirements%20for%20one%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%201%2C000%20litres%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%96%AA%20Electricity%20-%201.1904%20units%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Water-%2031%20litres%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Diesel%20%E2%80%93%2026.275%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
More on animal trafficking
The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on animal trafficking
Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
