ISIS Flag Raised in Kirkuk Village

Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk
Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk
TT

ISIS Flag Raised in Kirkuk Village

Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk
Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk

Iraqi security forces on Friday encircled a village in Kirkuk province, located 250 kilometers north of Baghdad, after an ISIS flag was raised there.

The move comes amid statements from Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein about the resurgence of the terrorist group, which he said is reorganizing following the collapse of ISIS's Syrian stronghold.

In a phone conversation with UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, Hussein warned that ISIS is rebuilding its strength, having seized significant weaponry left behind by the Syrian military’s collapse. This has allowed the group to expand its control in the region.

Hussein also raised alarms about the potential fallout from ISIS members escaping prisons and the situation at the Al-Hol camp, which holds the families of ISIS fighters in northeastern Syria, warning it could destabilize security in both Syria and Iraq.

He stressed the need for a political process in Syria that includes all components of society, and highlighted the importance of sustained international aid to the Syrian people.

Falconer expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the Aqaba meetings, which included British participation, emphasizing the need for continued dialogue to monitor developments in Syria.

He also voiced concerns over the potential for armed clashes between ISIS remnants and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), stressing that Syria cannot afford more internal conflict.

ISIS Flag in Kirkuk

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Baghdad has presented a plan for Syria following the recent shifts in the region and remains prepared for all possibilities. On Friday, Iraqi security forces were surprised to find an ISIS flag raised at the gate of a school in a village in Kirkuk. The village, located in the Daqouq district south of Kirkuk, is believed to harbor ISIS remnants.

An Iraqi security source confirmed that the forces had surrounded the village of Khalid in Daqouq and launched a search operation for the perpetrators. Last week, a similar incident occurred in the Hawija district of Kirkuk.

Iraqi-Jordanian Coordination

Sudani also reiterated Iraq’s commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity and expressed readiness to support a comprehensive political process in the country without intervening in its internal affairs. In an interview with Iraqiya TV, Sudani stated that Iraq is concerned about the situation in Syria, particularly regarding the presence of armed groups and ISIS elements. He confirmed that joint operations with Jordan and the US-led coalition have already begun.

The Prime Minister called on Syria’s new leadership to ensure respect for the country’s diverse components and avoid excluding any group. He emphasized that Iraq, as a key member of the anti-ISIS coalition, remains committed to confronting any terrorist threat at its borders.

Sudani assured that Iraq faces no external threats or demands and is pursuing responsible dialogue based on mutual respect, shared interests, and securing its borders, which are now better fortified than ever.

The collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has raised concerns over the fate of approximately 50,000 former ISIS fighters detained in camps in northern Syria. With the region in chaos, there are growing fears of these detention centers being breached, potentially paving the way for the group’s resurgence.



Gaza Ceasefire Traps Netanyahu between Trump and Far-right Allies

This image grab from handout video footage released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18, 2025. (Photo by GPO / AFP)
This image grab from handout video footage released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18, 2025. (Photo by GPO / AFP)
TT

Gaza Ceasefire Traps Netanyahu between Trump and Far-right Allies

This image grab from handout video footage released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18, 2025. (Photo by GPO / AFP)
This image grab from handout video footage released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving a televised address in Jerusalem on January 18, 2025. (Photo by GPO / AFP)

Even before it was signed, the Gaza ceasefire forced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a tight spot - between a new US president promising peace and far-right allies who want war to resume. That tension is only likely to increase.
The stakes for Netanyahu are high -- keeping his coalition government on the one hand and on the other, satisfying US President Donald Trump who wants to use the ceasefire momentum to expand Israel's diplomatic ties in the Middle East.
One of Netanyahu's nationalist allies has already quit over the Gaza ceasefire, and another is threatening to follow unless war on Hamas is resumed at an even greater force than that which devastated much of Gaza for 15 months.
The clock is ticking. The first stage of the ceasefire is meant to last six weeks. By day 16 -- Feb. 4 -- Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas are due to start negotiating the second phase of the ceasefire, whose stated aim is to end the war.
Former police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party quit the government on Sunday and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that he will stay in government only if war resumes after the first phase until the total defeat of Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.
"We must go back in a completely different style. We need to conquer Gaza, instate a military rule there, even if temporarily, to start encouraging (Palestinian) emigration, to start taking territory from our enemies and to win," Smotrich said in an interview with Channel 14 on Sunday.
Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, however, said on Wednesday he was focused on ensuring the deal moves from the first to second phase, which is expected to include a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
"Netanyahu is pressed between the far-right and Donald Trump," said political analyst Amotz Asa-El, with the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. "Netanyahu's coalition now is fragile and the likelihood that it will fall apart sometime in the course of 2025 is high."
Netanyahu's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Witkoff told Fox News on Wednesday that he will be on the ground overseeing the ceasefire, a signal that he will keep up the pressure he applied during the deal's negotiations.
According to six US, Israeli, Egyptian and other Mideast officials who spoke to Reuters in the run-up to the ceasefire announcement on Jan. 15, Witkoff played a crucial role in getting the deal over the line.
The ceasefire's first phase includes the release of hostages, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and aid flow into Gaza.
The second phase, if it happens, would include the release of remaining hostages and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. A third phase is expected to start Gaza's reconstruction, overseen by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations.
One of the most difficult issues involved in negotiating the next phases is post-war Gaza's governance. Israel won't accept Hamas staying in power. Hamas so far has not given ground.
Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday, that Hamas will never govern Gaza and if it reneges on the deal, Washington will support Israel "in doing what it has to do."
On Saturday, after his government signed off on the ceasefire, Netanyahu said Israel had US backing to resume fighting if the second stage talks prove futile, leaving himself some political leeway with Smotrich, for now.
"If we need to go back to the fighting, we will do so in new ways and with great force," Netanyahu said in a video statement.