Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the mobilisation of police and army reserves after separate attacks that killed three people in the West Bank and Tel Aviv on Friday.
The attacks came amid mounting Palestinian anger over Israeli police raids on Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as worshippers observe the holy month of Ramadan.
Rockets were fired into Israel on Thursday from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza to the south and from southern Lebanon to the north, prompting retaliatory pre-dawn strikes on Friday.
One man was killed and five people were injured in a car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv late on Friday, hours after two women died and another was critically injured when assailants opened fire on their car near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.
Mr Netanyahu ordered the Israel Police to “mobilise all reserve border police units” and directed the military to “mobilise additional forces" following the attack in Tel Aviv, according to a statement from his office.
Police said a vehicle travelling from north to south hit people near Tel Aviv's Charles Clore Promenade in a “terror attack against civilians”.
A police officer who was nearby arrived at the scene to find several people injured and an overturned car. The officer "neutralised" the driver when he tried to pull a gun, police said.
An Israeli security source identified the driver as an Israeli Arab from the town of Kafr Qassem.
Israel’s rescue service said the tourist who died was a 30-year-old Italian, while five other British and Italian tourists — including a 74-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl — were receiving medical treatment for mild to moderate injuries.
Meanwhile, Israel's army said it had launched a manhunt for the perpetrators of the shooting which killed two sisters and seriously wounded their mother.
It said the victims were fired on as their vehicle passed through Hamra junction in the northern part of the Jordan Valley.
Oded Revivi, mayor of the nearby illegal settlement of Efrat, said the women were Israeli sisters aged 16 and 20, and the wounded woman was their mother.
The UK Foreign Office said the sisters had joint Israeli-British citizenship.
The attacks come days after the US State Department advised American citizens about the “increased risk of violence” in Israel because of the conflict.
The US “strongly condemns” the “terrorist attacks” on Friday, State Department principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones, and wish a full recovery to the injured. The three horrific attacks today, in which three were killed and at least eight others wounded, affected citizens of Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom,” he added in a statement.
“The targeting of innocent civilians of any nationality is unconscionable.”
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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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.
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