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Iraqi-led attacks kill seven Daesh operatives, US Centcom says

Iraqi-led attacks kill seven Daesh operatives, US Centcom says
Iraqi soldiers from the new 'desert battalion' special forces stand next to military vehicles as the take part in a graduation ceremony in Anbar west of Baghdad. (File/AFP)
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Updated 23 October 2024
Reuters
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Iraqi-led attacks kill seven Daesh operatives, US Centcom says

Iraqi-led attacks kill seven Daesh operatives, US Centcom says
  • Attacks were launched against multiple Daesh targets including senior leaders
  • Two US military personnel were wounded in the operations and were in stable condition
Updated 23 October 2024
Reuters
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WASHINGTON: Iraqi-led strikes and raids killed at least seven Daesh operatives in Iraq, US Central Command said on Wednesday, a day after Baghdad reported the militant group’s commander for Iraq had been killed in a military operation.
A Centcom statement did not identify the operatives but said the attacks were launched against multiple Daesh targets including senior leaders.
Two US military personnel were wounded in the operations and were in stable condition, Centcom said.
The Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) provided technical support and intelligence that enabled the raids, it said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said on Tuesday that the Daesh commander for Iraq had been killed in an operation in Iraq’s Hamrin Mountains.
A US-led coalition’s military mission in Iraq will end by next September and there will be a transition to bilateral security partnerships, the US and Iraq said last month.

Topics: Iraq US CENTCOM Daesh

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Muslim nations endorse alternative to Trump’s Gaza takeover plan

Muslim nations endorse alternative to Trump’s Gaza takeover plan
Updated 15 sec ago
AFP
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Muslim nations endorse alternative to Trump’s Gaza takeover plan

Muslim nations endorse alternative to Trump’s Gaza takeover plan
  • The alternative proposes to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority
  • At Tuesday’s summit in Cairo, Arab leaders also announced a trust fund to pay for Gaza’s reconstruction and urged the international community to back it
Updated 15 sec ago
AFP

JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Friday endorsed an Arab League counter-proposal to US President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, two ministers told AFP.

The decision by the 57-member grouping came at an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, three days after the Arab League ratified the plan at a summit in Cairo.

The Egyptian-crafted alternative to Trump’s widely condemned takeover proposes to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority.

“The emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopted the Egyptian plan, which has now become an Arab-Islamic plan,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said, in comments echoed by his Sudanese counterpart.
“It is certainly a very positive thing,” Abdelatty said.

Trump triggered global outrage by suggesting the US “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan.

At Tuesday’s summit in Cairo, Arab leaders also announced a trust fund to pay for Gaza’s reconstruction and urged the international community to back it.

“The next step is for the plan to become an international plan through adoption by the European Union and international parties such as Japan, Russia, China and others,” Abdelatty said.

“This is what we will seek and we have contact with all parties, including the American party.”

However, the counter-proposal does not outline a role for Hamas, which controls Gaza, and was rejected by both the United States and Israel.

The plan “does not meet the expectations” of Washington, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters on Thursday.

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff gave a more positive reaction, calling it a “good-faith first step from the Egyptians.”

Rabha Seif Allam, of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, said Egypt was seeking “broad support” for its proposal.

“This is an attempt to build a broad coalition that refuses the displacement” of Palestinians from Gaza, she said.

Trump’s plan has already united Arab countries in opposition, with Saudi Arabia also hosting Arab leaders two weeks ago to discuss alternatives.

During Friday's meeting, the OIC also readmitted Syria, which was suspended in 2012 early in the civil war under Bashar Assad, following the long-time ruler’s toppling in December.

“This decision represents an important step toward Syria’s return to the regional and international communities as a free and just state,” a Syrian foreign ministry statement said.
 

Topics: War on Gaza Organization of Islamic Cooperation

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Syrian Arab Republic welcomes re-activation of its frozen OIC membership after 13 years

Syrian Arab Republic welcomes re-activation of its frozen OIC membership after 13 years
Updated 10 min 18 sec ago
Reuters
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Syrian Arab Republic welcomes re-activation of its frozen OIC membership after 13 years

Syrian Arab Republic welcomes re-activation of its frozen OIC membership after 13 years
  • Syria's membership was frozen in August 2012 amid the civil war under the Bashar Assad regime
  • In December, Syrian opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham toppled Assad
Updated 10 min 18 sec ago
Reuters

CAIRO: The Syrian Arab Republic welcomed on early Saturday the re-activation of its membership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after it was frozen for 13 years, the foreign ministry said. 

“This decision represents an important step toward Syria’s return to the regional and international communities as a free and just state,” a ministry said in a statement.

Syria's membership frozen since 2012, was re-activated during a meeting of the 57-member group at the organization's headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

The source said the initiative put forth by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to re-activate Syria’s membership was accepted.

Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends an Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah on March 7, 2025. (AFP)

A statement posted on the OIC website highlighted Syria's membership as one of the topics in the discussion of the "extraordinary ministerial" meeting at the organization's headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but did not mention how the meeting turned out.

In his opening statenment, OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha said the initiative to include an item on Syria on the agenda of the session comes at an appropriate time. 

In December, Syrian opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) toppled Bashar Assad after an 11-year civil war, ending his five-decade rule. 

Syria’s new government has since sought to rebuild ties with Arab nations, Western powers, and others.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani was called into the meeting to take Syria’s seat after the vote, the source said. A video shared by Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry showed members applauding as the minister entered the room.

NATO member Turkiye has backed opposition forces looking to oust Assad for years. It is a close ally and supporter of the new government in Damascus, vowing to help rebuild the country and help them train their armed forces.

Last month, Syria’s new President Ahmed Al-Sharaa received an invitation from Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to participate in an Arab League summit in Cairo, a major step in rebuilding ties with the Arab world after Assad’s downfall. 

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria OIC

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GCC reiterates support for Syrian efforts to safeguard security, stability

GCC reiterates support for Syrian efforts to safeguard security, stability
Updated 08 March 2025
SPA
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GCC reiterates support for Syrian efforts to safeguard security, stability

GCC reiterates support for Syrian efforts to safeguard security, stability
  • Council secretary general condemns violence aimed at destabilizing Syria
  • Syrian people seek ‘brighter, more prosperous future,’ Jasem Al-Budaiwi says
Updated 08 March 2025
SPA

RIYADH: Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Al-Budaiwi affirmed the council’s support for the Syrian Arab Republic in efforts and measures it takes to safeguard its stability and the security of its people.
Al-Budaiwi reiterated the position outlined in the final statement issued by the GCC Ministerial Council during its 163rd session, which condemned all acts of violence aimed at destabilizing Syria.
He further emphasized the GCC’s firm stance against violence, terrorism, and criminal acts, regardless of their motives or justifications.
Al-Budaiwi hoped for peace, stability, and prosperity to prevail in Syria, under the principles of law and justice, while fulfilling the aspirations of the Syrian people for a brighter and more prosperous future.

Topics: GCC Syria

90,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayers in Jerusalem

90,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayers in Jerusalem
Updated 08 March 2025
AP
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90,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayers in Jerusalem

90,000 Palestinians attend Friday prayers in Jerusalem
Updated 08 March 2025
AP

JERUSALEM: Some 90,000 Palestinians prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City under tight security by Israeli forces in the first Friday prayers of Ramadan.
Thousands made their way from the West Bank into Jerusalem for the prayers after Israel allowed men over 55 and women over 50 to enter from the occupied territory for the prayers.
Tensions have risen in the West Bank in the past weeks amid Israeli raids on militants. But there was no immediate sign of frictions on Friday.

FASTFACT

Thousands of Palestinians coming from the West Bank lined up at the Qalandia checkpoint on the edge of Jerusalem to attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan.

It was the Palestinians’ first chance to enter occupied Jerusalem since last Ramadan about a year ago, when Israel also let in worshippers under similar restrictions.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, the Israeli government has blocked Palestinians in the West Bank from crossing to Jerusalem or visiting Israel.

Palestinian Muslim worshippers scuffle with Israeli police officers, after participating in Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa compound, also known to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City, March 7, 2025. (REUTERS)

Last Ramadan, the war was raging, but this time, a fragile ceasefire has been in place since mid-January — though its future is uncertain.
In Gaza, thousands gathered for the Friday communal prayers in the shattered concrete husk of a mosque, heavily damaged by Israeli forces during the fighting.
On Thursday evening, Palestinians strung festive Ramadan lights around the rubble of destroyed buildings surrounding their tent camp in Gaza City and set up long communal tables for hundreds of people where aid groups served up iftar.
At Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Nafez Abu Saker said he left his home in the village of Aqraba in the northern West Bank at 7 a.m., taking three hours to make the 45-km trip through Israeli checkpoints to reach Jerusalem. “If the people from the West Bank will be permitted to come, people from all the cities, villages, and camps will come to Al-Aqsa to pray,” he said.
“The reward of prayer here is 500 prayers — despite the difficulty of getting here. It brings a great reward from God,” said Ezat Abu Laqia, also from Aqraba.
The faithful formed rows to listen to the Friday sermon and kneel in prayer at the foot of the golden Dome of the Rock on the sprawling mosque compound.
The Islamic Trust oversees the Al-Aqsa compound and said 90,000 attended the prayers.
The Israeli police said it deployed thousands of additional officers around the area.
The compound and the surrounding area of Jerusalem’s Old City have been the site of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in the past.
Thousands of Palestinians coming from the West Bank lined up at the Qalandia checkpoint on the edge of Jerusalem to attend the prayers.  But, some were turned away because they did not have the proper permits or the checkpoint was closed.
Israeli police said authorities had approved the entry of 10,000 Palestinians from the West Bank.
“All the young people, elderly people, and women were waiting here. They refused to let anyone cross at the checkpoint,” said Mohammed Owaizat, who arrived to find the crossing closed.

The first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire brought the release of 25 Israeli hostages held by militants in Gaza and the bodies of eight others in exchange for the freeing of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
But an intended second phase of the deal — meant to bring the release of remaining hostages and a lasting truce and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza — has been thrown into doubt. Israel has balked at entering negotiations over the terms of the second phase. Instead, it has called for Hamas to release half its remaining hostages in return for an extension of the ceasefire and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.
It says its bar on aid to Gaza will continue and could be escalated until Hamas accepts the proposal — a move rights groups and Arab countries have decried as a “starvation tactic.”
Hamas has demanded that the original ceasefire deal be implemented.
Egypt’s State Information Service said that a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss the deal’s implementation and to push for the second phase.
Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

 

Topics: War on Gaza Palestine Gaza Al-Aqsa Mosque

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Israel’s West Bank operation aligns with annexation ‘vision’: UNRWA

Israel’s West Bank operation aligns with annexation ‘vision’: UNRWA
Updated 08 March 2025
AFP
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Israel’s West Bank operation aligns with annexation ‘vision’: UNRWA

Israel’s West Bank operation aligns with annexation ‘vision’: UNRWA
  • The Israeli operation, which the military says targets militants in the northern West Bank, was launched shortly after a truce took hold in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, a separate Palestinian territory
Updated 08 March 2025
AFP

RAMALLAH: A major Israeli offensive, which over several weeks has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians and ravaged refugee camps, increasingly appears to be aligned with the “vision of annexation” of the West Bank, said a UN official.
Israeli forces carry out regular raids targeting militants in the West Bank, which has been occupied since 1967, but the ongoing operation since late January is already the longest in two decades, with dire effects on Palestinians.
“There are growing concerns that the reality being created on the ground aligns with the vision of annexation of the West Bank,” said Roland Friedrich, director of West Bank affairs for UNRWA, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees.
“It’s an unprecedented situation, both from a humanitarian and wider political perspective,” he said.
“We talk about 40,000 people that have been forcibly displaced from their homes” in the northern West Bank, mainly from three refugee camps where the operation had begun, said Friedrich.
“These camps are now largely empty,” he said, their residents unable to return and struggling to find shelter elsewhere.
Inside the camps, the level of destruction to “electricity, sewage and water, but also private houses” was “very concerning,” Friedrich added.
The Israeli operation, which the military says targets militants in the northern West Bank, was launched shortly after a truce took hold in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, a separate Palestinian territory.
The operation initially focused on Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps, where UNRWA operates, but has since expanded to more areas of the West Bank’s north.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said troops would remain for many months in the evacuated camps to “prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism.”
And Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right politician who lives in one of dozens of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, has said that Israel would be “applying sovereignty” over parts of the territory in 2025.
According to Friedrich, “the statements we hear indicate that this is a political operation. It is clearly being said that people will not be allowed to return.”
Last year, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion saying that Israel’s prolonged presence in the West Bank was unlawful.
Away from home, the displaced Palestinian residents also grapple with a worsening financial burden.
“There is an increasing demand now, especially in Jenin, for public shelter because people can’t pay these amounts for rent anymore,” said Friedrich.
“Everyone wants to go back to the camps.”
The UN official provided examples that he said pointed to plans for long-term Israeli presence inside Palestinian cities, which should be under the control of the Palestinian Authority.
“In Tulkarm, you have more and more reports about the army just walking around ... asking shop owners to keep the shops open, going out and issuing traffic tickets to cars, so almost as if there is no Palestinian Authority,” said Friedrich.
“It is very worrying, including for the future of the PA as such and the investments made by the international community into building Palestinian institutions.”
The Ramallah-based PA was created in the 1990s as a temporary government that would pave the way to a future sovereign state.
UNRWA is the main humanitarian agency for Palestinians, but a recent law bars the agency from working with the Israeli authorities, hindering its badly needed operations.
“It’s much more complicated for us now because we can’t speak directly to the military anymore,” said Friedrich.
“But at the same time, we continue to do our work,” he said, assessing needs and coordinating “the actual emergency response on the ground.”
Israeli lawmakers had passed the legislation against UNRWA’s work over accusations that it had provided cover for Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip — claims the UN and many donor governments dispute.
The prolonged Israeli operation could have long-term consequences for residents, particularly children traumatized by the experience of displacement, Friedrich warned.
“If people can’t go back to the camp and we can’t reopen the schools... clearly, that will lead to more radicalization going forward.”
He said the situation could compound a legitimacy crisis for the PA, often criticized by militant Palestinian factions for coordinating security matters with Israel.
Displaced Palestinians “feel that they are kicked out of their homes and that nobody is supporting them,” said Friedrich.
He added that a “stronger international response” was needed, “both to provide humanitarian aid on the ground, and secondly, to ensure that the situation in the West Bank doesn’t spin out of control.”

 

 

 

Topics: War on Gaza Palestine Gaza USA

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