Hamas Says Dealt ‘Severe Blow’ to Group It Says Collaborated with Israel

 A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood, after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood, after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)
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Hamas Says Dealt ‘Severe Blow’ to Group It Says Collaborated with Israel

 A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood, after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows the destruction in a residential neighborhood, after the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)

Palestinian movement Hamas said Tuesday its so-called Radea security force had "dealt a severe blow" to an armed group in Gaza it accuses of collaborating with Israel.

In a statement, Hamas said its Radea security force carried out an "operation early Tuesday morning in the southern Gaza Strip, targeting the militia of fugitive Yasser Abu Shabab".

Hamas added that it arrested "a number of members" of Abu Shabab's Popular Forces group during the operation and confiscated "military equipment and tools used in their subversive activities".

The statement added that the operation was carried out "as part of the ongoing deterrence operation against dens of treason".

Hamas recently established the Radea unit, whose name translates to "deterrence" and whose purpose it says is to "enforce order".

Clashes broke out early last week in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighborhood between the Radea force and several armed groups, including that of Yasser Abu Shabab, which Hamas accuses of looting and receiving weapons from Israel.

Abu Shabab's Popular Forces originally started operating in Gaza's southern Rafah governorate and was accused of aid looting.

In July, Abu Shabab said his group was able to move freely in zones under Israeli military control and communicated their operations beforehand.

Israeli authorities themselves acknowledged in June that they had armed Palestinian gangs opposed to Hamas, without directly naming the one led by Abu Shabab.

Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 10, the movement has sought to reassert its presence on the ground and reaffirm its control over the devastated Palestinian enclave.

Last week, Hamas' official television channel broadcast images of what it said was an execution of eight "collaborators", shot in front of a crowd in a Gaza City street.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that the war in Gaza would not be over until Hamas disarms as the US-brokered ceasefire deal stipulates.

Hamas has not directly addressed the issue since US President Donald Trump presented the plan two weeks ago.



Lebanon PM Says Won’t Allow Country to Be Dragged into New Conflict

Smoke and flames rise from a building after an Israeli airstrike in Ain Qana village, in southern Lebanon, 02 February 2026. (EPA)
Smoke and flames rise from a building after an Israeli airstrike in Ain Qana village, in southern Lebanon, 02 February 2026. (EPA)
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Lebanon PM Says Won’t Allow Country to Be Dragged into New Conflict

Smoke and flames rise from a building after an Israeli airstrike in Ain Qana village, in southern Lebanon, 02 February 2026. (EPA)
Smoke and flames rise from a building after an Israeli airstrike in Ain Qana village, in southern Lebanon, 02 February 2026. (EPA)

Lebanon's prime minister said Tuesday he will not allow his country to be dragged into a new conflict, after Hezbollah warned any attack on its Iranian backer would be an attack on the group.

"We will never allow anyone to drag the country into another adventure," Nawaf Salam said during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, in response to a question about comments made by Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem last week.

Qassem had responded to American threats of military action against Iran, saying: "We will choose at that time how to act... but we are not neutral."

Salam said Hezbollah's decision to enter the Gaza war in support of its ally Hamas had "very big" consequences for Lebanon and that "no one is willing to expose the country to adventures of this kind".


Syria Kurds Impose Curfew in Qamishli Ahead of Govt Forces Entry

02 February 2026, Syria, Saran: Syrian internal security forces are preparing near the village of Saran to enter the Kobane region northeast of Aleppo, following an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government stipulating the entry of a number of Syrian security forces into the cities of Hasakeh, Qamishli, and Kobane to take over government institutions. (dpa)
02 February 2026, Syria, Saran: Syrian internal security forces are preparing near the village of Saran to enter the Kobane region northeast of Aleppo, following an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government stipulating the entry of a number of Syrian security forces into the cities of Hasakeh, Qamishli, and Kobane to take over government institutions. (dpa)
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Syria Kurds Impose Curfew in Qamishli Ahead of Govt Forces Entry

02 February 2026, Syria, Saran: Syrian internal security forces are preparing near the village of Saran to enter the Kobane region northeast of Aleppo, following an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government stipulating the entry of a number of Syrian security forces into the cities of Hasakeh, Qamishli, and Kobane to take over government institutions. (dpa)
02 February 2026, Syria, Saran: Syrian internal security forces are preparing near the village of Saran to enter the Kobane region northeast of Aleppo, following an agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government stipulating the entry of a number of Syrian security forces into the cities of Hasakeh, Qamishli, and Kobane to take over government institutions. (dpa)

Kurdish forces imposed a curfew on Kurdish-majority Qamishli in northeastern Syria on Tuesday, ahead of the deployment of government troops to the city, an AFP team reported.

The curfew came after Syrian security personnel entered the mixed Kurdish-Arab city of Hasakeh and the countryside around the Kurdish town of Kobane on Monday, as part of a comprehensive agreement to gradually integrate the Kurds' military and civilian institutions into the state.

The Kurds had ceded territory to advancing government forces in recent weeks.

An AFP correspondent saw Kurdish security forces deployed in Qamishli and found the streets empty of civilians and shops closed after the curfew came into effect early on Tuesday.

It will remain in force until 6:00 am (0300 GMT) on Wednesday.

The government convoy is expected to enter the city later on Tuesday and will include a limited number of forces and vehicles, according to Marwan al-Ali, the Damascus-appointed head of internal security in Hasakeh province.

The integration of Kurdish security forces into the interior ministry's ranks will follow, he added.

Friday's deal "seeks to unify Syrian territory", including Kurdish areas, while also maintaining an ongoing ceasefire and introducing the "gradual integration" of Kurdish forces and administrative institutions, according to the text of the agreement.

It was a blow to the Kurds, who had sought to preserve the de facto autonomy they exercised after seizing vast areas of north and northeast Syria in battles against the ISIS extremist group during the civil war, backed by a US-led coalition.

Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), had previously said the deal would be implemented on the ground from Monday, with both sides to pull forces back from frontline positions in parts of the northeast, and from Kobane in the north.

He added that a "limited internal security force" would enter parts of Hasakeh and Qamishli, but that "no military forces will enter any Kurdish city or town".


Sudan Army Breaks Siege on Key Southern City of Kadugli

A volunteer fills water containers at a free distribution point, due to water outages in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
A volunteer fills water containers at a free distribution point, due to water outages in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
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Sudan Army Breaks Siege on Key Southern City of Kadugli

A volunteer fills water containers at a free distribution point, due to water outages in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
A volunteer fills water containers at a free distribution point, due to water outages in Khartoum, Sudan, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)

Sudanese army forces broke Tuesday a siege by the Rapid Support Forces on the South Kordofan state capital Kadugli, two army sources told AFP.

"Our forces have entered Kadugli and lifted the siege," one said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Famine-hit Kadugli was long besieged by the RSF and their local allies, at war with Sudan's regular army since April 2023.