Israel's Sky Dew advanced radar detection airship has been struck by a Hezbollah drone. Getty
Israel's Sky Dew advanced radar detection airship has been struck by a Hezbollah drone. Getty
Israel's Sky Dew advanced radar detection airship has been struck by a Hezbollah drone. Getty
Israel's Sky Dew advanced radar detection airship has been struck by a Hezbollah drone. Getty

Hezbollah 'blinds' Israeli defences with drone strike on Sky Dew airship


  • English
  • Arabic

Israel has suffered a substantial setback to its surveillance capabilities after a Hezbollah drone struck a $230 million advanced radar detection airship in its deepest attack into the country to date.

Israel's military has confirmed that the Sky Dew blimp, which can spot targets up to 250km away, had been damaged in an attack by a kamikaze drone. Local reports suggest the blimp was shot down.

Intelligence analysts told The National that Hezbollah is seeking to make northern Israel’s detection systems “go blind” potentially ahead of a more serious assault.

With Hezbollah strikes increasing in northern Israel, a local mayor has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “ignoring reality” over the growing threat.

Sky Dew detection

Israel has been developing the Sky Dew project since 2022, giving its forces an advanced observation system for drones and cruise missiles striking from Iran and Syria, as well as Lebanon, by picking up smaller targets that are harder to detect in northern Israel's valleys.

It then gives precision targeting information to air defence weapons, including the Iron Dome system.

The Sky Dew blimp can spot targets up to 250km away. Getty Images
The Sky Dew blimp can spot targets up to 250km away. Getty Images

The balloon also has the key advantage of remaining airborne at low cost, without requiring fuel or crew replacement, whereas surveillance aircraft cost $40,000 an hour to operate.

But that capability has either been severely damaged or destroyed after Hezbollah launched a one-way attack drone that flew 33km undetected into Israeli airspace and struck the balloon close to the town of Tiberias.

The aircraft was probably an Iran-designed Ababil carrying a 40kg warhead travelling up to 370kph with a range of 120km.

Blinding defences

“What it is clear is that Hezbollah are trying to make the northern Israel detection defences go blind,” said Sarit Zehavi, a former lieutenant colonel in Israeli military intelligence.

Speaking from northern Israel, she had spent most of pre-dawn Friday awake after another drone strike, although air-raid sirens indicated this one had been detected.

Ms Zehavi, who is also a mother and runs Alma, an open-source intelligence centre, said she was discussing with neighbours “whether to stay at home during this Saturday or to go away” with the drone attacks increasingly frequent over the last two months.

Sarit Zehavi, founder of Alma open-source intelligence centre
Sarit Zehavi, founder of Alma open-source intelligence centre

Tal Hagin, a leading open-source intelligence analyst based in Tel Aviv, said there was “clearly something lacking in Israel's defence system at the moment” because a drone had been able to enter “from within Lebanese territory all the way into Israel, over 30km away”.

“Acting as a proxy for Iran, Hezbollah is essentially trying to take out the eyes of Israel’s northern defence capabilities,” he said.

He added that the precision of recent attacks suggested that just like the Israelis, Hezbollah had a “target bank” of sites it can hit in retaliatory strikes.

The Sky Dew attack came shortly after Israel confirmed it had killed a senior Hezbollah field commander on Wednesday.

No impact

Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel’s military spokesman, confirmed that a Hezbollah drone had scored a direct hit on Sky Dew but added there were no casualties and that it “had no impact to the IDF's aerial situational awareness capability in the area”.

Hezbollah confirmed in a statement that “a number of attack drones” had struck an Israeli airbase near Tiberias. “It accurately hit its designated targets and achieved what it wanted from this limited operation,” a spokesman said.

Hezbollah show of power

Hezbollah also used its air-to-surface missiles for the first time on Thursday, attacking a military target near the northern Israeli town of Metulla.

It was the first recorded instance of the use of the Russian S-5 missiles and, combined with the attack on the Sky Dew blimp, a reminder that the Iran-allied paramilitary has kept its full capability up its sleeve.

In an April 2024 speech Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel that his group had not yet begun using the bulk of its troops and arsenal.

“We haven’t even mandated our forces to remain stationed at the front,” he said. “They work on a rotation: for a period of time, then go rest at home, then a replacement comes and so on. And despite this, we have accomplished many losses in northern Israel.”

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified substantially in the past week. Friday saw the killing of three people in southern Lebanon – a Hezbollah fighter and two civilians, one of whom was a 13-year-old child – in a wave of Israeli strikes near the southern city of Sidon, around 30km from the border.

The two civilians were killed in a strike on a stone factory while the third person, who Hezbollah acknowledged was a member in a statement announcing his death, was targeted in his vehicle.

A statement by the Israeli military said the air force had “struck terrorist infrastructure” where Hezbollah was operating.

The southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila during Israeli bombardment. AFP
The southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila during Israeli bombardment. AFP

In Israel on Thursday, there were 133 threat sirens, warning of missile and drone attacks and adding to the sense of danger for residents.

Since October 7, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes on both sides of the Lebanon-Israel border. There are no signs residents will be able to return any time soon, more than seven months into the conflict.

Many Israeli residents have signalled their unwillingness to return to the north while Hezbollah remains on the border. Their departure could now become permanent said Moshe Davidovitch, head of the regional council, in a letter to Mr Netanyahu.

“Given the manner in which this national issue is being handled, the northern conflict zone will be abandoned – not only the towns that have been evacuated but the entire conflict area in which our people believe things are business as usual while inexplicably ignoring reality,” he wrote on Sunday.

Euro 2020

Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey 

Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland

Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, 
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia

Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, 
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia

Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden, 
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland

Group F: Germany, France, Portugal, 
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary

Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction. 

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')

Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')

The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

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

UAE%20ILT20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarquee%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMoeen%20Ali%2C%20Andre%20Russell%2C%20Dawid%20Malan%2C%20Wanindu%20Hasiranga%2C%20Sunil%20Narine%2C%20Evin%20Lewis%2C%20Colin%20Munro%2C%20Fabien%20Allen%2C%20Sam%20Billings%2C%20Tom%20Curran%2C%20Alex%20Hales%2C%20Dushmantha%20Chameera%2C%20Shimron%20Hetmyer%2C%20Akeal%20Hosein%2C%20Chris%20Jordan%2C%20Tom%20Banton%2C%20Sandeep%20Lamichhane%2C%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20Rovman%20Powell%2C%20Bhanuka%20Rajapaksa%2C%20Mujeeb%20Ul%20Rahman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInternational%20players%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELahiru%20Kumara%2C%20Seekugge%20Prassanna%2C%20Charith%20Asalanka%2C%20Colin%20Ingram%2C%20Paul%20Stirling%2C%20Kennar%20Lewis%2C%20Ali%20Khan%2C%20Brandon%20Glover%2C%20Ravi%20Rampaul%2C%20Raymon%20Reifer%2C%20Isuru%20Udana%2C%20Blessing%20Muzarabani%2C%20Niroshan%20Dickwella%2C%20Hazaratullah%20Zazai%2C%20Frederick%20Klassen%2C%20Sikandar%20Raja%2C%20George%20Munsey%2C%20Dan%20Lawrence%2C%20Dominic%20Drakes%2C%20Jamie%20Overton%2C%20Liam%20Dawson%2C%20David%20Wiese%2C%20Qais%20Ahmed%2C%20Richard%20Gleeson%2C%20James%20Vince%2C%20Noor%20Ahmed%2C%20Rahmanullah%20Gurbaz%2C%20Navin%20Ul%20Haq%2C%20Sherfane%20Rutherford%2C%20Saqib%20Mahmood%2C%20Ben%20Duckett%2C%20Benny%20Howell%2C%20Ruben%20Trumpelman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Kerb weight: 1580kg

Price: From Dh750k

On sale: via special order

New UK refugee system

 

  • A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
  • Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
  • A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
  • To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
  • Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
  • Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

500 People from Gaza enter France

115 Special programme for artists

25   Evacuation of injured and sick

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6.5-litre%20V12%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E725hp%20at%207%2C750rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E716Nm%20at%206%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQ4%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C650%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Updated: May 17, 2024, 3:16 PM