On July 17 – his birthday – Hazem Harb received news that his family in Gaza had been hit by an Israeli strike. His niece Lara, 10, suffered injuries that would claim her life two days later. His sister, Huda, remains in critical condition.
The Palestinian artist, known for confronting loss through his work, now finds himself mourning the ineffable.
“I am the one who named Lara,” Harb, who lives in Dubai, says. “When she was born, my sister Huda asked me to name her. I am close to my sister and I had a profound connection to Lara. She was an incredibly smart and beautiful child. She was the first in her class. I could write a book about her.”
Huda and her children were returning from a visit to their sister’s house on Thursday when the airstrikes hit. The visit was meant to be a small relief – a respite from the monotony and fear brought on by Israel’s war on Gaza.
“The children were getting restless. Like many children in Gaza right now, they have no toys or anything to distract them. They are home most of the time so, naturally, they get restless and bored,” Harb says. “Lara asked my sister to get them. Huda took them to my older sister’s house.”
While Lara's two sisters and brother survived the airstrike with minimal injuries, her head was struck by shrapnel. “She remained under intensive care for nearly two nights,” Harb says. “We didn’t have much hope. She was breathing, but she was unconscious. We received news on Saturday that she was martyred.”
Huda, meanwhile, suffered significant injuries to her stomach and head.
“Huda is now in intensive care. We moved her to a house because there is no proper hospital or infrastructure to care for her. She can’t process anything right now. Her injuries are extremely dangerous, and she can’t yet process that she lost her daughter.
“There are no words left to describe the horror we are living and the loss my family and I have endured,” Harb adds. “Lara was the entire world to her parents and to our family. She is one of tens of thousand of children slaughtered by this monstrous state. Each of them, the entire world to their families, and each of them mattered.”
This tragedy, he points out, is one of innumerable ones ripping families apart in Gaza. Their deaths are not tragic mistakes, but the result of systematic brutality by Israel.
At least 59,029 Palestinians have been killed and 142,135 wounded since October 2023. According to a May report by Unicef, more than 50,000 children were either killed or injured in the Palestinian enclave.
“Everyone is starving to death, literally,” Harb says. “Feelings have almost no meaning. Sadness, loss and grief are almost secondary because you are dying from the inside. You are dying from hunger, so all feelings are mixing incomprehensibly together.
“I lost my trust in humanity,” he adds. “How can this happen? How can this happen in today’s world? We aren’t learning from history. We are seeing these horrors on our screens. I have no hope, no trust in humanity.”
Tabari Artspace, the Dubai gallery that represents the artist, issued a statement in response to the tragedy.
“This devastating loss is a painful reminder of the reality thousands face daily in Gaza,” the gallery posted on Instagram. “Children and innocent people continue to die – from bombs, from starvation, from systemic violence. These are not just headlines. These are lives. This demands our attention, our outrage and our compassion. No forgiveness.”
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
- Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
- Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
- Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match
- Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
- Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
- Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
Kanye%20West
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
