The Israeli military's Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, has approved plans for the next phase of the Gaza war on Sunday, and will present it to the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday, Kan News said, clearing the way for its troops to begin a ground assault on the enclave.
Israel will “continue to reshape the security reality” in the region after its operations in Gaza, Iran, Yemen, Lebanon and the occupied West Bank, Kan reported him as saying earlier.
“We will maintain the momentum of Operation Gideon’s Chariots while focusing on Gaza city,” Lt Gen Zamir said, referring to the planned ground assault.
The statement came after Israeli troops bombed Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza city as the military advanced plans to forcibly displace Palestinians to the south of the enclave, despite massive protests in Israel against the latest war plans. At least seven Palestinians were killed on Sunday in Israeli strikes on the courtyard of Al Ahli Hospital.
The Israeli army announced late on Saturday that it was preparing to move Palestinians before the offensive to capture Gaza city, where more than a million people are sheltering. The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, Cogat, said the supply of tents to the territory would resume on Sunday.
His comments came after the security cabinet voted earlier this month to approve a military offensive in the northern Gaza Strip.
Hamas condemned the planned operation, saying it was part of a “brutal assault to occupy Gaza city”. The Israeli plan to expand the war has drawn widespread criticism, with the UN calling it a “dangerous escalation” that risks worsening “already catastrophic consequences” for Palestinians in Gaza, as well as Israeli captives held by Hamas.
Families of hostages and bereaved Israelis launched a nationwide strike on Sunday to protest against the government's decision to expand the war rather than agree on a ceasefire deal.
The protests were planned throughout the day at 400 sites, with endorsements from thousands of businesses. About a million people were expected to gather in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.
Major roads were closed in central Israel, while some relatives of hostages said they would set up a tent encampment near the border with Gaza.
The Israeli government last week approved plans for the military, which controls about 75 per cent of Gaza, to launch an assault on Gaza city
In recent days, Gaza city residents have described more frequent air strikes, including in Al Zeitoun neighbourhood. The enclave's civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said conditions there were rapidly deteriorating, with residents having little to no access to food and water.
The war began with an attack by Palestinian militants from Gaza, led by the Islamist group Hamas, on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed in the raids on southern Israel and about 240 taken hostage.
Israel has pledged to destroy Hamas and is demanding the group disarm and hand over about 50 hostages still in captivity, of whom 20 are believed to be still alive, in exchange for a ceasefire.
Israel insists that Hamas has no role in the postwar governance of Gaza, while also refusing to allow it to be administered by the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, based in the occupied West Bank. Far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government are calling for the territory to be taken over by Israel, 20 years after Israel pulled out of Gaza.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Three stars
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
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
