The fragile truce that ended five days of strikes between Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad was holding on Monday, despite a single rocket fired from the enclave into Israeli territory.
The missile activated warning sirens in the south of the Israeli city of Ashkelon and surrounding areas on Sunday night. It fell on open ground and no injuries were reported.
A source in a coalition of Gaza’s militant groups told Al Jazeera the launch was the result of a malfunction and “the resistance confirms its commitment to the ceasefire”.
Israel’s military subsequently said its tanks fired on two observation posts belonging to Palestinian Gaza-based group Hamas.
The brief exchange followed the culmination of international efforts, led by Egypt, to broker a ceasefire to the violence that killed 33 Palestinians and two people in Israel. One was an elderly Israeli woman, the other a Gazan farmworker who had crossed into Israel for work. About 20,000 Gazans have permission to work in the country.
Israel, the US and the UN thanked Egypt for its efforts to negotiate the ceasefire, which came into effect only days before the Israeli celebration of Jerusalem Day, which has at various points been the trigger for violence between Israeli forces and Gaza militants.
As part of the celebrations, mostly right-wing and far-right Israelis march through Jerusalem’s Old City, including most controversially through its Muslim Quarter.
Despite calls to do so for security reasons, Israeli authorities do not plan to alter the traditional route on Thursday, leading to fears the march could trigger another wave of violence.
In the West Bank, a Palestinian man was shot dead on Monday morning, as Israeli forces prepared to demolish the home of a Palestinian who killed two Israeli brothers in the West Bank in February.
The total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire has risen to 152 this year, including 33 who were killed during the most recent bout of violence in Gaza.
The latest killing also comes on the day of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba — the day marking a mass displacement of around 700,000 Palestinians from their homes following the creation of Israel.
Many people argue that the Nakba is still happening, due to continued killings and displacement of Palestinians.
Last week, the UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territories said it was “deeply concerned” by the forced eviction of the Ghaith-Sub Laban family in the Old City of Jerusalem.
An Israeli court had previously ruled that the home of Nora Ghaith, 68, and Mustafa Sub Laban, 72), would be seized by a settler organisation called the Galicia Trust.
The Sub Laban family has been fighting the trust in a legal battle since 2010.
The eviction notice against the Ghaith-Sub Laban family is scheduled for June 11.
“The forced eviction of the Sub Laban family is part of ongoing evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem, primarily based on discriminatory laws and practices, which violate the human rights of Palestinians, resulting in forced evictions, the loss of property and sources of livelihood,” the UN said in a statement.
Forcible transfer is prohibited under international law “and may amount to a war crime”, it added.
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
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Afro%20salons
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
More from Aya Iskandarani
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The%20Beekeeper
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Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
