Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited an army brigade in the West Bank on Sunday. AP
Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited an army brigade in the West Bank on Sunday. AP
Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited an army brigade in the West Bank on Sunday. AP
Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited an army brigade in the West Bank on Sunday. AP

We will not allow Iranians to harm us, says Israel's Defence Minister in West Bank visit


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Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has warned against Iranian interference during his visit to the occupied West Bank.

“We will not allow the Iranians and Hezbollah to harm us,” said Mr Gallant, who Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to dismiss last week.

“We have not allowed it in the past, we won’t allow it now, or anytime in the future,”

Mr Gallant visited an army brigade in the West Bank on Sunday.

During his visit, Mr Gallant was also informed about an investigation into a Palestinian motorist, who was shot down by the Israeli military on Saturday, after he drove his car into a group of soldiers in the West Bank.

Mr Netanyahu announced Mr Gallant's dismissal a week ago after he spoke out against the pace of the government's hotly contested judicial reforms.

The announcement set off unprecedented street protests in Israel and international condemnation.

Mr Gallant has yet to receive a formal dismissal letter from the Prime Minister.

Mr Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition government has since moved to pause the judicial reforms.

Palestinian killed in West Bank

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Monday that a Palestinian was killed and another critically wounded by Israeli forces during a dawn raid in the West Bank city of Nablus.

The two were seriously injured during clashes with the forces during the raid, the Ministry of Health told Wafa.

Ahmed Jibril, director of ambulance and emergency at the Red Crescent in Nablus, said one of the injured people was taken to Rafidia Governmental Hospital and was later declared dead.

Medical relief teams transferred the other to Nablus Speciality Hospital.

Mr Jibril said the forces also attacked the hospital with gas bombs.

Israeli forces said they arrested two citizens during the raids, which took place across the city.

The death toll in Nablus has risen to 93, including 17 children and a woman, since the beginning of the year.

Israeli air strikes in Syria

Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes hit several sites in Syria's Homs province early on Sunday, wounding five soldiers, Syrian state media reported.

Hours later, the Israeli military said it shot down an “aircraft” that crossed from Syria into their airspace.

In Iran, state media reported that an Iranian adviser who was wounded in an Israeli strike on Friday died of his wounds.

Since the start of Syria's conflict in March 2011, Iran has been a main supporter of President Bashar Al Assad's government.

Sunday's strike marked the ninth time Israel has struck targets in Syria since the beginning of the year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor.

Israeli-Palestinian tensions are simmering after months of violence in areas of Jerusalem and the West Bank. Tensions are also simmering with Syria, Iran and with Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.

“All our fronts are tense. The Iranians are extending their outreach to [the West Bank] and Gaza, and are attempting to entrench themselves in Syria and Lebanon,” said Mr Gallant.

Australia tour of Pakistan

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi  

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi 

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi

April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi

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.

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Updated: April 03, 2023, 9:31 AM