Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti appeared in a video for the first time in many years as Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened him inside his cell.
The undated video shows the far-right minister entering the solitary confinement section of an Israeli prison, confronting a visibly frail Barghouti who is dressed in a plain white T-shirt.
Surrounded by guards and cameras, he says: “You will not defeat us. Whoever targets the people of Israel and kills our sons and women will be erased. You must know this.”
The short video has provoked outrage. Hussein Al Sheikh, Vice President of Palestine and deputy head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee, called the incident “the height of psychological, moral and physical terrorism” against Palestinian prisoners and a breach of international conventions.
Mr Al Sheikh said the move reflected “unprecedented recklessness” in Israel’s treatment of detainees and called for urgent intervention by international organisations to protect them.
Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, said she barely recognised her husband. “I didn’t recognise you or your features, but you remain free despite everything," she wrote on Facebook. Barghouti‘s appearance has shocked supporters, as he appears markedly older and frail.
"They are still, Marwan, chasing you and pursuing you even in the solitary cell you’ve been living in for two years, and the struggle of the occupation and its figures with you continues," she said.
"The shackles are on your hands, but I know your spirit and determination, and I know you will remain free, free, free,” she said.
“I know that the only thing that can shake you is what you hear about your people’s pain, and the only thing that crushes and wounds you is the failure to protect our sons and daughters. You are of the people, wherever you are among the people, you are one of them and part of them.”
The video emerged amid Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks, which in past iterations have included the possible release of Barghouti, the most senior and popular Palestinian prisoner, referred to by supporters as the “Palestinian Nelson Mandela".
Barghouti, 66, began confronting the Israeli occupation from an early age, joining Fatah at the age of 15. He was deported by Israel in 1987 and only allowed to return to Palestine in 1993 after the Oslo Accords. As head of Tanzim, Fatah’s armed wing, he played a prominent role in the Second Intifada, which began in the year 2000. He became one of Israel’s most wanted men and, in 2002, he was arrested.
In May 2004, Barghouti was convicted of five murders and sentenced to five life terms, charges he has consistently denied.
He has been active from prison, calling for Palestinian unity. He speaks Hebrew and has often called for dialogue to end the occupation of Palestine.
Ibrahim Khreisheh, Palestine's representative to international bodies in Geneva, described Mr Ben-Gvir's visit as a "serious crime" in a letter to the president of the Red Cross.
The letter urged the Red Cross to help "safeguard the lives of Palestinian detainees, who are subjected to torture, starvation, and ill-treatment in Israeli occupation detention cells", Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How Beautiful this world is!
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
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
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
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