The US imposed sanctions on three Israeli settlers and five organisations on Thursday due to their connection to violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Those named in the latest round of sanctions include Lehava, an organisation led by Ben Zion Gopstein, who has already been sanctioned by the US.
Lehava is accused of being “involved in acts of violent extremism”, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. According to the US, the organisation has repeatedly engaged in violence against Palestinians.
“The United States remains deeply concerned about extremist violence and instability in the West Bank, which undermines Israel’s own security,” Mr Miller said.
“We strongly encourage the government of Israel to take immediate steps to hold these individuals and entities accountable.
“In the absence of such steps, we will continue to impose our own accountability measures.”
The sanctions also name four settlement outposts including two farms owned or controlled by Neriya Ben Pazi, who was previously sanctioned by the US for “being responsible for or complicit in, or for having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in planning, ordering, otherwise directing, or participating in seizure or dispossession of property by private actors, affecting the West Bank”, the State Department said.
The National recently visited Neriya Ben Pazi's farm in the West Bank, a patchwork of tents and herding pens that showed signs of new construction, including a small house.
Mr Ben Pazi declined at the time to speak on how the US sanctions have affected him.
The punitive measures also take aim at Reut Ben Haim and Aviad Shlomo Sarid, the founders of Tsav 9, a group already sanctioned by the US for disrupting aid lorries coming from Jordan from entering Gaza.
“Tsav 9 is a violent extremist organisation that opposes aid being sent to Gaza and has previously blocked humanitarian aid convoys travelling towards the Gaza Strip,” the State Department said.
“Ben Haim is also a chairperson of Tsav 9 and Sarid is responsible for volunteer co-ordination and building new departments within the movement.”
Ms Ben Haim defended the organisation and said it was founded "just so our hostages could come home ... because we wanted to stop this absurdity, of the aid we transfer that goes to Hamas".
"People from all horizons came and participated to our actions: families of hostages, bereaved families, from the north and the south, from the left and the right – they all came and participated and we did it with a zero-tolerance policy to violence and really in the most legitimate of actions," she said.
"We now have sanctions on us for this, and on me personally, and this is something that today happened to me but tomorrow could be on you. It harms our democracy, it is a fatal blow to our security here in our country."
The latest round of sanctions come after Israel approved the largest land grab in the occupied West Bank in decades.
Israeli authorities approved the seizure of 12.7 square kilometres of land in the Jordan Valley, a move widely condemned by the international community, which views such settlements as illegal.
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Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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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
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
