Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Dozens of people were killed or injured in a shooting near a food bank in Gaza on Sunday, as Israel denied firing on civilians collecting aid.
The Red Cross reported a "mass casualty influx" of 179 people at a field hospital in Rafah, of whom 21 were declared dead on arrival. It said most had gunshot or shrapnel wounds, while survivors said they had been trying to reach an aid distribution site.
Witnesses said the shooting unfolded at dawn near one of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's collection points in Rafah. Palestinian news agency Wafa said Israeli troops had opened fire at civilians, while Gaza's Health Ministry put the toll at 31 dead and 170 injured.
Israel's army offered competing explanations. It first said it was unaware of casualties, then said it did not fire at civilians "near or within" the food bank in the south of Gaza, and that "reports to this effect are false".
An Israeli military official separately said troops had fired warning shots to "prevent several suspects from approaching" the site, but that this was unrelated to the "false claims" against the army. The military also released footage of unknown people "hurling rocks and firing at Gazan civilians" in Khan Younis, as it accused Hamas of thwarting aid delivery.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which runs the centres, said aid had been distributed "without incidents". It said reports of fatalities were false.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of aid agency UNRWA, said aid distribution "has become a death trap". He described the new aid centres as a "humiliating system" forcing hungry Gazans to walk for tens of miles to an area ravaged by Israeli bombardment.
Witness accounts
Ibrahim Abu Taima was among the hungry Gazans who set out early in the morning in search of food, arriving shortly after dawn at the US-backed aid centre in Rafah.
The 34-year-old was "hoping to get food before the rush", he told The National. “But people were already packed in. Everyone is hungry, no food, no water, for months.”
Then, soon after sunrise, gunfire erupted near the food bank. “People were shot at without warning. Chaos broke out," said Ibrahim. His cousin Mahmoud was killed, and a young nephew was shot in the leg.
Over the past week at least 39 Palestinians have been reported dead and more than 220 wounded while trying to collect food from the new aid centres in Gaza, which are staffed by US private security guards. Officials and survivors say Israel is drawing starving civilians into a trap under the guise of humanitarian aid. The bloodiest scenes unfolded on Sunday morning after civilians had gathered in the early hours.
"This is not aid. It’s an ambush,” Ismail Al-Thawabti, director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, told The National.
He alleged that “Israel and the US administration are orchestrating these massacres under the pretence of humanitarian relief, killing civilians in cold blood without any legal or international deterrent."
Mohammed Al-Ghareeb, a journalist from southern Gaza, also witnessed the scene. “Thousands of people were there, mothers, children, elderly. The army started firing directly at people’s heads and chests. It was deliberate," he told The National.
He noted that many people had travelled through the night from Gaza city and northern areas to reach the centre. “They left empty-handed, fleeing bullets instead of receiving aid.”
Adding to the horror, looters reportedly waited near the centres to rob aid recipients. “They snatched parcels from people who made it out alive,” he said. “The situation is catastrophic. Famine is claiming lives, and the world remains silent.”
Israel says the new system of food distribution is a way of bypassing Hamas, which it accuses of pilfering aid. The Red Cross said civilians had, for months, been forced to "navigate areas affected by intense hostilities" to find food.
It said the intake at the Rafah field hospital was the "highest number of weapon-wounded in a single incident" since it opened more than a year ago.
Controversial plan
The UN has criticised the aid distribution plan, which also cuts usual aid providers such as Palestinian relief agency UNRWA out of the loop. Little is known about the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and aid groups say it endangers rather than helps civilians by delivering food through narrow, militarised corridors.
After a two-month ceasefire boosted Gaza's food stocks, Israel blocked all aid from entering the strip from March until mid-May. The entire population is thought to be at risk of famine and Gaza's farmland has been destroyed, with barely any land remaining arable.
Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza, condemned the new aid operations as a facade for military targeting.
“Civilians who came to feed their children returned in coffins,” he said. “These are not humanitarian efforts. They are Israeli-American military zones designed to humiliate and kill.”
Mr Al Shawa urged immediate international intervention. “We are living through the worst humanitarian catastrophe in our history. There is no access to the basic elements of life. This can no longer be ignored.”
As starvation and bombardments continue to devastate the population, calls for a ceasefire grow more desperate by the day. Hamas neither accepted nor rejected the latest US ceasefire proposal on Saturday, saying it was willing to release hostages but demanding that Israel should ultimately withdraw.
Ibrahim Abu Taima said there were screams, blood and "bodies everywhere" in the aftermath of the Rafah gunfire as he carried his cousin and nephew to the nearest hospital.
Mahmoud had been married for four years, a father of two. “He went out to get food for his kids and returned home in a shroud. That’s our reality now,” Ibrahim said.
“There are countless safer ways to distribute food,” Ibrahim Abu Taima said. “But they chose the one that kills us.”
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
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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
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Australia
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360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m
9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m
