Hezbollah said on Friday that it had launched dozens of rockets towards Israel in response to Israeli air strikes in Lebanon on Thursday, triggering retaliatory shelling from Israel.
The Iran-backed Lebanese group said it had “bombed open lands in the vicinity of Israeli-occupied Shebaa farms with dozens of 122mm rockets”.
A Lebanese army spokesperson told The National that an undetermined number of rockets were launched from the town of Chouaya on Friday morning. The army later said it arrested four people in Chouaya for launching rockets and confiscated the launcher.
No casualties were reported on either side. This is the first serious flare-up in tensions since a cross-border attack in the summer of 2019 and comes after weeks of unclaimed rocket launches from Lebanon into Israel.
Israel responded with shelling over the Lebanese region of Arkoub which ended early afternoon, according to Hezbollah-affiliated media. "We will not let attacks on Israeli civilians go unanswered," the Israeli army said on Twitter.
The shelling caused wildfires in the area, the Lebanese army said.
Hezbollah's rockets triggered sirens in northern Israel and in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israeli media reported that some of the rockets were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defence system.
The Israeli military said sirens sounded in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, and in the Golan Heights, part of territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
In a statement shared with The National, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which patrols the border area, said that it "detected rocket launches from outside UNIFIL’s area of operations in south Lebanon toward Israeli-occupied Golan" on Friday morning. "This was followed almost immediately by an artillery response from Israel in the Shebaa Farms area."
"This is a very dangerous situation, with escalatory actions seen on both sides over the past two days," the statement added. "UNIFIL calls on the parties to cease fire and maintain calm so we can begin an investigation."
Former prime minister Saad Hariri took aim at Hezbollah without naming the party, saying "south Lebanon should not be used as a platform to settle regional conflicts".
"Lebanon is not part of the Iranian-Israeli clash in the Gulf of Oman, and the state, with its legitimate military and security forces, is responsible for protecting citizens and upholding sovereignty," the Future Movement leader said.
Caretaker prime minister Hassan Diab urged the UN to pressure Israel to halt its violations of Lebanese sovereignty and international resolutions, saying he engaged in talks to contain the situation.
Residents of Chouaya stopped Hezbollah militants passing through the town in the late morning after rockets were fired at Israel. Videos of the incident widely shared on social media show villagers blocking a truck loaded with rockets.
In a statement, Hezbollah confirmed that "when resistance fighters returned from their work and were passing through the region of Chouaya in the district of Hasbaya, a number of citizens objected to them".
Hezbollah said that it was careful to not expose the Lebanese to harm during "its work".
But videos of the incident seem to indicate that locals from the majority Druze town were angered because they felt that Hezbollah was exposing them to harm.
"They don't like their villages to be targets," said Makram Rabah, a history professor at the American University of Beirut.
Hezbollah, which claims to represent Lebanon's Shiite Muslim population, is the strongest political force in south Lebanon.
Druze leader Walid Joumblatt told The National that he was mediating with Hezbollah following the incident.
"We need calm," he said. "It wasn't the moment to fire rockets near a Druze village towards Israeli positions."
On Thursday, Israeli fighter jets struck deep inside Lebanese territory for the first time since the month-long war between Hezbollah and Israel in the summer of 2006.
Lebanese media reported that the Israeli jets struck twice in an uninhabited area close to the town of Mahmoudieh in south Lebanon.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said the attack signalled Israel’s “escalatory and aggressive intentions”.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The Kites
Romain Gary
Penguin Modern Classics
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
Race card for Super Saturday
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dh918,125) (Dirt) 1,900m.
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m.
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m.
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
The%20specs
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The%20specs
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
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
