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Israel’s assassination of Khalil Al Maqdah in the southern Lebanese city of Saida on Wednesday marked the first time a member of the Palestinian group Fatah has been targeted in Lebanon since the Gaza war began.
Fatah has favoured diplomacy with Israel and peaceful resistance over armed resistance since the 2000s, and has played no role in the war in Gaza, raising questions about why Mr Al Maqdah was killed, in an air strike near Saida's Ain Al Hilweh refugee camp.
Israel claims that Mr Al Maqdah was acting “on behalf of the Hezbollah terrorist organisation and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps”.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has engaged in cross-border fire with Israel since October in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza. Several groups, including Hamas, the Lebanese Fajr Forces, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other armed factions have taken part in this conflict.
Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
Mr Al Maqdah is the brother of Mounir Al Maqdah, the leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Lebanon.
The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades is an informal coalition of Fatah-associated groups, consisting of various armed cells spread across the Palestinian territories and refugee camps in neighbouring countries. The group’s arm in Gaza publicly aligned with Hamas in its October 7 attack on Israel and has since confronted Israel's subsequent invasion of the Gaza Strip, taking part in several operations.
“The primary role of Mounir and Khalil [in Lebanon] was that they created the ‘Popular Army’ which is a group of Palestinian youth – around 500 people in Ain Al Hilweh camp alone, which is no small amount,” said Zaher Abou Hamdeh, an expert on Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps.
According to Mr Abou Hamdeh, the Popular Army operated as a cell within the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades that has been armed and trained for confrontations against Israel “in case of a war or invasion”.
“And at the same time, Khalil and Mounir were smuggling weapons into the West Bank and supporting other cells within the Brigades,” he said.
A Fatah representative acknowledged that Mr Al Maqdah was a member of the movement but denied his involvement with the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
“Khalil Al Maqdah was a retired officer in the Palestinian National Security Forces in Fatah,” said Serhan Serhan, deputy secretary of Fatah in Lebanon. He said Mr Al Maqdah received a pension and other benefits from the movement.
“With all respect to these groups, we in Fatah have nothing called the Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade,” he told The National.
However, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades issued a statement claiming Mr Al Maqdah as a member and praising his role in “supporting the Palestinian people and their resistance during the Battle of the Flood of Al Aqsa” – a reference to the name given by Hamas to its October 7 attack on Israel.
Divisions within Fatah
The differing accounts about the existence of the brigades is a testament to the many fractures and splinters within Fatah’s membership – with some favouring diplomacy while others hold on to armed resistance against Israel’s occupation.
It also reflects Fatah’s attempt to maintain international legitimacy, Mr Abou Hamdeh said.
“Fatah, as a structural leadership, does not adopt the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades due to American and European pressure, and accusations of terrorism. Most importantly, this gives the Brigades flexibility and freedom to operate without political pressure.
“They receive no support whatsoever from Fatah,” he said. “There is no official decision from Fatah to support and adopt the Brigades.”
But, he said, some Fatah officials may funnel portions of their salaries into the armed group.
The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades did originate as the armed wing of Fatah but the movement distanced itself from its militant counterpart when it committed to diplomacy and peaceful struggle under its current leader, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
“After that the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades were no longer part of Fatah or the Palestinian Authority,” Mr Abou Hamdeh said.
This separation created a void that was filled by Fatah’s rival, Hamas, as well as Hezbollah and Iran, illustrating the willingness of Palestinian groups to put aside political rivalries in favour of strategic alliances against Israeli occupation.
“The alliances of each cell are dictated by the place they’re in. In Gaza, for example, they’re allied with Hamas,” Mr Abou Hamdeh said.
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
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham 0-1 Ajax, Tuesday
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Game is on BeIN Sports
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
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Scores in brief:
Day 1
New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38
Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Manchester City transfers:
OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho
ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
