Israel will send a delegation to Egypt's capital city of Cairo for ceasefire talks with Hamas in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office late Friday.
The delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo as early as this weekend, said the statement. The statement also claimed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as the "obstacle" to agreement.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri responded to the statement, saying Israel does not want to stop the war and is covering up its crimes with "empty statements."
Israel launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. Since then, 39,480 Palestinian people including innocent women and children have been killed and 91,128 others have been injured as a result of relentless Israeli bombardments in the Gaza Strip.
The prospect for negotiations between Israel and Hamas has been further dampened since the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital city of Tehran earlier this week.
Haniyeh, who had been invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's new President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday, was killed along with his bodyguard early Wednesday when their residence in Tehran was hit in an airstrike, according to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, which said Israel had carried out the attack and vowed "a harsh and painful response." Israel has neither denied nor confirmed its involvement.
Israel says to send delegation to Cairo for ceasefire talks with Hamas
Israel says to send delegation to Cairo for ceasefire talks with Hamas
Israel says to send delegation to Cairo for ceasefire talks with Hamas
Israel says to send delegation to Cairo for ceasefire talks with Hamas
Many Singaporeans support raising the re-employment age, partly to stay busy and active in retirement, and to help address demographic challenges in the workforce.
Like many other Asian countries, Singapore is grappling with a rapidly aging population. The government predicts that by 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 or older, up from one in 10 two decades ago.
A survey on retirement and employment conducted last year in the country found broad support for raising the national retirement age, with about 88 percent of those aged 50 and above in favor.
Some supported increasing the retirement age because continuing to do what they love, rather than retiring, keeps them feeling youthful and fulfilled.
When Nancy Hor, a retired IT operations manager, left her job five years ago, she wasn't sure how to fill her time.
"I'm a workaholic. At the very first stage after I retired, I felt I could not find balance," she said.
Hor, now 70, said it took her some time to adjust. In her spare time, she stays busy line dancing and spending time with her family.
But she said that if she had had the choice, she would have liked to stay employed a little longer.
"I think it's good for the elderly that even they have some job to do, and keep them busy," said Hor.
In March, authorities announced plans to raise the retirement age to 64 and the re-employment age to 69 by 2026.
Singapore's Minister of State for Manpower, Gan Siow Huang, said the changes to the rules protect senior workers from dismissal due to age-related issues before they reach the statutory retirement age. Employers are also required to offer re-employment to eligible workers until they reach the statutory re-employment age limit.
This follows a similar move made two years ago to raise the retirement and re-employment ages to 63 and 68, respectively. The city-state is also aiming for a retirement age of 65 and a re-employment age of 70 by 2030.
"That is to reduce the impact on businesses, so it gives time for businesses to adapt their policy. This gradual increase in retirement age basically provides a framework for individuals like myself, who want to continue to be gainfully employed," said Patrick Chang, a retirement planning specialist and the author of the A to Z guide to retirement planning.
Chang said that businesses will need to make adjustments to accommodate the changes, including offering retraining for senior workers.
He noted that the changes won't impact those who still wish to retire earlier, but given Singapore's demographic challenges, the country cannot afford to remain idle.
"If we don't do it now, the social cost could be high. We cannot wait until the time when we need it today, and then we get something done. It will probably be a bit too late, and the cost of getting to that solution will be higher," said Chang.
Many Singaporeans support raising retirement, re-employment ages
