Iraq Collects Humanitarian Donations for Gaza

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds a meeting with the Coordination Framework forces on Saturday evening (Iraqi government)
Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds a meeting with the Coordination Framework forces on Saturday evening (Iraqi government)
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Iraq Collects Humanitarian Donations for Gaza

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds a meeting with the Coordination Framework forces on Saturday evening (Iraqi government)
Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani holds a meeting with the Coordination Framework forces on Saturday evening (Iraqi government)

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani held a meeting with the Shiite Coordination Framework coalition over the developments in Gaza after which he gave directives that donations be collected and dispatched to the besieged Gazans in occupied Palestine.

The attendees condemned the ongoing Zionist attack in the occupied territories, the direct targeting of civilians, and the brutal siege implemented by the occupation authorities on the Gaza Strip, which aggravated the humanitarian conditions of the Palestinians.

They also called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and work to stop the violations committed against the Palestinians.

The attendees then voiced appreciation of Iraq's government positions, the positions of the people and parliament, and the stance of the supreme religious authority in Najaf. They called for the continuation of popular and national demonstrations in support of the Palestinian cause.

They also expressed their thanks to the Iraqi government for its courageous stance in defending the Palestinian people, stressing the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts with countries of the world in order to protect the Palestinian people.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Major General Yahia Rasool, said the army received direct donations and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people. “On Sunday, humanitarian aid will be delivered all day to the Palestinian people,” he noted.

On Saturday evening, the Iraqi Parliament, headed by Speaker Muhammed al-Halbousi, held a session to discuss the siege and brutal bombing of the Gaza Strip and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Palestine.

“The heads of the parliamentary blocs expressed their firm positions towards the Palestinian issue, voicing support and solidarity with the Palestinian people, and rejecting the brutal crimes committed by the usurping Zionist entity, including genocidal massacres against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the unjust siege it imposes on its residents,” according to a statement by the Media Office of the Parliament, received by the Iraqi News Agency, INA.

The MPs condemned “the brutal practices and crimes committed by the Zionist occupation forces against the Palestinian people,” renewing the call for the Arab League to hold an emergency session to condemn the aggression against Gaza and open ways to deliver humanitarian, medical and food aid to the Gaza Strip.

Also, they called on the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union to adopt a unified and serious position to call on the international community to lift the injustice against the Palestinian people and not use the war machine to exterminate them. They expressed their categorical rejection of the Zionist entity’s policy of forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Meanwhile, several political and parliamentary forces called on Iraqi authorities to reconsider the country’s relationship with Washington, due to the US full support of Israel.

Iraqi political and parliamentary forces demanded that the Iraqi political leadership, including the government and parliament, boycott US Ambassador in Baghdad, Alina Romansky, who holds several weekly meetings with the majority of Iraqi political and party leaders, including the leaders of the Shiite Coordination Framework.

In this regard, the Nabni coalition called for an end to the forced displacements carried out by Israel against citizens in the Gaza Strip.



Damascus Begins Establishing its Authority in Hasakeh after SDF Dissolution

A Syrian Defense Ministry delegation in Hasakeh on Monday. (Hasakeh governorate media)
A Syrian Defense Ministry delegation in Hasakeh on Monday. (Hasakeh governorate media)
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Damascus Begins Establishing its Authority in Hasakeh after SDF Dissolution

A Syrian Defense Ministry delegation in Hasakeh on Monday. (Hasakeh governorate media)
A Syrian Defense Ministry delegation in Hasakeh on Monday. (Hasakeh governorate media)

The Special Task Forces of the Ministry of Interior took over a regiment on Tuesday from the disbanded Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Hasakeh city as part of a plan to deploy Syrian security forces in the Hasakeh governorate in northeastern Syria.

The move is part of completing integration procedures and taking control of all security and military positions in the governorate, and hours after the arrival of a Ministry of Defense delegation to Hasakeh to discuss measures for completing the integration process.

Internal Security and Special Task forces are expected to deploy gradually across all areas of Hasakeh to extend state control, maintain security, and boost stability.

New appointments within the Syrian security apparatus are expected as part of an integration process.

Forces are also preparing to deploy to Hasakeh city center, Qamishli, Rumeilan, Al-Malikiyah, and border regions in the coming days.

A delegation from the Ministry of Defense arrived in Hasakeh on Monday and held a meeting at the governorate headquarters with local officials, including Governor Nour al-Din Ahmed, Military Security chief Thaer Obaid al-Bilal, and Military Police chief Imad Fawaz al-Ayesh.

The meeting addressed the procedures and steps required to finalize the integration of military and security institutions within the region, said a statement.

The meeting also addressed coordination mechanisms and the strengthening of cooperation between the relevant entities to unify efforts and ensure the smooth implementation of procedures related to the integration.

The executive bureau of the Hasakeh governorate also held its first meeting on Tuesday, chaired by the governor and attended by bureau members, to discuss mechanisms for boosting coordination across various sectors.

In a related development, displaced Arab families from Haskaeh city returned to their homes in the Al-Aziziyeh neighborhood after more than 10 years of displacement. A celebration was held in their honor attended by Internal Security Commander Marwan Al-Ali and Hasakeh Deputy Governor Ahmed Al-Hilali.


16 Dead in Bus Crash in Egypt's Sinai

Ambulance vehicles in Egypt (Egyptian Ambulance Authority)
Ambulance vehicles in Egypt (Egyptian Ambulance Authority)
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16 Dead in Bus Crash in Egypt's Sinai

Ambulance vehicles in Egypt (Egyptian Ambulance Authority)
Ambulance vehicles in Egypt (Egyptian Ambulance Authority)

A bus crash in Egypt's eastern Sinai Peninsula on Wednesday killed 16 people and injured 28 others, the health ministry reported.

Twenty ambulances rushed to the scene of the accident, which occurred on the road between the popular tourist towns of Dahab and Nuweiba on South Sinai's eastern coast, the ministry said.

Authorities said the injured were receiving medical care but did not say what caused the crash, according to AFP.

The area is a popular tourist destination, known for its marine biodiversity, natural beauty and mountain hiking trails.

Car crashes are common in Egypt, and often blamed on reckless driving, poor maintenance and uneven law enforcement.

Last year, nearly 6,000 people died in road accidents across the country, according to Egypt's state statistics agency.


Yemen Announces Killing of ISIS Spokesman

Terrorist organizations in Yemen previously controlled vast areas before being mostly defeated. (Local media)
Terrorist organizations in Yemen previously controlled vast areas before being mostly defeated. (Local media)
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Yemen Announces Killing of ISIS Spokesman

Terrorist organizations in Yemen previously controlled vast areas before being mostly defeated. (Local media)
Terrorist organizations in Yemen previously controlled vast areas before being mostly defeated. (Local media)

Yemen announced on Tuesday the killing of the spokesman of the ISIS terrorist group Abou Huzayfah al-Ansari during an operation carried out by the Arab coalition special forces, with the support of Yemen's counter-terrorism force, "Force 22" in Seiyun city.

Informed Yemeni sources told Asharq Al-Awsat said the spokesman’s original name is Mithaq Thabet Haitham al-Hujaili, a Yemeni who hails from the Hajjah province.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said he was the spokesman of the entire terrorist organization, underlining the significance of the operation and his position in the group.

State security media in Yemen said the operation was carried out on Tuesday as part of the cooperation and exchange of intelligence between the State Security Service and Arab coalition joint command.

The forces were able to eliminate the target while he was hiding in a home in Seiyun, it added in a statement.

It said he was with eight civilians at the time, including a man, two women and five children. The forces managed to escort the women and children to a safe place. They were not harmed in the operation.

The other man was arrested. He was injured while resisting arrest.

The statement said that no one else was harmed and no property was damaged in the operation.

The forces discovered an explosives belt, which was detonated to avoid harming civilians, at the house. Also discovered were a laptop and five mobile phones.

The operation was declared a success. The statement did not provide more information about Abou Huzayfah or the details about how the forces were able to locate his whereabouts.

The operation took place as ISIS has lost its ability to maintain control over areas in Yemen following years of security and military operations against it.

The terrorist group had first emerged in the country in 2014, exploiting the collapse of state institutions in wake of the Houthi coup and the expansion of the war.

It managed to establish a presence in several regions, including al-Bayda, Hadramawt and Shabwa, before being dealt successive defeats that diminished its power.

The group then resorted to operating through limited cells and hiding in remote or residential areas and carrying out sporadic attacks using explosives.

The State Security Service vowed that the Yemeni government will continue to crack down on wanted terrorists and bring them to justice in cooperation with the Saudi-led Arab coalition and international partners.