• A man inspects damage at his house left by a rocket following Israeli air strikes in Al Qulaylah, on the outskirts of the city of Tyre, south of the Lebanese capital Beirut. AFP
    A man inspects damage at his house left by a rocket following Israeli air strikes in Al Qulaylah, on the outskirts of the city of Tyre, south of the Lebanese capital Beirut. AFP
  • Palestinians inspect the damage after Israeli air strikes in Gaza City. EPA
    Palestinians inspect the damage after Israeli air strikes in Gaza City. EPA
  • Trails of smoke is seen as rockets are fired from Gaza. Reuters
    Trails of smoke is seen as rockets are fired from Gaza. Reuters
  • A Palestinian checks a car damaged by Israeli air strikes in Gaza city. Reuters
    A Palestinian checks a car damaged by Israeli air strikes in Gaza city. Reuters
  • A bridge destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Maaliya village in south Lebanon. AP
    A bridge destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Maaliya village in south Lebanon. AP
  • Flames and smoke rise after Israel bombarded south Lebanon and Gaza in the early hours of Friday. EPA
    Flames and smoke rise after Israel bombarded south Lebanon and Gaza in the early hours of Friday. EPA
  • Explosions seen in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
    Explosions seen in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters
  • Lebanese residents examine the damage at a house after air strikes in Qalili village in south Lebanon. AP
    Lebanese residents examine the damage at a house after air strikes in Qalili village in south Lebanon. AP
  • Streaks of light seen from Ashkelon in Israel as rockets fired from the Gaza Strip are intercepted. Reuters
    Streaks of light seen from Ashkelon in Israel as rockets fired from the Gaza Strip are intercepted. Reuters
  • A Lebanese army unit finds a missile launcher near the towns of Zibqin and Qlaileh. Photo: Lebanese Army
    A Lebanese army unit finds a missile launcher near the towns of Zibqin and Qlaileh. Photo: Lebanese Army
  • Smoke rises after rockets fired from Lebanon strike Bezet in northern Israel. AP
    Smoke rises after rockets fired from Lebanon strike Bezet in northern Israel. AP
  • A damaged building in the northern Israeli town of Shlomi. AFP
    A damaged building in the northern Israeli town of Shlomi. AFP
  • The remains of an intercepted rocket fired from Lebanon into the city of Shlomi in northern Israel. AP
    The remains of an intercepted rocket fired from Lebanon into the city of Shlomi in northern Israel. AP
  • Ruins of a missile intercepted by Israeli military. AP
    Ruins of a missile intercepted by Israeli military. AP

Israel strikes Lebanon and Gaza in major escalation


  • English
  • Arabic

Israel bombarded south Lebanon and the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Friday, just as residents in both territories were preparing to have a suhoor meal before the start of the daily Ramadan fast.

The retaliatory strikes followed a day of rocket fire from Gaza and Lebanon into Israel as tensions rise over raids by Israeli police at Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

On Friday, violence again broke out at Al Aqsa Mosque compound and chaotic scenes were seen at one of the entrances to the esplanade before dawn prayers.

Baton-wielding Israeli police descended on crowds of Palestinian worshippers, who chanted slogans praising the rocket attacks as they tried to squeeze into the site.

An hour later, video footage appeared to show people staging a protest on the limestone courtyard, with Palestinians raising their fists and shouting in support of Hamas rocket fire, and Israeli police forced their way into the compound.

A large Palestinian flag is unfurled during a protest against an Israeli police raid of Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City. AP
A large Palestinian flag is unfurled during a protest against an Israeli police raid of Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City. AP

Israel has blamed the Gaza-based Hamas movement for Thursday's volley from the strip in the south and from Lebanon to its north. In Gaza, the Israeli army said its jets hit targets, including what it said were tunnels and weapons-manufacturing sites.

In Lebanon, at least two missile strikes were heard south of the coastal city of Tyre, as Israel conducted the overnight bombardment.

Tyre, which is about 20km from the border with Israel, was quiet after the initial strikes. Most residents took refuge in residential shelters or homes.

A small crowd of men gathered on the shoreline shortly after the attack, watching the thick cloud of smoke coming from the direction of the Rashidieh camp for Palestinian refugees on the outskirts of the city.

“What do they want with us?” one stunned resident was heard asking the crowd.

“When they said they’d respond I didn’t expect them to strike all the way in Tyre.”

Another strike appeared to have left a large crater in farmland, with security sources telling Reuters it was near where rockets had been fired.

Hamas condemned the attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, saying it held Israel “fully responsible for the consequences of such grave aggression”.

The Israeli military said. “We will not allow the Hamas terrorist organisation to operate from within Lebanon, and hold the state of Lebanon responsible for every directed fire emanating from its territory.”

This week's exchange of rockets between Lebanon and Israel is the largest escalation between the two countries since the 2006 conflict, when Israel waged war against Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

Earlier on Thursday, before the rockets were fired, senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine said any infringement on Al Aqsa would “inflame the entire region”.

Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party and Iran-backed paramilitary, is an ally of the Hamas movement in Gaza.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued a statement condemning any military operations that threatened the country's stability. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon known as Unifil said: “Early this morning, the [Israeli military] informed Unifil that they will begin an artillery response to yesterday’s rocket launches. Immediately after, Unifil personnel heard loud explosions around the city of Tyre.

“Unifil's head of mission and force commander, Maj Gen Aroldo Lazaro, is speaking with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line. Our liaison and co-ordination mechanisms are fully engaged.

“Both sides have said they do not want a war. The actions over the past day are dangerous and risk a serious escalation. We urge all parties to cease all actions across the Blue Line now.”

On the outskirts of Tyre, three women tilled the land near a field of lettuce. One shrugged off the missile strikes.

“We’re used to this,” said farmworker Ghalya Abu Zeid, a Syrian mother of two.

She told The National she had arrived in Lebanon less than two months ago after her home in Syria's Hama was destroyed in the massive earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in February.

“We can't bunker down waiting to die,” she said. “We have to work. I have kids to feed.”

On Thursday, Israel said it had “identified 34 rockets that were fired from Lebanese territory into Israeli territory” and that 25 had been intercepted by Israeli air defences.

While the tensions risk dragging Hezbollah into a conflict similar to the 34-day 2006 war, Israel stressed that it struck only sites linked to Palestinian militants.

In recent years, Hezbollah has said it supported armed responses to Israel but has stayed out of other flare-ups related to the Al Aqsa Mosque.

The latest violence came after Israeli police attacked worshippers at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Following a cabinet meeting on Thursday regarding the increasing unrest across Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will hit back at our enemies and they will pay the price for every act of aggression.

“Our enemies will learn again that during times of war, Israeli citizens stand together and united, and support the actions of the [army] and the rest of the security forces to protect our country and our citizens.”

The tensions come as Israel is gripped by internal division over proposed judicial reforms that sparked mass rallies and led Mr Netanyahu to try to fire his Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant.

However, Mr Netanyahu clawed back Mr Gallant's dismissal and opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Wednesday night that the government could count on cross-party support following the rocket attack.

Mr Netanyahu said the people stand behind the military despite internal debate.

“The internal debate in Israel will not prevent us from taking action against them wherever and whenever necessary. All of us, without exception, are united on this,” Mr Netanyahu said.

Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Napoleon
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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BULKWHIZ PROFILE

Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

Size: 50 employees

Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

Long read

Mageed Yahia, director of WFP in UAE: Coronavirus knows no borders, and neither should the response

Match info:

Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')

Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')

Fringe@Four Line-up

October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)

October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)

November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)

November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)

November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)

November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)

November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)

December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)

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

Hidden killer

Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.

The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.

Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.

Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.

Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu. 

The Byblos iftar in numbers

29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month

50 staff members required to prepare an iftar

200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly

160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total

500 litres of soup is served during the holy month

200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes

350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes

5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:

Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')

Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate

The biog

From: Ras Al Khaimah

Age: 50

Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years

Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'

Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'

THE SPECS

Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now

Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final

Esperance de Tunis 0
Al Ain 3
(Ahmed 02’, El Shahat 17’, Al Ahbabi 60’)

Match info

Deccan Gladiators 87-8

Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16

Maratha Arabians 89-2

Chadwick Walton 51 not out

Arabians won the final by eight wickets

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The specs

BMW M8 Competition Coupe

Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8

Power 625hp at 6,000rpm

Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm

Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto

Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec

Top speed 305kph

Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km

Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)

On sale Jan/Feb 2020
 

Updated: April 07, 2023, 11:15 AM