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US President Joe Biden has condemned the “unconscionable” attacks on Israel on Saturday and said America stood firmly with the Israeli people, after Hamas fired thousands of rockets in a surprise attack.
Mr Biden said he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer “all appropriate means” of support to Israel.
"I told him the United States stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults. Israel has the right to defend itself and its people, full stop," Mr Biden said in a televised address from the White House.
The Israeli leader said his country is now “at war” following the attacks that have killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more as Hamas launched about 3,000 rockets in a matter of hours.
"Innocent people murdered, wounded, entire families taken hostage by Hamas, just days after Israel marked the holiest of days in the Jewish calendar. It's unconscionable," Mr Biden said.
He issued a warning against "any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation".
Mr Biden said he spoke to Jordan's King Abdullah II and US congressional leaders. The US President did not mention the loss of life in Palestine.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi, on Saturday as the US remains in “close contact” with Israeli partners. The Pentagon was also “closely monitoring” the situation.
Gaza launches rockets into Israel – in pictures
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the country's commitment to Israel's right to self-defence was “unwavering”.
“Over the coming days, the Department of Defence will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism,” Mr Austin said.
The US military’s Central Command said it was closely monitoring the situation and was in contact with Israeli counterparts.
“We stand with Israel and extend our condolences for the lives lost in these attacks,” Centcom said in a statement.
The Palestinian militant group unleashed a barrage of thousands of rockets in only a few hours, almost as many missiles as it fired over 11 days when it launched the most recent round of heavy fighting with Israel in May 2021.
The toll from what Hamas called “Operation Al Aqsa Flood” was rising quickly on Saturday.
The Palestinian Health Ministry announced at least 198 people in Gaza had been killed, with 1,610 wounded following Israeli strikes on the enclave.
Israel's ambulance service said at least 40 Israelis were killed and hundreds wounded, but the total was expected to rise, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in years.
Thomas Warrick, former deputy assistant secretary for counter-terrorism policy at the US Department of Homeland Security, said the Hamas offensive would benefit no one.
“It's only going to lead to further suffering,” Mr Warrick, now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told The National.
“It's hard to see anything productive coming out of the violence that will undoubtedly ensue over the next several days or weeks.”
He predicted the conflict will follow the pattern of previous instances of violence on this scale.
“I expect we'll see a cessation. If it follows the pattern in the past, the Egyptians will work to lower tensions and we will end up with the uneasy peace in [the] way it was before this incident started,” he said.
Videos apparently showing Hamas fighters streaming through the border fence that encloses Gaza and into Israel have shocked many.
Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the Washington-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies think tank, predicted a significant Israeli response.
“This is the first time I have seen Israel use the word 'war',” Mr Schanzer wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The death and casualty toll in Israel is shocking.”
The expert pointed to the role of Iran, which supports Hamas, in the attacks.
“The Iran-backed group appears to have exploited an intelligence failure within Israel about Hamas’s intents and abilities,” he said.
Roger Wicker, a Republican senator who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticised the Biden administration for working with Iran, which recently secured access to $6 billion in frozen funds after it released five US inmates in a prisoner swap.
“Today’s attacks underscore the Biden administration’s naive approach to Iran,” Mr Wicker said in a statement.
“President Biden’s lenient policy has sent billions in cash to Iran to continue its funding of terrorists and has jeopardised our closest regional partner, Israel.”
Biden officials angrily pushed back on such claims as a deliberate mischaracterisation of the prisoner swap. None of the unfrozen funds have been released yet and the money can only be spent on humanitarian purposes.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said such claims were false.
"Let's be clear: the deal to bring US citizens home from Iran has nothing to do with the horrific attack on Israel," he said on X.
"Not a penny has been spent, and when it is, it can only go for humanitarian needs like food and medicine. Anything to the contrary is false."
FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) - points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) - retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) - TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) - RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
RIVER%20SPIRIT
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELeila%20Aboulela%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Saqi%20Books%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) | US$95,000 | (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) ) | $175,000) | (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 3 (TB) ) | $300,000) | (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Curlin Handicap Listed (TB)) | $160,000) | (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB)) | $175,000) | (T) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (T) 2,000m
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20ASI%20(formerly%20DigestAI)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Quddus%20Pativada%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Artificial%20intelligence%2C%20education%20technology%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%243%20million-plus%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GSV%20Ventures%2C%20Character%2C%20Mark%20Cuban%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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 Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE