Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Palestinian civilians are "paying the price" while a solution to end the war in Gaza remains up in the air, the UN's humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said on Monday, hours after Israeli strikes killed dozens across the enclave.
“Civilians are paying the very highest price every single day, today perhaps even more than other days, while we failed to reach consensus on solution,” the UN undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief co-ordinator said in an address to a security conference in Qatar.
Mr Griffith emphasised that hundreds of thousands of Gazans are "serially" searching for safety as "hunger and the threat of disease continue to escalate".
At least 810,000 people have been forcibly displaced again from Rafah to other areas, after having fled to the southern region in previous months, the UN says.
"Every time families are displaced, their lives are at serious risk. People are forced to leave everything behind looking for safety. But there's no safe zone," the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on X.
About 1.5 million of Gaza's 2.3 million people had been sheltering in Rafah before Israel began its offensive against the area this month. Before the war began in October, the city had an estimated population of about 300,000, but it swelled as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled fighting in northern and central Gaza.
On Monday, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced the army was expanding its operations in Rafah, after Israel said it would be conducting limited incursions in the city.
Mr Gallant made the comments during talks with US national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Tel Aviv.
The US has opposed a fully fledged invasion of Rafah, citing the high number of civilian casualties that will result from such a move.
“I emphasised to him [Mr Sullivan] Israel’s duty to expand the ground operation in Rafah, to dismantle Hamas and to return the hostages,” Mr Gallant said.
War Cabinet member Benny Gantz has threatened to quit if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not offer a plan for postwar Gaza by June 8.
At least 70 people have been killed in overnight strikes and shelling across Gaza on the 227th day of the war, local health authorities said on Monday.
The Al Awda Hospital in Jabalia in the north is on its second day under siege – as the refugee camp there remains under attack by Israeli forces.
About 300 homes have been destroyed across Jabalia since Israeli forces began an operation in the camp this month, civil defence personnel said, adding that dozens of people are still missing, presumed to be under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Israeli tanks entered the camp in mid-May as hundreds of leaflets were dropped from the sky, with "we are coming" written in Arabic.
Health authorities have warned of severe shortages in medicine and medical consumables to provide emergency care, perform operations, first aid and other services Al Awda.
Meanwhile, shelling continued in Gaza city and Rafah, where dozens, including a one-year-old child, were killed, state news agency Wafa reported.
Gunboats also fired from the coast of Rafah into the Gaza Strip, Wafa said.
More than 35,500 people have been killed since the war began on October 7. Nearly 80,000 people have been injured, with many being denied medical assistance, food and water as the Rafah border crossing with Egypt remains closed.
Thousands more are missing under the rubble of flattened buildings across the strip, where much of the basic infrastructure has been destroyed.
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
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Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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