عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Israeli Military Issues Thousands of Call-up Notices

FILE PHOTO: A picture released by the Israeli Army says to show Israeli soldiers conducting operations in a location given as Tel Al-Sultan area, Rafah Governorate, Gaza, in this handout image released April 2, 2025. Israeli Army/Handout via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: A picture released by the Israeli Army says to show Israeli soldiers conducting operations in a location given as Tel Al-Sultan area, Rafah Governorate, Gaza, in this handout image released April 2, 2025. Israeli Army/Handout via REUTERS
TT
TT

Israeli Military Issues Thousands of Call-up Notices

FILE PHOTO: A picture released by the Israeli Army says to show Israeli soldiers conducting operations in a location given as Tel Al-Sultan area, Rafah Governorate, Gaza, in this handout image released April 2, 2025. Israeli Army/Handout via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: A picture released by the Israeli Army says to show Israeli soldiers conducting operations in a location given as Tel Al-Sultan area, Rafah Governorate, Gaza, in this handout image released April 2, 2025. Israeli Army/Handout via REUTERS

The Israeli military was issuing call-up notices to thousands of reservists on Saturday to support an expansion of its offensive in Gaza, Israeli media reported, after the prime minister announced that his upcoming visit to Azerbaijan was postponed.
The reservists will be deployed to Israel's border with Lebanon and in the occupied West Bank, replacing regular soldiers who will lead a new offensive in Gaza, the news site Ynet reported.
The military had no immediate comment, Reuters said.
Earlier, the prime minister's office announced that Benjamin Netanyahu was rescheduling his May 7-11 visit to Azerbaijan, citing recent developments in Gaza and Syria.
The office, which also cited "the intense diplomatic and security schedule", did not announce a new date for the visit. Netanyahu had been expected to meet with President Ilham Aliyev.
Israeli media reported on Friday that the security cabinet had approved plans for an expanded operation in the Gaza Strip.
Israel broke a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in March after seeking to extend it without engaging in talks to permanently end the war. Hamas says it would release the remaining hostages in Gaza only in exchange for an end to the war.
The military has since intensified its bombing campaign and carved out wide buffer zones in Gaza, squeezing the 2.3 million population into an ever narrower zone in the center of the enclave and along the coast and shutting off aid supplies.
Israel's leadership has asserted that it is committed to its war goals of defeating Hamas and bringing back the last 59 hostages held in Gaza.
So far, 192 hostages have been released through negotiations and Israeli military operations since November 2023. Most had been abducted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led groups stormed into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's retaliatory war has reduced much of the territory to rubble and killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to health officials in Gaza.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Houthi Ballistic Missile Attack Leaves Civilian Casualties in Taiz

Yemeni fighters sit on a pick-up truck mounted with a heavy machine-gun as they hold a position during clashes with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen's northwestern Al-Jawf province on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
Yemeni fighters sit on a pick-up truck mounted with a heavy machine-gun as they hold a position during clashes with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen's northwestern Al-Jawf province on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Houthi Ballistic Missile Attack Leaves Civilian Casualties in Taiz

Yemeni fighters sit on a pick-up truck mounted with a heavy machine-gun as they hold a position during clashes with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen's northwestern Al-Jawf province on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
Yemeni fighters sit on a pick-up truck mounted with a heavy machine-gun as they hold a position during clashes with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen's northwestern Al-Jawf province on November 2, 2026. (AFP)

Operation Dawn of Yemen has entered its second month, backed by presidential assurances that offensives will persist until state institutions are fully restored.

Meanwhile, a Houthi ballistic missile strike caused multiple deaths and injuries in Taiz, drawing immediate condemnation from the Yemeni government, which labeled the attack a "war crime."

The broader military confrontation has shifted into a volatile new phase of escalation as heavy fighting expands between government forces and the Houthis across the Taiz, Lahj, Marib, and Al-Jawf governorates. The widening conflict has heightened international concern for civilian safety and the security of vital shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

Chairman of Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi stressed in a council statement on Thursday that military operations will continue until their declared objectives are achieved, chief among them ending the Houthi coup, restoring state institutions, and extending state authority over the entirety of Yemeni territory.

The council said that since October 5, the armed forces have conducted more than 40,000 military targeting operations across various fronts. According to its tally, these operations resulted in neutralizing around 20,000 of the Houthi leaders and members, as well as destroying and disabling more than 5,000 military vehicles and pieces of equipment.

These figures reflect the vast scale of military operations conducted during the first month, while fighting continues across multiple axes, it added.

Several battles

On the ground, government forces recaptured key military positions in the Al-Sarari area and the Sanamat area of Al-Misrakh district in southwest Taiz governorate.

The field advances were achieved during offensive operations launched with the support of the Popular Resistance. The ground maneuvers coincided with a series of airstrikes and drone strikes targeting Houthi positions, troop gatherings, and combat vehicles.

Local sources said warplanes carried out a wave of airstrikes at dawn on Friday, hitting Houthi concentrations, fortifications, and hardware across the Hayfan district and the vicinity of Al-Turbah city. An official casualty and equipment damage toll from the aerial strikes has not yet been disclosed.

Numerous areas across Lahj governorate witnessed fierce fighting, which were concentrated on the frontlines of the Al-Zuraiqah region.

Military sources revealed that the Houthis executed a flanking attack targeting five positions, before defending forces, supported by the resistance, managed to recapture two of them.

Meanwhile, fighting continued in the Al-Madaribah district and the Kahboub mountains overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The fighting in Al-Zuraiqah resulted in the killing of 11 personnel from the joint forces and the injury of 23 others, according to an initial field toll. Casualty figures among the Houthis remained unknown, while fighting continued along with the arrival of military reinforcements from both sides.

The escalation expanded to the Marib and Al-Jawf governorates, where government forces announced advances across the Al-Dahidha heights and the Huwayshan mountains in eastern Al-Jawf.

Troops seized control of several positions, fortifications, and weapons during operations aimed at clearing the route toward the city of Al-Hazm.

Another massacre in Al-Waziyah

On the west coast, the Yemeni government's announcement that the Houthis used a United Nations building in the Al-Mokha district as a military operations center and a missile launchpad has triggered fresh concerns regarding the safety of humanitarian facilities and UN personnel.

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation warned that the group is exploiting the legal immunity of UN headquarters to cover its military activities, demanding that the UN investigate these accusations and work to evacuate gunmen and weapons from the building. The allegations could not be independently verified.

In another development, several people were killed and injured following an attack targeting the Al-Hadara popular market in the Al-Waziyah district in western Taiz, on Friday.

The health ministry of the unrecognized Houthi administration reported that at least 20 people were killed and 15 others wounded, while local authorities in Taiz blamed the militia for the attack.

Officials denied the incident was the result of coalition airstrikes, citing operations room reports confirming no military flights took place in the Al-Waziyah district that day.

Yemeni military spokesperson Majid Al-Nuzaili said the Houthis targeted the market with a ballistic missile, resulting in dozens of casualties.

He described the assault as a war crime reflecting the militia’s targeting of civilians following field losses or failed missile launches.

Arab World

Al-Zaidi Targets 'Intermediary Companies' in Defense Industry Contracts

PM Ali Al-Zaidi during his visit to the Defense Industries Commission. (INA)
PM Ali Al-Zaidi during his visit to the Defense Industries Commission. (INA)
TT
TT

Al-Zaidi Targets 'Intermediary Companies' in Defense Industry Contracts

PM Ali Al-Zaidi during his visit to the Defense Industries Commission. (INA)
PM Ali Al-Zaidi during his visit to the Defense Industries Commission. (INA)

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has ordered the Defense Industries Commission to bypass intermediary firms and contract directly with manufacturing companies, aiming to curb funding channels linked to armed factions.

The directive seeks to tighten oversight on government procurement by eliminating middlemen networks, which informed sources state serve as vital economic pipelines for various armed groups.

The policy shift arrives amid mounting tension between the government and certain factions, driven by Al-Zaidi’s broader push to restructure the relationship between state institutions and armed formations, including their commercial ventures. Sources familiar with the matter noted that the restriction has sparked significant concern among stakeholders who rely on intermediary networks tied to lucrative state contracts.

During a visit to the Defense Industries Commission on Thursday, Al-Zaidi stressed the "necessity of dealing directly with parent manufacturing companies, and absolutely not dealing with intermediary companies."

According to a statement from his media office, the directive is designed to ensure contract transparency while eliminating intermediary loops and vulnerabilities to corruption.

Al-Zaidi affirmed that Iraq possesses the capability to manufacture its weapons and equipment needs through national expertise, stating that building an advanced defense industry represents a fundamental pillar of national sovereignty. He stressed the importance of research and development, as well as keeping pace with technological advancements in military industries.

The Defense Industries Commission, which replaced the Military Industrialization Commission established by the former regime during the Iran-Iraq War, is one of the state institutions responsible for producing and developing military equipment.

Shadow companies

The government directive has renewed focus on the network of intermediary companies active in state contracting. Sources said that these firms are linked to the economic interests of factions and exploit political and administrative influence to expand their operations inside state institutions.

Some of these companies operate within a network linked to Al-Muhandis Company - one of the formations of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) - or its front companies. Sources said that these entities are used to secure government contracts and provide financial resources to armed groups.

An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that these companies serve as "part of a financing mechanism for armed factions operating through two tracks: first, generating revenue from contracting and state procurement, and second, laundering funds to legitimize income derived from illicit activities, including oil and drug smuggling."

The source added that the operations of these firms are not confined to a specific authority or ministry. Instead, they extend across various state institutions, leveraging political and administrative clout to secure government contracts that provide their commercial transactions with official cover.

In the political context, disputes have begun to escalate between certain armed factions and parties within the Coordination Framework. Amid these tensions, factions are accusing political and government forces of cooperating with Al-Zaidi to reduce their economic and security influence in response to external pressures.

A recent wave of reports has emerged highlighting the commercial activities of figures and leaders within armed factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, though the accuracy of these accounts could not be independently verified.

Public debate is intensifying over the shifting role of these factions from their self-proclaimed status as "resistance forces" to entities managing economic interests and commercial influence networks.

This evolution raises questions regarding the exact nature of these commercial ventures, their relationship to the groups' weapons, and the strategic cost Iraq might ultimately incur should these factions decide to drag the country into a broader regional conflict.

Hussein Allawi, an expert in political affairs, said Al-Zaidi's visit to the Defense Industries Commission carried a message regarding the need to protect public funds and developing Iraqi defense capabilities through direct engagement with international companies.

Allawi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the PM is seeking to "strengthen the defense industry file," describing it as one of the sensitive areas that demand transparency and governance to ensure the quality of weapons and equipment used in Iraq.

He added that adopting direct contracts with international corporations, in accordance with applicable commercial laws and regulations, would curb the additional costs borne by the state due to multiple intermediary loops.

Security affairs researcher Mukhlad Hazem said Al-Zaidi's decision is a major step in confronting corporate networks that exploit the influence of political or armed factions to secure government contracts.

Hazem told Asharq Al-Awsat that these networks are not a new phenomenon, but rather have extended their activities over several years.

He revealed that certain groups monopolize massive state contracts to finance their economic entities, without necessarily delivering a corresponding return in terms of product quality or adherence to execution terms.

Arab World

Egypt, Iran FMs Discuss Regional Developments

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Egypt, Iran FMs Discuss Regional Developments

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a plenary session of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2026 in Manama on October 31, 2026. (AFP)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held telephone talks on Thursday with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on the latest regional developments and efforts to ease tensions, reported dpa.

An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the ministers exchanged views on the latest developments and concerns over the possibility of renewed military conflict and its impact on regional and international security and stability.

Abdelatty underlined the importance of prioritizing diplomatic solutions and urged all parties to demonstrate the necessary openness to reach a political settlement to the crisis.

He stressed that exercising flexibility and arriving at compromises would serve the interests of all sides and prevent the region from sliding into a new wave of escalation, which could otherwise yield severe political, economic, and humanitarian repercussions for the region and the entire world.