SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2014 SHAWWAL 7, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Honduran man Factory blast Ooredoo opens PSG cruise waits for US in eastern up Myanmar to Champions asylum after China kills mobile market Trophy 12-year7 fight at15 least 69 with21 cheap SIMs win19 in China Israel pulls some troops Max 48º Min 32º from Gaza, snubs talks High Tide 04:05 & 16:01 Hamas defends ambush as scores more killed Low Tide 10:25 & 22:27 40 PAGES NO: 16243 150 FILS GAZA CITY: The Israeli army yesterday gave a first indi- cation it was ending operations in parts of Gaza, while continuing to bombard other areas ahead of fresh truce talks in Cairo. As a Palestinian delegation flew to Egypt in search of a ceasefire, the Israeli army messaged resi- dents of part of northern Gaza that it was “safe” to return home. “They have been informed it is safe for civilians to return to Beit Lahiya and Al-Atatra,” a spokes- woman told AFP, in what was understood to be a confir- mation that troops had stopped operating there. Witnesses in the north confirmed seeing troops leav- ing the area as others were seen leaving another flash- point area in southern Gaza. It was the first time troops had been seen pulling back since the start of Israel’s devastating 26-day operation, which has so far claimed more than 1,660 Palestinian lives and displaced up to a quarter of the territory’s population. The move came after an army spokesman told AFP Israel was “quite close to completing” the destruction of tunnels used for infiltrating southern Israel - the main objective of the ground operation. Despite the partial withdrawal, Israel’s security cabinet decided against sending a delegation to ceasefire talks with the Palestinians in Cairo, media reports said. “Hamas has proven that it breaches any agreement reached right away, as happened five times in previous truces,” deputy foreign minister Tzahi HaNegbi told AFP, without con- firming the report. “It is therefore unclear at this stage what benefit Israel might see for participating in an attempt to reach agreements, based on the Egyptian initiative,” he said, as media reports suggested the pullback could signal the start of a unilateral withdrawal. Chances of achieving a more permanent ceasefire nosedived on Friday after Israel said it believed Hamas militants had captured a 23-year-old soldier in a Friday morning ambush near the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Immediately afterwards, Israel bombarded the Rafah A relative shows the body of Razaq Abu Taha, a one-year-old Palestinian baby who was killed in an area in shelling that is still ongoing, with medics saying Israeli military strike yesterday at a hospital in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. At least 296 it killed 114 people in 24 hours. Since midnight (2100 Palestinian children and adolescents have been killed since Israel launched its offensive in the Gaza GMT), more than 86 people have been killed, the vast Strip against Hamas on July 8, the UN children’s agency UNICEF said. (Inset) Palestinian mourners take majority in Rafah, raising the overall toll to 1,676, emer- a last look at the body of slain Udai Nafez, 19, at the family house ahead of his funeral procession in gency services spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said, put- the village of Kharbatha north of the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday. Nafez was killed during ting the number of wounded at more than 9,000. clashes with the Israeli military Friday, following a protest in solidarity with people in Gaza. — AFP/AP Continued on Page 15 ICM accuses government US has fewer allies, less influence of ‘using’ citizenship file WASHINGTON: The US failure to secure and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Investment Dar a firm ceasefire in the Gaza Strip Netanyahu warned Hamas and other By A Saleh levels of national responsibility”. despite two weeks of intense diploma- militant groups they would “bear the This comes amid reports indicating loses protection cy reflects new regional dynamics in consequences of their actions.” Beyond KUWAIT: The Islamic Constitutional that a group of MPs plan to meet this which the world’s most powerful actor the animosity of the two sides - neither Movement (ICM) accused the Kuwaiti week in order to discuss the possibility against claims has diminished influence and fewer of which seem close to achieving its government of using citizenships as of forming a delegation to meet Prime allies. When Secretary of State John aims - Washington’s diplomatic chal- ‘instruments’ that it can withdraw from Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak DOHA: Investment Dar, the Kuwaiti firm whose Kerry left Washington on July 21 on a lenge has been made more complex by those who oppose its policies, and grant Al-Sabah, and ask the government to assets include a stake in luxury carmaker Aston mission to try to halt the latest Israeli- the erosion of its standing in the Middle to individuals it is satisfied with. The stop decisions to revoke citizenships. Martin, said yesterday a local court had ruled to lift Palestinian war, more than 400 East. Other contributing factors include opposition group that is widely consid- The team will ask the premier to limit protection the company had against legal action by Palestinians had been killed, mostly tensions among big Arab players, who ered the Muslim Brotherhood’s political such decisions on people convicted in creditors. Investment Dar was one of several local civilians, along with 20 Israelis, 18 of see the conflict as a proxy war against arm in Kuwait called this situation a actions that undermine national securi- financial firms which struggled to refinance debt in them soldiers. Hamas and its Islamist allies, some the aftermath of the global economic crisis but was “regretful example of utilizing the state’s ty and pose a serious threat to Kuwait, Nearly two weeks later, after Kerry’s clumsy US diplomacy, including bad the first to reorganise under Kuwait’s Financial capabilities in fighting reformists according to sources quoted by Al- extensive face-to-face diplomacy in timing, and strains between the United Stability Law - introduced in 2009 to assist debt rene- instead of supporting the process of Watan daily yesterday. Cairo, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Tel Aviv and States and Israel. gotiations in a country with opaque bankruptcy Paris and scores of telephone calls, the “There is no question that US influ- reform”. Two weeks ago, the Cabinet issued rules. The ICM made these remarks in a decisions to revoke the citizenships of death tolls have tripled, two ceasefires ence has diminished” in the Arab world, As part of that legislation, Investment Dar secured have collapsed and the violence rages. said Daniel Kurtzer, a former US ambas- statement it released yesterday on the Ahmad Jabr Al-Shemmari, the owner of a halt to all legal cases being brought against the 24th anniversary of the 1990 Iraqi inva- the pro-opposition Al-Youm satellite tel- Israel declared a 72-hour Gaza ceasefire sador to Israel and Egypt now at firm in relation to non-payment of debts to allow it to over on Friday within hours of its taking Princeton University. US credibility has sion, an experience that it said taught evision and Alam Al-Youm newspaper, implement its restructuring. However, a company effect, saying that Hamas militants also been undercut by its reluctance to Kuwaitis the values of unity and sacri- as well as former Islamist opposition MP statement said a July 24 court ruling had stated that breached the truce soon after it began intervene in Syria’s civil war; Kerry’s fice. “The invasion’s memory requires us Abdullah Al-Barghash, two of his broth- legal protection from creditors would be lifted in and apparently captured one Israeli failed push for wider Israeli-Palestinian to benefit from the lessons learned and ers and his sister. The step came after accordance with the financial stability law. to move forward in full enforcement of the government ordered a revision of “This decision is disappointing for us and for many officer while killing two others. peace, which collapsed in April; and the constitution while fighting adminis- citizenship of people who took part in investors, but we respect it and respect the opinion Renewed Israeli shelling killed more Iraq’s instability despite a decade of trative and financial corruption,” the protests that it said undermined the of the Kuwaiti judiciary,” the firm’s statement said. It than 114 Palestinians and wounded massive US intervention. statement read. The group also warned country’s security and stability. But a added Investment Dar remains committed to repay- hundreds more, hospital officials said, Continued on Page 15 that the current internal situations are number of MPs fear that revoking more ing all three groups of creditors under its restructur- similar to “if not more serious” compared citizenships could backfire, at least in ing plan the total amount of KD 440 million ($1.56 to the conditions during the summer of the form of fueling antigovernment billion). It didn’t specify if this was the outstanding 1990, “which requires taking the highest protests. amount left to repay to creditors.— Reuters Obama admits ‘we tortured some folks’ WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama rogation techniques, techniques that I believe May last year, Obama said in a major address to acknowledged Friday that US intelligence and I think any fair-minded person would the National Defense University: “I believe we operatives had “tortured some folks” in the believe were torture, we crossed a line.” compromised our basic values by using torture wake of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, but urged Apparently preparing the ground for the to interrogate our enemies.” they not be judged too harshly.