Hamas Says Three Members Killed after Infiltrating into Israel from Lebanon

Rockets are launched from the coast of the Gaza Strip towards Israel by militants of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, Gaza City, 14 October 2023. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Rockets are launched from the coast of the Gaza Strip towards Israel by militants of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, Gaza City, 14 October 2023. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
TT

Hamas Says Three Members Killed after Infiltrating into Israel from Lebanon

Rockets are launched from the coast of the Gaza Strip towards Israel by militants of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, Gaza City, 14 October 2023. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Rockets are launched from the coast of the Gaza Strip towards Israel by militants of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, Gaza City, 14 October 2023. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, claimed responsibility in a statement on Sunday for yesterday’s infiltration from Lebanon towards Israel and announced that 3 of its fighters were killed after they managed to “penetrate into” Israel.

The group said its fighters managed to blow the border fence between the two countries and target the surveillance and access point inside occupied Palestine.

Clashes with Israeli forces caused losses on both sides, added Hamas, explaining that an Israeli aircraft targeted its fighters “during the clash” which led to their death, the Agence France-Presse reported.

On Saturday, for the second consecutive day, armed groups tried to infiltrate into Israel from Lebanon. The Israeli army said it detected “a terrorist commando trying to enter Israeli territory from Lebanon,” and that an Israeli patrol opened gunfire killing many of them.

Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee said Sunday that warplanes were able to kill Bilal al-Qudra, the commander of an elite Hamas unit in Khan Yunis, who was said to have been responsible for an attack by the movement in Nirim and Nir-Oz, according to the Arab World News Agency.

“Under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet, warplanes were able to eliminate the so-called Bilal al-Qudra, commander of Hamas’ elite unit in the South Khan Yunis Battalion... A number of other activists in (Hamas) and (Islamic Jihad) were also eliminated,” Adraee said on X platform.

The spokesman stated that the Israeli army raided more than 100 targets last night in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Khan Yunis, and western Jabalia to weaken Hamas’ capabilities.



Erbil Increases Pressure on Baghdad Amid Ongoing Salary Dispute

A session of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament (AFP)
A session of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament (AFP)
TT

Erbil Increases Pressure on Baghdad Amid Ongoing Salary Dispute

A session of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament (AFP)
A session of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament (AFP)

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani prepares to visit Baghdad this week to attend a meeting of the State Administration Coalition, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson, Delshad Shihab.

Meanwhile, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani criticized the federal government’s treatment of the region as “unacceptable.”

The State Administration Coalition, a political and parliamentary bloc, includes the Shiite Coordination Framework alongside Sunni and Kurdish parties supporting Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s government. Despite their backing, Sunni and Kurdish factions have voiced frustrations over unfulfilled promises in the “political agreement document,” citing persistent disputes among political factions as the cause.

The worsening salary crisis has become a significant issue for the KRG, drawing public criticism from citizens. While Erbil insists that salary payments are an undeniable right, Baghdad has linked them to broader conditions, including Kurdistan’s obligation to hand over oil revenues, customs fees, and border checkpoint revenues to the federal government.

Despite occasional financial transfers from Baghdad under Sudani’s government—every two to three months—the payments have been insufficient to resolve the crisis in Kurdistan. Nechirvan Barzani’s upcoming visit to Baghdad aims to present a stronger Kurdish position. However, internal divisions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by Masoud Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Bafel Talabani, as well as opposition from smaller Kurdish parties, weaken Erbil’s ability to assert its demands.

In preparation for Barzani’s visit, the KRG convened an “extraordinary” meeting on Saturday to forge a unified stance on its negotiations with Baghdad, in the presence of KRG representatives in Baghdad and leaders of Kurdish parliamentary blocs.

“The federal government’s treatment of the Kurdistan Region does not align with its status as a federal entity,” the prime minister said during the meeting.

He also accused the Iraqi authorities of selectively adhering to federal court rulings, stating: “The government only implements court decisions when they are against the Kurdistan Region’s interests.”

While it remains unclear how Baghdad will respond following the State Administration Coalition meeting, a KRG spokesperson hinted at the possibility of Kurdish blocs withdrawing from the federal government in protest over the salary crisis. However, achieving a unified Kurdish stance on such a significant decision remains uncertain due to internal disagreements among Kurdish parties.