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Johnnie Moore, an evangelical leader and businessman, has been appointed head of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the US and Israeli-backed provider of aid to Gaza, the organisation said in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr Moore, an adviser to US President Donald Trump on interfaith issues, replaces Jake Wood, who left the top position at the foundation last week. Mr Wood said in a statement that he felt compelled to leave after determining the organisation could not fulfil its mission.
“GHF believes that serving the people of Gaza with dignity and compassion must be the top priority," he said in a statement.
Mr Moore is the founder and chief executive of the boutique communications consultancy Kairos Company and president of the Congress of Christian Leaders. He has been active in interfaith dialogue, and was involved in the drafting of the 2017 Bahrain Declaration on Religious Freedom and Peaceful Coexistence in the Middle East.
According to his biography on the Kairos website, Mr Moore is a "noted evangelical friend" of Israel and has met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as various Palestinian government and civil society leaders. He also played "a significant role" in the development of the Abraham Accords, the biography says.
John Acree, the acting director of the GHF, said Mr Moore has "a proven record of principled leadership and hands-on humanitarian work".
Mr Moore has praised the GHF on social media since its foundation, most recently lauding it for the development of a "women only" lane at aid distribution sites. He also posted on X that he had "several really encouraging meetings" with the International Committee of the Red Cross, although they do not "always see eye to eye". In another post, he called reports of violence at GHF-run aid distribution sites a lie "spread by terrorists".
There have been several reports of violence at distribution sites in the days since the GHF began operations. On Tuesday, 27 people were killed and 90 wounded when Israeli troops opened fire in the area, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Israeli military said on social media it had fired shots near an aid distribution complex after "identifying a number of suspects moving towards forces". Both Israel and the US have denied or played down reports of violence.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that: "Palestinians have the fundamental right to adequate food and to be free from hunger."
Mr Moore said: “We welcome others to join us and urge extreme caution against sharing unverified information from sources that have repeatedly issued demonstrably false reports."
On social media, he has drawn a connection between the so-called false reports and anti-Semitic violence in the US, particularly an attack on a Jewish group gathered in a park in Colorado.
The National has contacted Mr Moore for comment.
In response to a question from The National on the recent violence, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the GHF and its operations.
"These people were desperate to starving, and the President didn't like seeing imagery of that, and he wanted to ensure that aid was brought in with the approval of Israel, for understandable reasons," she said. "This is something that the previous administration was unwilling to put the time and effort into doing."
The GHF has faced criticism from the UN and humanitarian groups that have traditionally operated in the enclave.
Meanwhile, a leading US consulting firm reportedly pulled out of the GHF last week. The Washington Post said that Boston Consulting Group had been hired last autumn to help design the programme and run its business operations, but that it withdrew its team operating in Tel Aviv on Friday.
A representative said the company had terminated its contract with the GHF and placed a senior partner on the project on leave, pending an internal review. The representative added that all the firm's work with the foundation was "pro bono". Boston Consulting Group set the prices for paying and equipping contractors associated with the foundation working to distribute aid in southern Gaza, the Post said.
Adla Massoud contributed to this report from the UN
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
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Price: Dh13,600,000
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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
The UAE squad for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
The jiu-jitsu men’s team: Faisal Al Ketbi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Yahia Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Obaid Al Nuaimi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Mansoori, Saeed Al Mazroui, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Salem Al Suwaidi, Khalfan Belhol, Saood Al Hammadi.
Women’s team: Mouza Al Shamsi, Wadeema Al Yafei, Reem Al Hashmi, Mahra Al Hanaei, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Hessa Thani, Salwa Al Ali.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
