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FAREAST 19R

Fareast 23r, fareast 28r, fareast 31r racing, fareast 31r grp edition, fareast v90, fareast 28r one design.

Target audience: sailboat enthusiasts, regatta enthusiasts

Designer: Simonis Voogd

Place of production: Jiangsu

Introduction

Excellent performance

FAREAST 28R racing keelboat combines the experiences and accumulated techniques of European Design Office Simonis Voogd and Far East Boats. It is a well-designed, easy to handle and high performance uniform class racing sailboat. Even with a length of 28 feet, FAREAST 28R can easily reach the maximum speed of 20 knots. With its high speed, fun and high performance with low cost features, FAREAST 28R has received approval and recommendations both home and abroad.

FAREAST 28R is intentionally designed to fit the wide demands of sailboat enthusiasts. In design it follows the unique outlines of the world’s top racing sailboats with sharp bow and smooth hulls, showing its high performance in speed. Meanwhile, the intentionally designed open cabin not only supplies enormous space but also improves the experience of the sailors.

Advanced techniques

FAREAST 28R’s hull is adapted from new fiberglass reinforced composite material, using foam sandwich structure and resin vacuum technology which ensure a light and rigid hull. With displacement of only 1200 kg and lifted keel, the FAREAST 28R is fit for various regattas.

High end accessories

FAREAST 28R is equipped with high quality mainsail, foresail, spinnaker, deck accessories and riggings of famous brands, such as Selden aluminum alloy masts from Sweden, Harken’s high-tech winch and blocks with no frictions from America, and Northsail’s polyester film sails from America, ensuring high performance.

International SHOW

FAREAST 28R was shown in the Dusseldorf Boat Show, Helsinki Boat Show, Stockholm Boat Show and Amsterdam Boat Show, receiving love from many sailboat enthusiasts.

Technical Data

© Copyright Fareast Boats - website design - 沪ICP备20009173号-1

2022 Fareast 28R

FarEast 28R

Racing at its best, 500 boats sold worldwide and the class is now growing in the UK, with two more boats sold since the beginning of 2019. The FarEast28R is HP30 compliant and extremely quick. It has the potential to win the HP30 Class as demonstrated in 2022 at the HP30 Class nationals. This is uncomplicated, cost effective, high performance racing.

Performance: The Fareast 28R is a proven race winner and has beaten many bigger boats over the line in races throughout the world: Farr30s, Melges 32s, J-111s, J-120s, Beneteau 44.5s, Archambault 40s, Sydney 38s and MC-31s, are just a few (please contact us for race records).

The 28R is not purely designed for one design racing, she performs very well under handicap and sits comfortably within the parameters of the HP30 Class, so you don't have to wait for large fleets of boats to appear, in your area, before you can enjoy some great racing.

Easy to sail, handle and manage: The FAREAST 28R is easy to sail fast due to the low wetted surface which hardly changes shape nor surface when the boat starts to heel. It offers very good control with the deep spade rudder and the high form stability of the hull. Deck layout is clean and straight forward, the very large cockpit makes it easy for the crew to handle the boat. For racing a crew of 4- 5 is ideal, however the simplicity of the 28R makes it possible to go out for a fun spin or twilight with as little as 3, even setting the kite in a stiff breeze won't be a problem.

ISAF approved One Design Class: The Fareast 28R is an ISAF approved One-Design class and numbers are growing fast, 400 boats have been sold. We are also concentrating efforts to build the class in the UK.

Easy Trailability and simple lifting:

The keel is fully retractable and the boat sits nice and low on the custom made trailer, reassuring a comfortable and safe drive to events. The boat is ramp launchable and the mast deck stepped. The 28R is also an ideal boat for dry-sailing, as it has a single lifting point on the keel fin and the bulb takes up the boat in the hoist, reducing the workload of removing the keel-fin from the boat.

Construction and hardware: Fareast has invested heavily in CNC machines, everything from moulds and plugs to foam and glass are now cut on high tech milling machines, routers, laser and water jet cutters. A huge 5 axis milling machine is used for manufacturing hull and deck moulds but also for milling and drilling deck hardware patterns. These modern production methods result in extreme high accuracy, further quality improvement and reduction of labour cost.

The Fareast 28R is constructed using a ISO polyester - foam core sandwich, resin is pre weight and vacuum infused. This advanced building technique guarantees a rigid, light and stiff construction. The one piece infused inner structure "the spine" takes up all the forces from the keel and rigging.

The Fareast 28R is very well equipped with the best hardware available from Harken, Spinlock and Selden for the rigging. No compromises have been made when it comes to quality.

Unbeatable price, low running cost: The Fareast 28R offers great value for money. No more antifouling, high repair bills or expensive sails and high mooring fees. Literally owners can save thousands per year on campaign costs, compared to running bigger yachts, but with no less associated fun.

Multiple ownership? Maybe not everybody's cup of tea but about half the 28R's we sell are owned by more than one owner. It not only cuts the cost in half but you straight away have 2 or more motivated crew members.

Tests: Yacht World tested the 28R and the test report can be found below under specifications. A test video from Yachting World can also be found under video & reviews.

Like to test the 28R yourself? We offer test sails from Cowes.

£65,950 inc vat

Retail Price List

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FAREAST 28R - GALLERY

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Far east 28R: a fast, fun one-design in a lightweight, affordable package

• Belinda Bird
• February 26, 2015

Toby Hodges looks at this new Chinese-built 28-footer

Far east 28R

One-designs can provide fun, fair racing, as epitomised by the Volvo Ocean Race fleet currently sliding round the planet. But modern one-designs tend to come with off-putting prices, particularly if the sail inventories are not capped.

This new Far east 28R has been conceived as a fast, fun one-design in a lightweight, affordable package. A displacement of just 1,200kg and a lifting keel allows her to be towed to events.

A straightforward, easy to rig one-design

Fareast is launching this 28R with a bang: the first 16 boats competed in the China Cup last year. The company sees “an increasing market for sailing schools, event centres, sailing leagues, etc,” says export manager Ellen Jiao Lee, for “those looking for a boat that is easy to handle and maintain, and carries a modern sailplan.”

Fareast’s crimson-coloured 31R was the eye-catching boat at the Düsseldorf boat show in January 2014. It was a clever ploy designed to highlight a new direction for this Chinese yard, which was founded in 2002. Fareast is the biggest producer of Optimists in the world and has a rapidly expanding yacht production line, drawn by Netherlands-based Simonis Voogd.

The hulls, rudders and keel fins are all built in epoxy, and the keel bulbs in lead. In short, this looks like a modern, versatile, easy-to-rig one-design racer or daysailer that seems simpler and certainly cheaper than the competition.

Price ex VAT US$38,000 (£24,000), including sails. www.fareast28r.com

LOA 8.95m/29ft 4in

LWL 8.07m/26ft 6in

Beam 2.75m/9ft 0in

Draught 1.73m/5ft 8in

Disp 1,200kg/2,646lb

This is an extract from a feature in the November 2014 issue of Yachting World

FAREAST 28R - In Stock

Excitement guaranteed with this box ticking fun and fast to sail Simonis Voogd design. Over 650 Fareast 28R's sold Worldwide, with 15 in Aus and 2 in NZ there is always some to race against at our major regatta's. Join the excitement of fast and uncomplicated sailing today!

Unbeatable price and low running cost:

The Fareast 28R offers great value for money with its base price of $84,500. No more antifouling, high repair bills, another expensive sail or high mooring fees. You can save thousands a year compared to running a bigger yacht.

Performance:

Sailing fast is fun! The 28R is a proven race winner and has beaten many bigger boats over the line: Melges 32, J-111, J-120, Beneteau 44.5, Archambault 40, Sydney 38, Pogo 12.5, MC-31, Thompson 980 and Farr 30 are just a few to mention. The 28R is not purely designed for one design racing, she also performs very well under ORC and IRC handicap, so you don't have to wait for large fields to appear in your area to have some good fun.

Easy to sail, handle and manage:

The FAREAST 28R has a clean, straight forward and functional deck layout. This enables the crew to concentrate on pure racing and sailing fast. The 28R offers very good control with the deep spade rudder. Hull form stability is high and the high performance keel with a lead torpedo at the end of a carbon fin, offers the best possible righting moment. The very large cockpit makes it easy for the crew to handle the boat. For racing a crew of 4- 5 is ideal, however the simplicity of the 28R makes it possible to go out for a fun spin or twilight with as little as 3, even setting the kite in a stiff breeze won't be a problem.

ISAF approved One Design Class:

The Fareast 28R is an ISAF approved One-Design class and numbers are growing fast, over 650 boats have been sold. We are building a class in Australia and New Zealand, Nationals are held every year and you will always find other 28's to race against at major events.

International Regattas

World Cups are organized yearly, Sweden hosted the first Worlds in 2017. The 2022 Worlds will be held in Kiel, Germany. Further international Fareast OD racing options are the yearly China Cup in Shenzen and many other Fareast regattas in Asia and Europe.

Easy Trailable and simple lifting:

The keel is fully retractable and the boat sits really low on the custom-made trailer, reassuring a safe and comfortable drive to your favorite (tropical) events. The boat is ramp launchable and the mast deck stepped, making you independent from expensive marinas. The 28R is also an ideal boat for hardstand storage, it has a single lifting point on the keel fin and the bulb takes up the boat in the hoist, avoiding manually keel lifting.

Construction and hardware:

Fareast invested heavily in CNC machines, everything from plugs, aluminum Moulds to foam core sheets and woven glass are cut on high tech milling machines, routers, laser and water jet cutters. A huge 5 axis milling machine is used to manufacture hull and deck Moulds and also for milling and drilling deck hardware patterns. These modern production methods result in extreme high accuracy, further quality improvement and reduction of labor cost.

All Fareast yachts are now constructed using high quality Vinylester. Resin is pre weight and vacuum infused into a foam sandwich layup, this advanced building technique guarantees a rigid, light and very stiff construction. All additional parts are also vacuum infused, like the one-piece inner structure "the spine" which takes up forces from the keel and rigging. Every Fareast 28R is equipped with the best hardware available from Harken, Spinlock and Selden rigging. No compromises are made when it comes to quality.

Multiple ownership?

It might not be everybody's cup of tea, nevertheless about half the 28R's we sell are owned by more than one owner. It not only cuts the cost in half but you straight away have 2 or more motivated crew members. 

Australian Sailing Magazine tested the 28R, test reports can be found under specifications. A video review from Yachting World and Boating NZ can be found under video & reviews.

Like to test the 28R yourself?

We are located in Manly-Brisbane and offer a great day trial sailing on Moreton Bay. For those flying in, it's only 20 min. from the airport and we will arrange transport. Further trial sail options are available in Sydney and Melbourne.

Please contact us for a chat about the 28R and to book your trial sail.

Specifications

FAREAST 28R pricelist 2024 AU v2.6.pdf

Far East 28R Test Australian Sailing Magazine.pdf

Boating NZ REVIEW Farast 28R - October 2019.pdf

Photo gallery

Video & reviews

FAR EAST YACHTS Australia

Based in Brisbane

gerrit @ fareast yachts.com.au (please remove spaces)

Mob. - 0468 648 554

28R TRIAL SAILS are available from:

Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne

19R & 23R TRIAL SAILS are available from:

Contact us directly or use the form below and we'll get back to you shortly.

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Fareast 28R

• Reference ID 657
• Builder Fareast
• Simonis Voogd
• Location Italy
• Engine type Outboard engine
• L.O.A. (mtr) 8.55
• Beam (mtr) 2.75
• Draft (mtr) 1.75
• Displacement (Kg) 1993
• Material Composite
• Engine Tohatsu 6HP

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Yacht description.

Fareast 28R only used as demo, ready for new owner.

• CE certificate: C
• Launch August2020
• Vacuum infusion hull wit isopoliester resins
• Powerful inner structure distributes all loads from keel and rigging
• Antifouling September 2021 (2 layers hard matrix + 2 layers selfpolishing)
• Carbon rudder blade and carbon bulb fin with lead bulb
• 1.75M lifting T- shaped keel with carbon fin, lead bulb
• Selden mast (mast foot, 2 aft swept spreaders) 
• Selden boom with outhaul, cunningham, 1 reefing line
• Alloy centre bowsprit
• Selden S/S standing rigging
• Selden forestay
• Selden rodkicker

Running rigging

• Mainsail Halyard, Jib Halyard, Asymmetric spinnaker halyard
• Mainsail sheet, + fine tuning mainsail sheet (New)
• Jib Sheets (NEW)
• Asymmetric sheets (New)

Upwind sail area: 44 m Downwind sail area: 115 mq.

• Mainsail: Vantage one Film/Film Black Twaron
• Jib #2 Vantage one Film/Film Black Twaron
• Asymmetric in nylon

Deck and Cockpit

Deck in sandwich with antiskid

• Reinfored laminate plates at mounting positions of deck fittings
• 2 winches Harken 35.2
• 1 winch Harken for halyard 20
• 1 harken winchhandle
• 1 deck organiser
• 1 set of cleats
• Mainsail track with traveller 3:1 and control lines
• 600mm Pulpits in S/S and stanchions with lifelines
• Tiller extension
• Gennaker drop bag
• Companionway cover
• Manual bilge pump in cockpit

Boom Cover with Logo

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

Contact Details

• Name Site Broker | Racing-Yachts.com
• Email [email protected]
• Phone +31642800348
• Instagram racingyachts

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Fareast racing keelboats.

• Fareast 19R

This entry level keel boat makes racing even more affordable. The 19R is an ideal boat to have on a small lake or at a sailing school. Easy and quick to get ready to sail, she’s also great to go out shorthanded or just by yourself. With near zero maintenance and weighting less than 1500 lbs, this is the perfect dream boat if you are a novice or looking for a sailboat that is very exciting and can be sailed anywhere in a very independent way.

No wind for the next few days? No problem. You can easily trailer it anywhere and rig it by hand to discover the most beautiful sailing venue. It beautiful lines and affordable price point makes it the best seller for its category. Contact us to know more…

• Fareast 23R

The Fareast 23R has been designed to meet the need for an attractive and fast club racing boat. With the pedigree and the lines of the “bigger sister” the Fareast 28R, the 23R is just a bit smaller and therefore easier to tow around and launch from a ramp.

The Fareast 23R sails easily upwind and can become furious in a good breeze downwind. With more sail area and a longer water line than the 19R, you will feel more the acceleration and your adrenaline.  Just like the 19R, the 23R doesn’t have a backstay. You will be able to keep it fun and simple downwind during the gybes. Speeds in the mid teens are no exception at all. Contact us to know more…

• Fareast 28R

FAREAST 28R racing keelboat combines the experiences and accumulated techniques of European Design Office Simonis Voogd and Far East Boats. It is a well-designed, easy to handle and high performance uniform class racing sailboat. Even with a length of 28 feet, FAREAST 28R can easily reach the maximum speed of 20 knots. With its high speed, fun and high performance with low cost features, FAREAST 28R has received approval and recommendations both home and abroad. With the class getting close to 600 Worldwide, this boat is a no-brainer for the true sailor that is looking to go fast and have fun. To know more…

Fareast Optimists

• Racing Optimist

• Championship Optimist

Our Championship Optimist is the option if you are ready to win. With the stiffest and lightest spars made from 7000 Aluminium series, you will feel a difference in height and speed as soon as you hike. This model also comes with superior foils a our best hull which will impact your maximum speed. To know more… 

NEW Oriental 3

The new Oriental 3 is the solution to your search for a durable and high-quality dinghy for your club. Our dinghies are made with the strongest plastic material (HDPE) and designed with a focus on detail and functionality.

The material used in our dinghies is highly resistant to UV rays, saltwater, and other harsh elements, ensuring a long-lasting and reliable product. There is more space than a traditional Optimist to fit two young sailors. The two rear drain plugs also makes it easier at the end of the day to remove the water. This design not only makes it more ergonomic, but also provides improved the experience.

Invest in the Plastic Optimist Dinghy and elevate your sailing experience at your yacht club. Say goodbye to dinghies that just don’t last and hello to a reliable and enjoyable sailing experience. Order now and start experiencing the ultimate sailing experience!

The hull design for the SV14 is based on Far East Boats’ proposal and the decades long research from Simonis Voogd Design combined with the extensive experience in yacht design and sailing gained over the last 35 years, delivering over 230 projects, which has resulted in many successful racing as well as production yachts around the world.

A modern looking, easy to handle, stable and safe boat which can be sailed by either one or two persons and which, above all is affordable. 

Contact us to know more..

OFFICIAL SAIL CANADA COACH BOAT SUPPLIER

Fareast RIB 480

FAREAST RIB 480 is the ultimate version of Far East inflatable rubber boat series. It has smooth and beautiful lines, and enables you to drive safely in extreme sea conditions with its deep V-shaped hull structure. Its extraordinary performance makes a FAREAST RIB 480 the best choice for clubs and regattas to maintain the field and lay down marks. Now take FAREAST RIB 480 and head on! To know more...

Fareast RIB 580

The 580 is the ultimate support and coaching work horse. With a high, narrow bow and wide stern, this boat is fast, stabile and dry. This “military grade” coach boat can handle off shore conditions, tow like a champ and is still nimble enough to safely coach in a tight fleet. Supplied only in the best material available: ORCA 828 Hypalon. To know more...

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Israel-Hamas war latest: Hamas number three killed, US says - as video shows anguish after Israel's raid on hospital

The US has said Israel killed Hamas number three Marwan Issa in an operation last week. Meanwhile, the Israeli military claims 20 Hamas fighters were killed and dozens of suspects arrested in a raid on Gaza's al Shifa hospital - which the health ministry described as a war crime.

Tuesday 19 March 2024 10:55, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• US says Hamas number three Marwan Issa killed by Israel
• Alistair Bunkall: Death is a big success for Israel
• IDF soldiers raid al Shifa hospital in Gaza City
• Screams of anguish in video showing aftermath of Israel's raid on hospital
• Several killed as hospital on fire, say Palestinian health officials
• Journalist 'beaten and detained' in raid
• Michael Clarke : Israel under pressure as evidence grows it is committing systematic war crimes
• Watch: Israel films storming of hospital by drone | What video tells us about the raid
• Biden speaks to Israeli PM - their first call in 32 days

That's all for this evening, but we'll be back tomorrow with regular updates and analysis.

Scroll down to read what happened during the day.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has joined those to express their concern about Israel's planned assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Mr Trudeau was speaking with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz on Monday.

A statement from Mr Trudeau's office said he had "shared his concern" around the planned offensive "and the severe humanitarian implications for all civilians taking refuge in the area".

"He underscored the need to increase the volume of life-saving humanitarian aid for civilians and to ensure aid reaches all those in need, safely and without delay."

Christopher Lockyear, from Doctors Without Borders says any attack on Rafah would be "a disaster upon a disaster".

He tells the camera he is travelling through part of Rafah "which is incredibly crowded - we've been moving at a snail's pace for the last 10-15 minutes or so".

"There are people everywhere, there are tents and makeshift shelters to the left and right of me and there are kids literally everywhere, which is a real shock."

Mr Lockyear said: "Clearly any ground invasion into Rafah would be an absolute catastrophe.

"It doesn't bear thinking about."

As we have been reporting today, the situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly desperate, with children now starving to death in the enclave.

The UN has said famine is imminent, and the head of its  Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief body, Martin Griffiths, has condemned world leaders for failing to prevent the current state of affairs.

"Famine is imminent in Gaza," he said.

"More than one million people are at risk because they have been cut off from life-saving aid, markets have collapsed and fields have been destroyed.

"The international community should hang its head in shame for failing to stop this.

"We must flood Gaza with food and other life-saving aid. There is no time to lose.

"I renew my call to the Israeli authorities to allow complete and unfettered access for humanitarian goods.

"We know that once a famine is declared, it is way too late. We also know that, with action and goodwill, it can be averted."

This is footage filmed by a Sky News team near the al Shifa hospital earlier today.

Israel raided the hospital for the second time during the war, accusing Hamas of using it as a base.

Israel said it had killed more than 20 gunmen in the operation.

The hospital was Gaza's largest before the war and is now one of the only healthcare facilities that is even partially operational in the territory's north.

It has also been housing displaced civilians.

Israel's prime minister has agreed to send a team of officials to Washington DC so "an alternative approach" can be discussed with regards to Israel's plans for Rafah.

The news comes from US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who was speaking after a call between Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu.

The team will include military intelligence and humanitarian officials but it was not clear when they would travel to the US.

Israel said last weekend that it planned to launch an assault on Rafah, but there is growing concern about the safety of civilians in the city - where more than one million people fled to after being ordered to evacuate other parts of Gaza by Israel.

The call between the two leaders also comes amid US frustration with Israel's conduct during the war, including accusations that it has prevented from getting into the enclave.

Mr Sullivan said a major ground offensive would be a "mistake" and would "further isolate Israel internationally".

Bearing in mind that Rafah is a primary entry point for aid from Egypt and Israel, he said an invasion would also "shut that down or at least put it at grave risk right at the moment when it is sorely needed".

Looking across the rest of Gaza, Mr Sullivan said a "humanitarian crisis" had descended.

"Anarchy reigns in areas that Israel's military has cleared but not stabilised," he said.

The death of Marwan Issa is a big success for Israel, writes  Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall .

First reported a week ago by the Jerusalem Post after an air strike in central Gaza, there was no official confirmation until tonight.

It's unclear why the US confirmed his death before Israel.

Issa is the deputy Commander of Hamas's military wing and would have been involved in the planning of the October 7th attacks. He is normally regarded as the number three in Hamas.

Issa has the nickname "shadow man" for his ability to evade Israeli forces.

The whereabouts of Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, remains unknown, likewise Mohammed Deif, the commander of the military wing.

It's thought they might be hiding in the southern city of Rafah, one reason why Israel wants to send ground troops in, though if Issa was located in central Gaza then it's possible others might be there too.

The US says Israel killed Hamas number three Marwan Issa in an operation last week.

Sky News has approached the IDF for confirmation but their response was: "The IDF has no comment on the matter."

When we covered reports of the death on 11 March, Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari had said they were awaiting confirmation.

Below is the last-known photo of Issa, taken at a 2015 security conference organised by a Hamas-aligned organisation.

For those following the situation in the Middle East, one of the big questions is when - or if - Israel will launch its assault on Rafah.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the weekend that the assault was still necessary to "eliminate the remaining terrorist battalions in Rafah".

But for those who are trying to arrange aid deliveries - and those who are desperately waiting for them - the lack of certainty is already risking lives.

United Nations humanitarian coordinator Jamie McGoldrick said aid operations in Gaza cannot be planned more than two or three days ahead at the moment because of the instability and uncertainty.

"It would be a really difficult scenario for us to envisage the possibility of hundreds of thousands of people being forced from Rafah because of the incursion.

"We are not in a position to contingency plan that. We're not in a position to pre-position shelter, material, food, medical supplies and especially water... It will be a real problem for us." 

Why does this matter?

It is already extremely difficult to get aid into Gaza due to the security situation and Israeli restrictions.

In desperation, a small group of countries has resorted to dropping aid from the air and deliveries have finally been arriving by sea - but neither of these makes up for the capacity that should be brought in by road.

And, as has been confirmed today, the need is immense - the UN says famine is "imminent" in northern Gaza and people in the rest of the enclave are struggling to access food.

Mr McGoldrick said: "If there was to be an incursion, that (aid) system we have, which is already precarious and intermittent, would then be broken."

Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall  is in Jerusalem and says the US and Israeli leaders would have had a lot to discuss during their 45-minute call.

"We have seen over recent weeks, in the absence of communication between the two leaders, quite a public spat between Israel and Washington, the US president making it very clear that he is not happy with the way that this war is being fought and the lack of humanitarian aid that is getting into Gaza.

"For his part, the Israeli prime minister has been defiant and adamant that Israel will pursue its war aims, specifically, the release of all the hostages and the elimination of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. If that means going into the southern city of Rafah, then that is what the Israelis plan to do."

Over the weekend we learnt that Israel is still planning to push ahead with an assault on Rafah, in Gaza's south.

The US, Israel's staunchest ally, has said it will not support such an operation without the Israelis presenting a credible plan to ensure the safety of civilians.

Bunkall said an assault on Rafah does not seem to be imminent but that the world is "increasingly concerned that Israel is gearing up for it", with all of the humanitarian consequences that could have.

Meanwhile, ceasefire talks have resumed in Qatar, with a senior Israeli delegation flying there today.

"The expectation is that they might take a long time, maybe a couple of weeks if they're going to be successful.

"But Hamas has lowered its demands, Israel is still saying that are being unrealistic in what they are expecting. But there is certainly, it seems, room for negotiation. And as long as that stays the case, then there will remain hope that a new ceasefire deal can be agreed at some point."

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‘Total Disgrace’: Anger, Frustration as Mass Heating Failures Across Russia Leave Thousands in the Cold

P ODOLSK, Moscow region – Residents throughout Russia affected by unprecedented winter heating outages in recent days have expressed their frustration and urged local authorities to restore heating in their homes.

In Podolsk, a town some 30 kilometers south of the capital Moscow, at least 149,000 residents — nearly half of its population — were left without heating when a heating main burst at a nearby private ammunition plant.

“It’s a total disgrace. There is no heating and no hot water. We have to sleep in sleeping bags,” Yuri, a local resident, told The Moscow Times.

“I have no words to describe how bad the situation is," said Yuri, who declined to provide his surname. "We have had no heating for almost six days."

Heating issues have affected residents in the Moscow region, where temperatures have plunged to as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius in the past week, as well as people in the Far East Primorye region , the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg , Penza , the southern Voronezh and Volgograd regions and more.

In the Tver region, a group of residents filmed an appeal to President Vladimir Putin, saying that they “are freezing from the cold” in the village of Novozavidovsky.

“We're literally being killed by the cold,” a woman in the video said, adding that they have been sending requests to local authorities since September after their houses were connected to a boiler room whose power was reportedly insufficient.

“This is some kind of torture and extermination of the population 100 kilometers from Moscow,” she added.

Residents of the Moscow region town of Elektrostal lit a fire in the street to draw the authorities’ attention to the heating problem.

“It’s impossible to stay in our houses. We're freezing!” a group of women in the video said.

Suffering from subzero temperatures, residents are placing the blame on local authorities and utility services for failing to take necessary precautions and not taking action to resolve the situation.

“We are sending complaints everywhere but no one listens to us. We have portable heaters working in every room, but the temperature inside is still 10 degrees Celsius,” Yelena from Podolsk said.

“There is a clinic and a hospital, as well as kindergartens, where there is no heating. And we have no answers, no assistance, no explanation,” Yelena added.

Podolsk authorities opened temporary heating centers and declared a state of emergency.

Local authorities linked the heating problems to the fact that the town is heated by a boiler plant owned by the Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant, a private ammunition factory and one of the largest weapon cartridge production enterprises in the country.

“The facility is under tight security conditions, which limits our ability to oversee winter preparations,” the Moscow region’s Vice Governor Yevgeny Khromushin said last week. “We were unaware of the problem for nearly a day.”

An unidentified Moscow region official and two senior executives at the plant were arrested on suspicion of providing unsafe services, Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said in a statement Tuesday.

Investigators said that Podolsk’s deputy mayor was accused of misusing authority by issuing a readiness certificate for the boiler house at the plant.

In the neighboring Tver region, the authorities opened a criminal case over the laundering of over 84 million rubles ($938,993) in heating bills paid by residents, the Astra Telegram channel reported this week, citing unidentified sources. According to investigators, the heads of the local water intake and boiler house misappropriated the heating payments for personal use.

Reacting to the heating failures, Putin on Tuesday asked Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov to provide heat and electricity to the affected residents.

The outages appear to be the latest effect of several decades of crumbling infrastructure in Russia which have been linked to endemic corruption and mismanagement.

The overall decay of Russia's municipal infrastructure surpassed 70% in 2022, the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia reported .

According to Sergei Pakhomov, head of the State Duma’s Construction, Housing and Utilities Committee, water pipes that were 90 years old or even older were still in use as recently as two years ago in some cases.

Housing, utilities and communal services are a common source of problems for Russians during the winter.

In St. Petersburg, residents regularly complain about extensive ice coverage on city streets and sidewalks, with many people ending up in the hospital over the years due to slipping and falling accidents.

In the Siberian republic of Khakassia, two villages were left without electricity last month due to apparent issues with outdated communication systems.

In the winter of 2020, five people in the Perm region were killed after a pipe burst.

When asked about the latest heating outages, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the problems and linked them to poor municipal infrastructure, saying that people “had to endure a lot of inconvenience in the cold and without electricity.”

"Despite all the titanic efforts to update all housing and communal services systems, there's still a certain part that remains considerably deteriorated. These programs will continue, but it is impossible to update all pipes and all housing and communal services systems in 10-15 years,” Peskov said.

As for now, residents affected by heating issues appear to lack optimism that the problems will be solved efficiently.

"It's been a week since we've had heating, and the temperature in my apartment is around 11 degrees Celsius,” Podolsk resident Lidiya told The Moscow Times.

“Unfortunately, no one knows when it will be repaired,” she added.