Three Palestinians died on Thursday as Israeli troops launched more raids into the West Bank flashpoint district of Jenin, a week after a gunman from the area went on a deadly shooting spree in Tel Aviv.
Israel has poured extra troops into the West Bank and is reinforcing its wall and fence with the occupied territory after four attacks that have claimed 14 lives, most of them civilians, in the past three weeks.
A total of 21 Palestinians have been killed in the latest wave of violence since March 22, including those who attacked Israelis, an AFP tally shows.
"Two youths died of injuries sustained in an Israeli attack" near Jenin on Thursday morning, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Hours later, the ministry announced the death of a Palestinian father of six, who was "critically wounded by Israeli bullets" the previous day in Beita, south of Nablus.
Local sources identified the man as Fawaz Hamayel, 45.
The Israeli army said the clashes on Thursday, its sixth straight day of "counter-terrorism activities", saw it come under attack from a crowd in Kafr Dan, a village north-west of Jenin.
"Dozens of Palestinians violently attacked the soldiers, shot at the forces and hurled IEDs [improvised explosive devices] at them, endangering their safety," the army said.
"The soldiers responded with live ammunition."
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has given Israeli troops a free hand to "defeat terror" in the territory, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, warning there would "not be limits" for the campaign.
Palestinian security sources identified the two men killed Thursday as Mustafa Abu Al Rub and Chas Kamamji.
Kamamji is a brother of Islamic Jihad member Ayham Kamamji, who was among six prisoners who escaped Israel's high-security Gilboa prison through a tunnel in September before being recaptured.
Mourners filled the streets of Silwad, north of Ramallah, for the funeral of Amer Elyan, 20, who was killed on Wednesday with a bullet to the chest by Israeli troops who said he threw a firebomb at them during an arrest raid.
Some mourners waved the green flags of the militant movement Hamas and masked men carried guns as Elyan's body, draped in a Palestinian flag and a wreath, was carried by the crowd.
"My son's only wish was to become a martyr, just like his whole generation, because they see no future nor a political horizon for them," his father Mohammed said
Israeli troops have arrested more than 200 Palestinians since early April, about half of them in the past six days, said the Palestinian Prisoner's Club, a group that supports those incarcerated.
Israel's main focus has been the northern district of Jenin and the town's refugee camp, which is a bastion of militant groups.
Israel is seeking to arrest relatives and supporters of Tel Aviv shooter Raad Hazem, 28, who was killed after a gun rampage in a popular nightlife area last Thursday. He has been hailed as a "hero" in his hometown of Jenin.
Israel's Public Security Minister, Omer Bar-Lev, on Wednesday told security personnel that "the intensity will only increase", after he toured part of the security barrier.
"What is currently happening in Jenin, specifically the refugee camp, is remarkable," he said. "You don't stop it there, it spreads all over the place".
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Wednesday charged that Israeli soldiers in the operations "murder for the sake of murder … without the slightest regard for international law".
The West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem declared general strikes on Thursday in protest against the Israeli military operations.
The rise in violence comes during Ramadan and before the Jewish festival of Passover and Christian Easter.
On Thursday, Israel announced it would block crossings from the West Bank and Gaza Strip into Israel from Friday afternoon and Saturday, the first two nights of the week-long Passover festival, and poossibly keep the crossings closed for the rest of the holiday.
Last year during Ramadan, tensions in Jerusalem flared into 11 days of war between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that rules the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
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The specs
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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
