عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Report: Israel Sets 35 Strike Targets in Iraq as Sudani Seeks to Rein in Factions

Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with Hikma movement leader Ammar al-Hakim. (Iraqi government media)
Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with Hikma movement leader Ammar al-Hakim. (Iraqi government media)
TT
TT

Report: Israel Sets 35 Strike Targets in Iraq as Sudani Seeks to Rein in Factions

Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with Hikma movement leader Ammar al-Hakim. (Iraqi government media)
Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meets with Hikma movement leader Ammar al-Hakim. (Iraqi government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has asked Shiite figures to mediate with Iran-backed armed factions to prevent them from getting involved in the war between fellow Iran-aligned Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel, Iraqi sources said on Tuesday.

The PM launched the efforts after information circulated within the ruling Coordination Framework revealed that Israel had set 35 targets it may strike in Iraq.

The targets may be hit at any moment, and they include political and faction leaders, said a source.

The Iraqi factions have vowed to retaliate to Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last week. They announced that they were ready to fight alongside the group in southern Lebanon.

An Iraqi government spokesman had said that the local parties have managed to avoid an escalation, but political circles warned the fears persist that the factions may be dragged to war with Israel.

On Monday, the factions struck the Victoria Base Complex near Baghdad International Airport. The government is concerned that the United States and Israel may retaliate to the attack inside Iraq itself.

Sudani has been working on reining the factions. He recently tasked three influential figures, including a political religious official, with carrying out urgent contacts and meetings with the leaders of armed factions to persuade them to distance themselves from the conflict in Lebanon.

The PM held a regular meeting with the State Administration coalition, which includes the majority of political leaders, to discuss the latest developments in the region and their impact on Iraq, said a government statement.

It stressed the unity of Iraq’s position and its political forces, as well as their backing of the government’s stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Sources said Sudani selected head of the Hikma movement Ammar al-Hakim to act as mediator with the armed factions to stop the escalation.

Despite his efforts, another source doubted that the factions would comply with Sudani or any other figure.

“They realize that the situation is dangerous, but they also believe that this is an existential battle aimed at striking at the very heart of the Axis of Resistance” that comprises Hezbollah and other Iran-backed armed factions in the region.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

UN-Egyptian Cooperation to Address Rising Number of Sudanese Refugees

UN-Egyptian meeting to launch the refugee support program (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
UN-Egyptian meeting to launch the refugee support program (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
TT
TT

UN-Egyptian Cooperation to Address Rising Number of Sudanese Refugees

UN-Egyptian meeting to launch the refugee support program (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
UN-Egyptian meeting to launch the refugee support program (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

With the increasing number of Sudanese arrivals in Egypt, the UN Refugee Agency is working closely with Egyptian authorities to accommodate around 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers who have fled the conflict in Sudan since April 2023.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian government, in collaboration with the United Nations and the European Union, launched a joint program to be implemented by the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization, under the framework of the Joint Platform for Refugees and Migrants.

According to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the program, supported by a €12.2 million grant from the European Union, will work with the Egyptian government to meet essential needs in health and education, and to enhance resilience and protection for the most vulnerable refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers living in Egypt, as well as their host communities.

Cairo estimates the number of refugees, migrants, and foreign residents on its territory to be over 9 million.

Ambassador Amr Al-Jowaily, Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security, stated that Egypt "adopts a comprehensive approach that allows the integration of migrants and refugees into Egyptian society through a policy of not establishing camps and providing essential services."

He added: "We have high expectations that the program, with the valuable contributions of UN organizations and international partners, especially the European Union, will enhance coordination and direct funding to support national systems that provide essential services to migrants, refugees, and the host community, with a focus on education and healthcare, thereby integrating humanitarian and developmental dimensions."

Egypt is one of the main host countries in the region but faces unprecedented challenges due to global displacement, according to Elena Panova, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt. She emphasized that the responsibility of caring for and protecting displaced persons cannot fall solely on Egypt, but requires a collective response from the international community and local partners.

Christian Berger, the head of the European Union delegation to Egypt, reaffirmed the EU's continued support for Egypt's efforts to improve services for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, as well as to strengthen the resilience of host communities and explore opportunities for resettlement and safe, legal pathways for refugees in Egypt to the EU.

The UN joint program is based on recommendations from a 2022 report analyzing the status of educational and healthcare services provided to migrants and refugees in Egypt. The program will ensure the continued availability of essential protection services for the most vulnerable refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, with host communities in selected areas also benefiting from it.

Cairo has expressed concern over the "immense burdens" it bears due to hosting millions on its soil. In May, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi spoke about the strain that "guests" — a term he often uses for migrants and refugees — place on his country’s limited resources, particularly water. He noted that they "consume about 4.5 billion cubic meters of water annually," given Egypt's average water consumption of 500 cubic meters per person, calling it a "significant burden."

According to Hanan Hamdan, head of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Egypt, the country has received around 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan.

In a televised statement on Tuesday, Hamdan confirmed that coordination with Egypt is ongoing to accommodate the increasing number of Sudanese refugees. She added that registered refugees with the UNHCR number around 800,000 from various nationalities, the majority of whom are Sudanese.

Dr. Ayman Zohry, migration and refugee expert, told Asharq Al-Awsat that part of the European grant to Cairo is expected to support services provided by the Egyptian government to refugees, such as education and healthcare. Additionally, a portion may be allocated as direct financial or in-kind support, such as the distribution of food and other goods.