MENA Today | The National

Hello from The National in Abu Dhabi. Here is your morning newsletter with all the top stories from the Mena region. At least 66 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in dawn Israeli air strikes on northern Gaza. Mostly women and children were killed, with air strikes destroying an entire residential block near the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia. Many people are still missing, according to civil defence, which said at least five homes were destroyed in the attack. Follow the latest news here . Neither side in the Gaza war can achieve “total victory”, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said, cautioning against framing the conflict in religious terms. Hamas' acting Gaza chief Khalil Al Hayya has said there will be no hostages-for-prisoners swap deal with Israel unless the war in the Palestinian enclave ended. "If the aggression is not ended, why would the resistance and in particular Hamas, return the prisoners [hostages]? How would a sane or an insane person lose a strong card he owns while the war is continuing?" Israel’s military announced the 800th death among Israeli security personnel since the war started. Deaths among Israeli security personnel in the Gaza war recently surpassed the number of its soldiers killed in the 1967 Middle East War, which was previously the fifth-deadliest for the country's forces. A Gazan intellectual is on the verge of selling his book collection to feed his children . Ceasefire negotiations aimed at ending the devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel have entered a critical stage , with the primary sticking point involving the interpretation of a clause on “self-defence,” sources close to the discussions told The National. US envoy Amos Hochstein is expected to hold talks with Israeli officials on Thursday following a visit to Beirut, where Lebanese officials involved in the negotiations sought clarifications on four main points and expressed their willingness to reach an agreement as soon as possible. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem hinted at a change in approach to Lebanese internal affairs from the group in a speech, suggesting a willingness to help elect a new president and to support efforts to reconstruction efforts in the country. “Our internal efforts will be carried out within the framework of the Taif Agreement,” Mr Qassem said in reference to the accord that brought an end to the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war. Wounded Gazans receiving refuge in the UAE from the horrors of war in their homeland are being helped to rebuild shattered lives at a dedicated treatment centre at Abu Dhabi's Emirates Humanitarian City . Dozens of Palestinians bearing the scars of the continuing conflict with Israel – from young children tightly holding their mother's hands to patients in wheelchairs and those wearing hearing aids – have already been given crucial assistance at the Specialised Centre for Case Assessment and Support for the Injured, operated by the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination. The UAE has been making it easier and more affordable for its freelance workforce to apply for licences as it seeks to create a more flexible job market to attract and retain talent. The shift in working habits has increased the popularity of the gig economy in the Emirates, especially among the younger generation. France, Germany and the UK are pressing for a resolution against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency for defying demands to rein in its nuclear programme. The move may pave the way for further sanctions on the Iranian regime despite the head of the UN watchdog welcoming "a concrete step" by Iran to cap its uranium stockpile. Iraq began its first national census in almost four decades, an important step towards collecting critical data on the population and addressing the country’s development challenges. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani called on Iraqis to “co-operate with the mobile enumerators teams and to give them accurate and truthful information”, and stressed the “importance of the resulting database and its critical role in development plans and improving services”. Our editorial team explains why Iran's nuclear slowdown is sorely needed progress for regional diplomacy. Abu Dhabi’s art initiatives reveal the soul of the emirate. What to see at Abu Dhabi Art 2024 . FRONT PAGE