Hind Rajab, the five-year-old Palestinian child killed by Israeli fire while stranded in a car with her dead family members, has been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
The nomination was submitted by Khaled Beydoun, a law professor at Arizona State University, in collaboration with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
Her nomination is to honour "every Palestinian child whose life has been stolen by war and genocide" and serves as a statement “to recognise the relentless horror children in Gaza have endured” in almost two years of conflict, Mr Beydoun wrote on Instagram.
More than 1,300 children have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war began. UN officials have repeatedly warned that the enclave has become a “graveyard for children”.
One of them was Hind. She had been with her mother’s uncle and his wife, as well as four other children, in a car in Gaza city when an Israeli tank fired at them. All were killed instantly, except for Hind and her cousin, 15-year-old Layan Hamadeh.
Layan was the first to alert the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) that the car had been surrounded by Israeli forces. “They’re shooting at us,” she said in a phone call, before her screams went quiet and the line dropped. When the PRCS called back, Hind answered. She was sitting in a car with six bodies.
Her body was found riddled with bullets after a phone call of her pleading for help was shared widely on social media.
The nomination comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented US President Donald Trump with a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, amid Gaza ceasefire talks.
Hind’s nomination was “planned long before Trump's,” Mr Beydoun wrote. “We can't think of a stronger statement and response.”
Mr Netanyahu's status as head of state and Mr Beydoun's position as university professor mean they are both eligible to submit a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Hind’s story must never be forgotten. Her voice must never be silenced
Khaled Beydoun,
law professor at Arizona State University
Hind's mother had been able to join a three-way call with her daughter and the operatives – the last time she would hear her voice. Hind told her mother she was injured in her arm, back and leg, and was bleeding from her mouth, before contact was lost for 12 days.
"It was the most brutal phone call of my life. Hearing my daughter injured, crying and screaming and not being able to do anything to help her," Hind’s mother told The National last year.
Hind’s body was retrieved on February 10 and investigators found 335 bullet holes in the car she had been sheltering in.
Analysis by UK research agency Forensic Architecture found it was "not plausible that the shooter could not have seen that the car was occupied by civilians, including children". Two paramedics who were sent to the scene to save Hind were also killed, and the ambulance they were travelling in had been struck by Israeli forces, the PRCS said.
Hind’s death sparked global outrage and calls of solidarity, with US singer Macklemore releasing a song named after her. Students at Columbia University renamed a building on the campus in her honour.
“Hind’s story must never be forgotten. Her voice must never be silenced,” Mr Beydoun said.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
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Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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
