HEBRON // Israeli undercover troops posing as Palestinians, one of them disguised as a pregnant woman, raided a hospital in the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday, shooting dead the cousin of the man they came to arrest.
Using a wheelchair for the soldier pretending to be pregnant, four or five soldiers entered the Al Ahli hospital’s surgery ward at about 2.30am before pulling out their weapons and being joined by about 10 to 14 other undercover soldiers, said a nurse who witnessed the incident.
As some soldiers guarded the four nurses on duty, others headed straight for the room in which the wanted man, Azzam Al Shalaldeh, 20, was being treated.
“They put us up against the wall, asking us to lift our hands up,” said the nurse, who asked to be identified only by the initials SZ for fear of Israeli retaliation.
“They threatened us that if we put our hands down we’d be shot.”
After entering Mr Al Shalaldeh’s room, the soldiers then shot dead a Palestinian man who was identified by medical officials as 27-year-old Abdullah Al Shalaldeh, Azzam’s cousin.
“We heard shots. I didn’t know if they were shooting in the air or if they had shot someone,” said SZ, who remained outside Mr Al Shalaldeh’s room.
“They took Azzam and put him on the wheelchair, plastered his mouth and put a black mask on his face,” the nurse said.
After the soldiers left with Azzam, “I went into the room and saw two people: one, who was Azzam’s brother, was chained to the bed and was screaming. The other person was lying on the floor in his own blood. He had been shot in the head, the upper abdomen and the hand. I saw him on the floor gasping. We called the doctors,” said SZ.
Israel’s internal security service, the Shin Bet, said Abdullah had “attacked the force”.
But Kifah Al Sharif, a member of the hospital’s board of directors, and hospital staffers said he was shot for no reason when he emerged from a bathroom.
“The man is in a hospital, he’s not planning to attack soldiers,” said Mr Al Sharif.
The Shin Bet said its agents had arrested Azzam. It said Azzam had “been smuggled” to the hospital for treatment after he was shot while stabbing an Israeli settler on October 25 near the Meitzar settlement in the Hebron area.
However, Kayed Jaradat, the mayor of Seir village where Azzam is from, eight kilometres north-east of Hebron, said the 20-year-old did not carry out a stabbing attack, but was shot and wounded by a settler while picking olives with his family.
Rafiq Al Salhab, the surgeon who operated on Azzam, said his patient had arrived in critical condition from multiple gunshot wounds but had been “stable” in recent days.
However, he said Azzam needed to remain in hospital as “some wounds were still in the healing phase”.
Hebron’s deputy governor, Marwan Sultan, condemned the Israeli troops for invading “Area A”, territory in the West Bank that is supposed to be under full Palestinian security control and where Al Ahli hospital is located.
"Even in wars the wounded can receive treatment and this should be respected. This should be a safe place. How can I convince people there is an authority here that can protect them?'' he told The National.
He said the raid could fuel more violence.
“The family of the person killed here may respond. Why wouldn’t they? It’s an execution in cold blood,” he added.
Abdullah, Azzam’s cousin, was the 80th Palestinian to be killed since October 1 in the latest wave of violence to hit the region, according to the Palestinian Maan news agency. Twelve Israelis have been killed.
Israeli authorities say 50 of the Palestinian fatalities were involved in attacks on Israelis but Palestinians dispute this.
On Thursday, Israel’s supreme court gave a green light to the destruction of five homes belonging to Palestinians accused of taking part in deadly attacks against Israelis.
Three of the homes are in the West Bank town of Nablus, and belong to the alleged killers of a Jewish settler couple shot dead in front of their children on October 1.
The two other West Bank homes, near Ramallah and in the Qalandiya refugee camp, have been linked to murders dating back to June.
Meanwhile in Hebron, angry doctors and nurses, along with Palestinian Authority officials, demonstrated outside Al Ahli hospital on Thursday morning against the raid.
“To come and kill someone in a hospital is unbelievable,” said Mr Al Sharif, the hospital’s board member. “This means you are not safe in hospital. Where can you be in a safe place?”
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Sonchiriya
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UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
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UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
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The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
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The Lowdown
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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.
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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.
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Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Tamkeen's offering
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- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
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England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
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Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
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Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Price: From Dh650,000
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EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
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Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
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