GAZA CITY // Five near-simultaneous explosions in Gaza on Sunday targeted members of the armed branches of Hamas and Islamic Jihad amid growing tensions between the Palestinian territory’s rulers and extremist opponents.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts that rocked an area in the north of Gaza City and destroyed five cars belonging to members of the Ezzedine Al Qassam and Al Quds brigades, the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
There were no reports of serious injuries.
Witnesses said the explosions that went off at around 6:30am appeared to have been caused by bombs placed underneath the cars parked in front of their owners’ homes.
Three of the cars were said to have belonged to members of Al Qassam and two to members of Al Quds.
According to witnesses, the explosions occurred within an interval of 15 minutes.
Police working under Hamas, the movement that rules the Gaza Strip, did not say who they believed was responsible, but vowed action against the culprits.
“This morning, saboteurs exploded several cars of [members of] resistance movements in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, causing material damage,” Hamas police said in a statement.
“Security forces have opened an investigation and are searching for those responsible. We assure that the criminals will not escape punishment.”
The explosions appeared to be intended as a warning rather than an attempt to inflict casualties given the early hour, as has occurred with previous incidents.
A series of such attacks in recent months is suspected to have been carried out by Salafist extremists, some of whom claim links with ISIL group extremists, though experts have expressed doubts over whether there are any true ties between them.
Sunday however marked the first time Islamic Jihad was targeted. The extremists view the militant group as part of the establishment in Gaza.
There have been growing signs of internal unrest in the Gaza Strip, with Hamas engaged in a power struggle with smaller extremist groups in the coastal enclave of 1.8 million people ravaged by three wars with Israel in six years.
Gazans who have gone to fight with the ISIL group in Syria recently released a video calling for Hamas to be toppled in the territory.
Al Qassam and Al Quds released a joint statement on Sunday saying “the culprits of the violence are in the camp of traitors” without providing further details.
“Guilty hands are attempting to attack the resistance by blowing up its fighters’ vehicles, which only serves the occupier and its objectives,” the statement said. Occupier refers to Israel.
A spate of attacks has targeted public buildings, officials, international organisations and others seen as linked to the establishment in Gaza.
In May, mortar rounds were fired at a base for Al Qassam in an incident claimed by a group calling itself Supporters of the Islamic State in Jerusalem, which has also taken credit for recent rocket fire into Israel.
Salafist groups have been angered by a Hamas crackdown and claimed in recent weeks that around 100 of their members or supporters were behind bars.
They also criticise Hamas for what they see as its lack of zeal in enforcing Sharia law as well as for its truce with Israel since last year’s war in the Gaza Strip.
Experts warn that the appeal of extremist groups is growing, particularly among Gaza’s disaffected youth who have been particularly hard hit by conflict, grinding poverty and soaring unemployment and feel let down by traditional Palestinian nationalist movements.
Dozens of young Palestinians with few prospects have left Gaza to fight in Iraq or Syria, while others have been drawn towards militant groups involved in a deadly insurgency against Egyptian forces in the Sinai Peninsula.
Such fears have in part led some to call for an easing of the Israeli blockade against the Gaza Strip in hopes that conditions will improve. Gaza’s border with Egypt also remains strictly controlled.
* Agence France-Presse
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Company%20Profile
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Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Super Saturday race card
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
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
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5