Senior Hamas Commander in Charge of N. Gaza Killed in the War, Group Says

Palestinians leaving the north walk through the Salaheddine road in the Zeitoun district on the southern outskirts of Gaza City on November 25, 2023, on the second day of a truce between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Palestinians leaving the north walk through the Salaheddine road in the Zeitoun district on the southern outskirts of Gaza City on November 25, 2023, on the second day of a truce between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Senior Hamas Commander in Charge of N. Gaza Killed in the War, Group Says

Palestinians leaving the north walk through the Salaheddine road in the Zeitoun district on the southern outskirts of Gaza City on November 25, 2023, on the second day of a truce between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Palestinians leaving the north walk through the Salaheddine road in the Zeitoun district on the southern outskirts of Gaza City on November 25, 2023, on the second day of a truce between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

Hamas says one of its top commanders has been killed in the war with Israel.

The militant group announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour on Sunday, without saying when or where he was killed. He is the highest-ranking member of the group known to have been killed in the war, which was sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel.

Al-Ghandour was a high-ranking member of the group’s armed wing and Hamas’ top commander in northern Gaza.

He had survived at least three Israeli attempts to kill him, going back to 2002, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

The tense ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be back on track early Sunday after the release of a second group of militant-held hostages and Palestinians from Israeli prisons, but the swap followed an hourslong delay that underscored the truce's fragility.

The exchange was delayed Saturday evening after Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement, which has brought the first significant pause in seven weeks of war marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades, vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip, and a hostage crisis that has shaken Israel.

The deal seemed at risk of unraveling until Qatar and Egypt, which mediate with Hamas, announced late Saturday that the obstacles to the exchange had been overcome. The militants released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Thousands of people gathered in central Tel Aviv late Saturday to call for the release of all the estimated 240 people captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel, which ignited the war. They accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to bring them back.

Pressure from the hostages' families and lingering anger over Israel's failure to prevent the attack have sharpened the dilemma facing the country's leaders who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while bringing all the captives back safely.

The war has already claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

The four-day ceasefire, which began Friday, was brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. All are women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. Israel said early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day, in the third of four scheduled swaps.



Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated on Friday that Iraq has received explicit threats from Israel, adding that the country’s armed forces have been instructed by the prime minister to prevent any attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the armed forces to take action against anyone launching attacks from the country. The foreign minister emphasized that Iraq does not seek war and aims to avoid its dangers, noting that the region is “on fire” and facing “clear threats from Israel.”

The agency also reported that the Iraqi government has requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to address Israeli threats. Iraq’s permanent representative to the Arab League submitted a request for a session at the level of permanent representatives of member states to confront what was described as menaces from the “Zionist entity.”

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he had sent a message to the president of the UN Security Council urging immediate action against activities of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Sa’ar asserted that the Iraqi government bears responsibility for any actions occurring within or emanating from its territory.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have expressed pessimism about the outcome of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Nevertheless, they emphasized Baghdad’s commitment to supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and security.

Speaking at the American University Forum in Duhok on Friday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani highlighted that the challenges facing Iraq have fundamentally changed since October 7.

He described the current situation in the Middle East as a “second Nakba”, stressing that the challenges stem from the failure of the international system, which he described as “ambiguous.”

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid stated that Iraq would play its role in promoting peace in the Middle East and expressed his full support for efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Türkiye.

Speaking at the Duhok Forum, Rashid said that Iraq and the region are facing circumstances that require all parties to closely monitor the situation and find appropriate solutions to ongoing problems, emphasizing the need for lasting peace and security.

Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, called for Iraq to remain neutral in the conflict, saying: “The crises in the region and the scenes of war in Lebanon and Gaza are tragic. We hope this suffering will come to an end.”

“We are all awaiting changes following the US presidential election. All indications suggest that a Trump administration will adopt a different approach compared to President Biden’s policies,” he added.

The Iraqi government has stated that under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with the United States, Washington is responsible for “deterring and responding to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.”

According to media reports, the US has informed Baghdad that Israeli military strikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless Baghdad prevents Iran-backed factions from launching attacks against Israel.