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Gaza War Extends into Beirut with Killing of Hamas Leader 

Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. (EPA)
Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. (EPA)
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Gaza War Extends into Beirut with Killing of Hamas Leader 

Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. (EPA)
Smoke billows from a destroyed building at the site of an explosion in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, 02 January 2024. (EPA)

Israeli forces intensified their bombing of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and told civilians to leave a refugee camp in the north of the Palestinian enclave after the war stretched into Lebanon with the killing in Beirut of the Hamas deputy leader. 

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it killed Saleh al-Arouri in a drone strike in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday. But military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces were in a high state of readiness and prepared for any scenario. 

The assassination was a further sign that the nearly three-month war between Israel and Hamas was spreading across the region, drawing in the occupied West Bank, Hezbollah forces on the Lebanon-Israel border, and even Red Sea shipping lanes. 

Arouri, 57, who lived in Beirut, was the first senior Hamas political leader to be assassinated since Israel began its offensive against the militant group in response to its deadly rampage into Israeli towns on Oct. 7. 

Hamas politburo member Hossam Badran said in a eulogy for Arouri: "We say to the criminal occupation (Israel) that the battle between us is open." 

Israel had long accused him of orchestrating attacks on its citizens. But a Hamas official said he was also "at the heart of negotiations" conducted by Qatar and Egypt over the outcome of the Gaza war and the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages. 

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah was due to make a speech in Beirut on Wednesday afternoon. Previously he had warned Israel against carrying out assassinations on Lebanese soil, vowing a "severe reaction". 

The heavily armed Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon's southern border since the Gaza war began. More than 100 Hezbollah fighters and two dozen civilians have been killed on Lebanese territory, as well as at least nine Israeli soldiers in Israel. 

Following Arouri's killing, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said it was deeply concerned about the possibility of an escalation "that could have devastating consequences for people on both sides of the border". 

Refugee camp under fire 

In Gaza itself, Israeli forces bombed Al-Nusseirat refugee camp in the northern part of the Hamas-ruled enclave overnight and into Wednesday, destroying several multi-floor buildings, residents and Palestinian media said. 

Israeli planes also dropped leaflets on Al-Nusseirat ordering people to leave seven districts. 

"You are in a dangerous combat area. The IDF is operating heavily in your area of residence. For your safety the IDF urge you to immediately evacuate this area and leave towards the known shelters in Deir Al-Balah (west)," the leaflets said. 

Israeli war planes and tanks also stepped up attacks on the Al-Bureij refugee camp. 

Hamas' armed wing said it had killed 10 Israeli soldiers in fighting in Al-Bureij and hit five tanks and troop carriers. The Israeli military said the number of its soldiers killed since its first incursion into Gaza on Oct. 20 had reached 177. 

In the Al-Maghazi refugee camp, health officials said at least four people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a house. They said three people were also killed in an air strike on a house in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. 

Israel says it tries to avoid harm to civilians. But the total recorded Palestinian death toll has now reached 22,185, according to the Gaza health ministry. 

The war was triggered by a cross-border Hamas assault on Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and some 240 hostages taken back to Gaza. 

Since then, Israeli bombardments have laid waste to much of the enclave. Its 2.3 million residents are engulfed in a humanitarian disaster in which thousands have been left destitute, crammed into shrinking areas in the hope they are safe and threatened by famine due to a lack of food supplies. 

'Veins of resistance' 

Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank to condemn Arouri's killing, chanting, "Revenge, revenge". 

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Arouri's killing would "ignite another surge in the veins of resistance and the motivation to fight against the Zionist occupiers..." 

Shortly before Arouri's killing, Hamas' paramount leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is also based outside Gaza, said the movement had delivered its response to an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal. 

He reiterated that Hamas' conditions entailed "a complete cessation" of Israel's offensive in exchange for further releases of hostages. 

Israel believes 129 hostages remain in Gaza after some were released during a brief truce in late November and others were killed during air strikes and rescue or escape attempts. 

Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it has wiped out Hamas, but it is unclear what it plans to do with the enclave should it succeed, and where that leaves the prospect of an independent Palestinian state. 

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Arab World

Anticipated Syrian Cabinet Reshuffle Considers SDF Integration

The announcement of the Syrian government in March 2025 (Presidency) 
The announcement of the Syrian government in March 2025 (Presidency) 
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Anticipated Syrian Cabinet Reshuffle Considers SDF Integration

The announcement of the Syrian government in March 2025 (Presidency) 
The announcement of the Syrian government in March 2025 (Presidency) 

Sources close to the Syrian government told Asharq Al-Awsat that a cabinet reshuffle is expected in the coming days, alongside a restructuring of several ministries, including sovereign portfolios, as well as a wave of changes affecting several provincial governors.

The anticipated changes come more than a year after the formation of the Syrian government in March 2025, which followed the end of the caretaker administration’s mandate.

Sources said the reshuffle is expected to affect several service ministries, most notably Local Administration and Environment, Health, Sports and Youth, Agriculture, Transport, Education, and Higher Education. The process has already begun at the Ministry of Agriculture, followed by the Health Ministry.

Information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat indicates that some of the anticipated changes come at the personal request of ministers for various reasons, including health-related issues.

Some dismissed ministers may assume senior leadership roles, while other changes stem from performance evaluations. The sources did not rule out that the ongoing rapprochement and efforts to accelerate the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are also a factor.

No Change to Sovereign Portfolios

In recent weeks, there had been speculation about changes at the Interior Ministry, including the possible transfer of Interior Minister Anas Khattab to head the National Security Council and the appointment of his deputy Abdul Qader Tahan as minister. However, government sources confirmed that no sovereign ministries will see changes at the ministerial level.

The sources said the presidency aims to preserve stability in these ministries, citing their recent successes, including the arrest of several war criminals linked to the former regime, such as Amjad Youssef.

They also pointed to the continued work of ministries involved in the SDF integration project, including Defense, which is restructuring the military, Justice, which is overseeing judicial facilities in the eastern region, as well as Energy and Economy.

Easing Public Discontent

The sources noted that despite strong public approval of some ministries, including Interior and Defense, there is dissatisfaction with other sovereign ministries, particularly Energy, Economy, and Finance, which face public demands for ministerial dismissals due to the burdens placed on citizens.

However, the authorities are aware of the complex nature of these challenges and continue to support these institutions and their development projects, making them largely insulated from change.

Still, the sources stressed that such steps must be accompanied by “urgent decisions to ease public frustration,” particularly regarding high electricity bills, which have affected public satisfaction despite clear improvements in service quality and reduced outages. A similar trend is seen in the telecommunications sector, where network coverage and access have improved significantly, but costs have also risen.

Broad Restructuring

The anticipated changes are not limited to ministerial portfolios but extend to restructuring directorates and senior positions across institutions, including Interior, Defense, Tourism, Communications, Technology, Information, and Media, through dismissals and new appointments.

Asharq Al-Awsat has learned of a broad campaign of changes aimed at reorganizing Syrian institutions and ministries. These include deputy ministers and administrative directors, particularly in the Tourism Ministry, as well as labor unions and committees.

Among those affected is the head of the General Federation of Trade Unions, Fawaz al-Ahmad. Efforts are also ongoing to restructure and appoint new leadership in bar associations across several provinces.

There is also talk of an impending reshuffle of governors that may affect major provinces, including Aleppo and Homs. Local sources in Aleppo said Governor Azzam Gharib has been offered a senior leadership role within the executive authority close to the presidential palace, pending his approval, as he continues to focus on provincial affairs.

No Quota-Based Appointments

Wael Alwan, executive director of the Jusoor Center for Studies, attributed the reported wave of ministerial, administrative, and local changes — one year after the formation of the current government — to a presidential evaluation of government performance.

He added that based on monitoring the selection process for ministers, there appears to be no reliance on quota-based or appeasement-driven appointments. Nevertheless, he expects that the next phase may include SDF figures in decision-making positions, such as ministers, deputies, or governors.

“This would be a natural development within a framework of power-sharing and avoiding monopolization,” he said, noting that appointments are based on competence, evaluation, and periodic review, with positions subject to ongoing oversight rather than personal favoritism.

 

 

 

Arab World

US Ambassador to Beirut Stresses Importance of Aoun-Trump Meeting

A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in eastern Beirut's Ashrafieh neighborhood on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in eastern Beirut's Ashrafieh neighborhood on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
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US Ambassador to Beirut Stresses Importance of Aoun-Trump Meeting

A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in eastern Beirut's Ashrafieh neighborhood on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
A poster depicting the portrait of Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun that reads "The decision-maker, the protector of Lebanon, Lebanon first...The State always. We are with you" hangs at the entrance of a tunnel on a street in eastern Beirut's Ashrafieh neighborhood on April 28, 2026. (AFP)

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa reiterated on Monday the importance of President Joseph Aoun visiting the United States, saying it should not be viewed as “defeat”.

He also underlined his efforts to achieve rapprochement between various Lebanese officials, meeting with parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.

Sources close to the presidency told Asharq Al-Awsat that Aoun has not received an invitation to visit the US.

They added that a meeting between Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not on the table at the moment.

They instead said that a third meeting between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US is expected to be held in Washington this week.

In Beirut, Issa met with Berri for talks on the developments in Lebanon and the region, said a statement from the speaker’s office. The ambassador left the meeting without making any statement.

After meeting with al-Rahi, Issa said a meeting between Aoun and US President Donald Trump must not be seen as a “defeat” for Lebanon.

He explained that instead, Aoun could visit Washington and clearly present his positions to Trump and even Netanyahu. Trump could be witness to these stances. Afterwards and upon his return to Lebanon, negotiations with Israel can begin.

Asked if Aoun will coordinate his stances with the parliament speaker and prime minister ahead of going to negotiations, Issa said the president will present all of Lebanon’s demands, starting with underlining the importance of Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Moreover, he noted that when Israel says that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but that it wants peace, that means that Hezbollah no longer has any justification for its existence.

If Israel maintains its presence in Lebanon even after that, then that means it has undisclosed ambitions, he added.

Issa stressed that at the moment, efforts are focused on delivering the message that the US wants to help Lebanon and protect its independence, economy and “dignity”. He revealed that he is working with the American administration to deliver this message to the international community.

Asked about the purpose of his meeting with Berri, Issa said he wanted to learn why the speaker was not meeting with the president and that he wanted to come to the bottom of the differences between them.

He noted that the two leaders were coordinating with each other, but it came to a stop for unknown reasons.

He urged the need for Lebanon’s leaders to communicate with each other regardless of the circumstances.

Qassem

Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem continued to slam officials, accusing the authorities of “reaching an agreement with Israel to confront the resistance [Hezbollah].”

He reiterated the importance of Iran’s role in the Lebanese file, rejecting that negotiations over Lebanon be separated from the negotiations between the US and Iran.

“Is there a country in the world in which the ruling authorities agree with the enemy in confronting the resistance that is fighting occupation?” he wondered.

Lebanon is the victim here and it needs guarantees for its security and sovereignty, he demanded.

On the ground, Qassem said the Lebanese army has deployed south of the Litani River in line with the November 2024 ceasefire, but Hezbollah has since “developed means to adapt” with the changes.

He said the Iran-backed party is relying on guerrilla tactics against Israel to deal it losses and prevent it from consolidating its occupation.

The resistance is firm in its drive to liberate territories and it will not surrender, he declared.

“The solution does not lie in surrender or by making Lebanon a weak and subordinate country,” he added. “The situation demands that the resistance continue and for benefitting from the Iranian-American agreement.”

Arab World

Intense Negotiations Underway to Form New Iraqi Govt

President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq Nechirvan Barzani and PM-designate Ali al-Zaidi meet in Erbil last week. (Barzani on X)
President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq Nechirvan Barzani and PM-designate Ali al-Zaidi meet in Erbil last week. (Barzani on X)
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Intense Negotiations Underway to Form New Iraqi Govt

President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq Nechirvan Barzani and PM-designate Ali al-Zaidi meet in Erbil last week. (Barzani on X)
President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq Nechirvan Barzani and PM-designate Ali al-Zaidi meet in Erbil last week. (Barzani on X)

Iraqi parties are holding intense negotiations with Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi over the formation of a new government to ensure that they reap their share in the cabinet, reportedly based on their representation in parliament.

Appointments are based on points, meaning the president, parliament speaker and prime minister boast around 15 points, which translates into 30 parliamentary seats. Obtaining a sovereign portfolio in government, such as the oil or foreign ministry, requires five points, translated into ten seats in parliament. Non-sovereign ministries demand four points, or around eight seats.

The PM-designate has some three weeks to form a government before the end of a constitutional deadline. He will submit a lineup to the parliament for a vote.

The lineup is expected to win a vote a confidence given the support he already enjoys with the majority of the political parties in parliament, US President Donald Trump and the majority of regional and western countries.

Parliamentary sources predicted that al-Zaidi will submit a preliminary lineup next week.

The government is expected to be formed of 22 portfolios, 12 that will go to the ruling Shiite Coordination Framework, six to Sunni blocs and four to Kurdish parties.

The government formation process will be a test to al-Zaidi given his lack of political experience. Observers have questioned whether he will be able to run a country suffering from so many security problems tied to armed factions, as well as a crumbling economy tied to the closure of the Hormuz Strait.

They have also questioned his ability to stand up to political parties and groups that have held sway in Iraq for years. He will be tested in whether he will hold his ground against figures that want to obtain influential government posts even though they are not qualified for the post as is often the case in the country.

An informed source predicted that al-Zaidi will rely on a trusted “formula”, meaning he will ask parties to submit their candidates for various positions, and he will then choose who he deems fit. He will undoubtedly come under pressure from various parties to name their favored candidates.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat that an unprecedented number of parties are clamoring for government positions, unconcerned with the cabinet’s actual ministerial program or the proposals al-Zaidi will offer to tackle Iraq’s pressing problems.

President of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq Nechirvan Barzani was in Baghdad on Monday for talks with Framework leaders over political developments and government formation efforts.

He is expected to meet with al-Zaidi and other parties during his two-day visit to settle the issue of Erbil’s share in the government.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party is expected to obtain two or three portfolios in the cabinet, including the sovereign ministry, such as the foreign ministry. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan will not receive any ministry because one of its members is president of Iraq.