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The son of a top Hezbollah politician and member of parliament was one of five of the group's fighters killed in an Israeli air strike on the village of Beit Yahoun in south Lebanon, it was announced on Thursday.
MP Mohammad Raad said his son Abbas’s death “has honoured us, just as he has honoured the families of every martyr”.
“If I am at all angry it’s because he preceded me [in martyrdom]. He was better and faster than me,” Mr Raad said. “We remain steadfast on the front.”
Mourners threw roses at Mr Raad and congratulated him as he viewed his son’s casket.
Mr Raad is the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary wing sanctioned by the US in 2019. He is a leading figure in the Iran-backed group and a member of its executive committee.
The Israeli military said that its fighter jets struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon, hitting two cells that fired at troops or tried to launch rockets.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued to intensify at the border despite the declaration of a truce in Gaza, which was set to begin on Thursday morning but has now been delayed.
It remains to be seen whether fighting along the border will calm following the implementation of the pause in Gaza.
Hezbollah has been supporting its ally Hamas in Gaza by waging a war of attrition with Israel since October 8. Both sides have held back from a full-scale war that could have devastating consequences on both Lebanon and Israel, given Hezbollah's arsenal, which reportedly includes tens of thousands of rockets and missiles.
A well-placed Hezbollah source previously told The National that clashes on the Israeli-Lebanese border would calm only if Israel respected the rules of Gaza’s truce and if attacks on Lebanon did not continue.
The group announced the death of a sixth fighter on Thursday morning, bringing the total killed since violence broke out along the border to 86.
Largest rocket barrage on northern Israel
Hezbollah on Thursday claimed responsibility for what Israeli media described as the largest rocket barrage on the border since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began.
The Iran-backed group said it had fired 48 Katyusha rockets into Israel on Thursday morning, targeting the Ein Zeitem base near Safad city in northern Israel.
The Israeli army said it had identified approximately 35 rockets.
It was an apparent response to Israel's killing of five Hezbollah fighters in Beit Yahoun, which is about 6km from the border with Israel. The rocket barrage targeted an Israeli military base in Ein Zeitem – also 6km from the frontier.
The group also said it had attacked Israeli soldiers operating in several areas near the border, leading to “deaths and casualties”.
The Israeli military does not immediately provide updates on casualties but said in a statement it retaliated by striking a “number of launchers from which projectiles were fired”.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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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.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
