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Arab World

Israel Targets Gaza Militants Linked to Israeli Abductions

A Palestinian woman reacts during the funeral of Islamic Jihad leader Ali al-Razaina in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday (Reuters)
A Palestinian woman reacts during the funeral of Islamic Jihad leader Ali al-Razaina in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday (Reuters)
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Israel Targets Gaza Militants Linked to Israeli Abductions

A Palestinian woman reacts during the funeral of Islamic Jihad leader Ali al-Razaina in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday (Reuters)
A Palestinian woman reacts during the funeral of Islamic Jihad leader Ali al-Razaina in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday (Reuters)

Israeli military statements issued on Wednesday said its forces had targeted senior militants in the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, accusing them of involvement in the abduction and detention of Israeli captives, both alive and dead, following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

Israel has continued pursuing those it says took part in the attack, as well as those involved in holding Israeli captives or the bodies of those killed. Palestinians describe the campaign as retaliatory, saying it has at times extended to the families of those involved.

The Israeli army said it had targeted Bilal Abu Assi, a commander of an elite company in Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz el-Din al-Qassam Brigades, in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abu Assi survived the assassination attempt, which killed two girls and a paramedic after a tent was struck in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis. The sources said Abu Assi had survived more than eight assassination attempts during the war.

The Israeli military accused Abu Assi of leading his unit in an assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz, east of Khan Younis, and of being responsible for abducting and holding the bodies of Israelis taken during the Oct. 7 attack.

In a separate statement, the Israeli army said it had killed Ali al-Razaina, the commander of Islamic Jihad’s northern Gaza brigade, in an air strike that hit a tent in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Sources within the movement confirmed that Razaina was killed alongside his daughter Ghada, the only remaining member of his immediate family after two of his children and his wife were killed in earlier strikes he had survived.

The sources said Razaina was responsible for a series of attacks against Israeli forces during the war, had been wounded several times, and had previously evaded arrest attempts by Israeli forces while operating in northern Gaza.

The Israeli army accused Razaina of abducting and holding Israeli captives, leading multiple attacks, and recently working to rebuild the group’s infrastructure.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Razaina had succeeded in transferring several Israeli captives from northern Gaza to the south during the war and had sought to keep many of them alive to hand them over in prisoner exchanges with Israel.

The Israeli military also announced the killing of Mohammed al-Habil, a commander in Hamas’ Beach Battalion, accusing him of abducting an Israeli female soldier from the Nahal Oz military site east of Gaza City and later killing her. Her body was later found near the Shifa medical complex, according to the Israeli statement.

Sources said al-Habil had survived two previous assassination attempts, one of them near his family home in the Beach refugee camp in western Gaza, where he was eventually killed.

Field sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that leaders of the armed factions believe Israel will continue targeting their operatives on such grounds, describing this as a clear breach of the ceasefire reached in October 2025. The sources said the situation could derail the agreement, even though the factions are not seeking such an outcome.

Palestinian concerns over a collapse of the agreement stem from fears that Israel could assassinate senior figures such as Izz el-Din al-Haddad, a commander in the Qassam Brigades, or others of similar rank who are seen as having led the Oct. 7 attack.

The sources said there are other leaders and operatives linked to the attack and to the detention or handover of Israeli captives, both alive and dead, who remain alive, and that Israel appears determined to settle scores with them.

“If Israel insists on acting this way, that means we are facing a series of escalations that will not stop, and this could lead to another explosion in the situation,” the sources said.

This appears to align with a report published by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper last Friday, which said the Israeli government’s policy in Gaza currently rests on a single hope: that US efforts in the coming months to impose a new security and political reality in the enclave will collapse.

At that point, the report said, US President Donald Trump could give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the green light to attempt to regain military control of Gaza.

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Arab World

Egypt Pushes Diplomacy to Clear Hurdles in US-Iran Talks

Meeting between Badr Abdelatty, Abbas Araghchi, and Rafael Grossi in Cairo in September (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Meeting between Badr Abdelatty, Abbas Araghchi, and Rafael Grossi in Cairo in September (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Pushes Diplomacy to Clear Hurdles in US-Iran Talks

Meeting between Badr Abdelatty, Abbas Araghchi, and Rafael Grossi in Cairo in September (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Meeting between Badr Abdelatty, Abbas Araghchi, and Rafael Grossi in Cairo in September (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt has stepped up regional and international efforts to break the deadlock in negotiations between the United States and Iran, as Cairo welcomed a preliminary agreement to hold a joint meeting between the two sides.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Thursday it was of paramount importance for Washington and Tehran to reach a “peaceful, consensual settlement” that addresses the concerns of all parties on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, and helps spare the region the specter of war.

The Egyptian position was conveyed over the past two days through Abdelatty's talks with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

According to a statement by Egypt’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday, the discussions focused on efforts to de-escalate tensions and contain rising regional strain, as well as developments related to a planned meeting between the United States and Iran in Oman.

Abdelatty welcomed the preliminary agreement to hold the meeting, describing it as a development Egypt has long sought, achieved by creating conducive conditions through sustained diplomatic engagement and a series of intensive talks over recent weeks, in line with directives from President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

He stressed the importance of overcoming any differences at this critical stage in a way that preserves regional security and serves the aspirations of the region’s peoples for stability and development.

Risks of escalation

Ali El-Hefny, former assistant foreign minister and secretary general of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, said Egypt continues its efforts between Iran and the United States because it fully recognizes the risks that could result from escalation between Washington, alongside Israel, and Tehran, noting that such a scenario would have serious repercussions for the region.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt has, for decades, played a role in resolving regional and international disputes through peaceful means and away from military escalation, succeeding at times and falling short at others due to the involvement of multiple overlapping parties.

According to Hefny, the Egyptian efforts reflect Cairo’s determination to prevent escalation and promote regional stability.

He added that Egypt, along with other countries, is encouraging Washington and Tehran to resume negotiations, set aside procedural disputes, and engage with substantive differences to bridge gaps and prevent a war that could escalate into a wider regional conflict beyond what anyone might imagine.

Israeli affairs expert Ahmed Fouad Anwar said Egypt has long experience and communication channels with all parties, forming the basis for the Foreign Ministry’s role, as well as several direct contacts made by Sisi on the issue.

He said this provided solid ground for sustained Egyptian efforts to advance dialogue.

Anwar said the core dispute lies in Washington’s desire to conduct negotiations under military pressure rather than focusing solely on the nuclear file, warning that such an approach threatens regional stability given the capabilities and armaments of Iran’s allies.

Diplomatic solutions

US President Donald Trump warned Tehran late last month that it would face the harshest measures if it did not return to the negotiating table over its nuclear program.

On Thursday, Abdelatty expressed hope that the US-Iran meeting would help reduce tensions and escalation in the region and advance diplomatic and political solutions, in line with President Sisi’s view that there are no military solutions to the region’s crises and challenges, and that security and stability can only be achieved through political and diplomatic tracks and by avoiding a slide into insecurity.

He said Egypt would continue its intensive talks and sincere efforts with regional partners and both the American and Iranian sides to push for diplomatic and political solutions.

Cairo agreement

Last year, Egypt brokered mediation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, culminating in an agreement signed in Cairo on September 9 by Iran’s foreign minister and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

The deal provided for the resumption of cooperation, including renewed inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities, before Tehran announced a freeze of the agreement in November.

Hefny said there is a preliminary understanding on a meeting between US and Iranian delegations, with references to possible involvement by other parties to help ease the current crisis.

He stressed the importance of maintaining dialogue, avoiding threats of force, and giving diplomacy a chance, without procrastination or using time pressure to weaken the other side’s resolve.

Anwar said both sides are engaging in trial balloons, alternating between threats and conciliatory signals.

He noted that Trump has said Washington does not want nuclear weapons in Iran. At the same time, Tehran insists it does not seek such weapons or pose a threat to others, adding that dialogue is essential given the airspace closures and losses suffered by countries during previous confrontations.

At the end of last month, Abdelatty held talks with his Iranian, Omani, Qatari, and Turkish counterparts, as well as with Witkoff, stressing the need to pursue peaceful solutions through diplomacy and dialogue.

A different Middle East

Former assistant foreign minister Hussein Haridy said that only Washington and Tehran can ultimately resolve their dispute, noting that analyses often focus on immediate developments while US-Iran relations are long-standing.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the region is entering a Middle East different from that of the past four decades in terms of power balances, and that both the United States and Iran are aware of this reality. He said current developments reflect discussions over Iran’s role in the future Middle East as understood between Washington and Tehran.

 

Arab World

Hezbollah’s Selective Turn to State Exposes Paralysis

Hezbollah parliamentary bloc head Mohammed Raad meets Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (Lebanese Presidency)
Hezbollah parliamentary bloc head Mohammed Raad meets Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (Lebanese Presidency)
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Hezbollah’s Selective Turn to State Exposes Paralysis

Hezbollah parliamentary bloc head Mohammed Raad meets Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (Lebanese Presidency)
Hezbollah parliamentary bloc head Mohammed Raad meets Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (Lebanese Presidency)

Since the ceasefire reached with Israel in November 2024, Hezbollah has shown a striking shift in its political conduct, particularly in how it deals with Lebanese state institutions.

A group long used to operating outside official channels is now, despite its escalatory rhetoric, shifting responsibility to the state on issues ranging from Lebanese prisoners held by Israel and postwar reconstruction to indirect negotiations with Tel Aviv.

Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has also refrained from responding militarily to Israel, with no direct action recorded, in clear contrast to its traditional discourse built around retaliation and deterrence.

At the same time, the group continues to reject any discussion of handing over its weapons. It has launched a campaign against officials who have spoken about restricting arms to the state north of the Litani River.

This was evident in remarks by Mohammed Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, following his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday, after tensions had surfaced between the two sides over recent statements by the president urging the group to act with restraint.

While Raad did not address the issue of weapons during his remarks at the presidential palace, he reiterated Hezbollah’s stance of placing responsibility on the state regarding liberation, prisoners, and reconstruction.

He said the group was committed to understanding and cooperation to achieve the goals of all Lebanese, starting with ending the occupation, securing the release of prisoners, strengthening stability, enabling residents to return to their homes and villages, launching reconstruction efforts, and having the state assume responsibility for protecting sovereignty, with Hezbollah supporting it when necessary, while rejecting all forms of intervention and tutelage.

This approach is also reflected in Hezbollah’s meetings with Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to hand over lists of Lebanese prisoners and explicitly call on the state to take full responsibility for the issue. This practice was not typical of the group in previous phases.

Contradiction and confusion

Sources close to the presidency declined to comment on Raad’s remarks or assess the meeting with Aoun, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that there was an apparent contradiction and confusion in Hezbollah’s behavior and positions. At the same time, everyone awaited the outcome of US-Iranian negotiations.

They said what was happening amounted to buying time, and that the state was not a menu from which responsibilities could be selectively chosen.

They said Hezbollah wanted the state to shoulder responsibility for all outstanding issues, which was indeed the state’s duty, even though the group had launched its support front without consulting it and continued to reject the implementation of state decisions. They described Hezbollah officials as lacking clarity in defining their objectives.

Clear incapacity

Opposition political analyst Ali al-Amin described Hezbollah’s behavior, combining escalatory rhetoric with rejection of disarmament while demanding the state resolve outstanding issues, as a clear expression of its inability to respond to repeated Israeli strikes, including killings and destruction.

Amin told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah was also attempting to transfer the consequences of the war to the state, channeling the complaints of displaced and affected citizens toward state institutions, as if to say the matter was the state’s responsibility, while ignoring what was required of it in terms of handing over its weapons.

He said that when the discussion turns to the role of the state, weapons are framed in terms of dignity and honor, but when it comes to bearing burdens, citizens are told the state is responsible.

Despite this, Amin said Hezbollah had succeeded to some extent in shifting these burdens, noting that it had not paid housing compensation, issued checks that were not honored, and that citizens were now being told the state would pay instead.

At the same time, the group had not carried out any response against Israel, raising a question it avoided answering: whether it no longer wanted to fight Israel.

Confusion and mutual benefit

Amin said Hezbollah was seeking to reduce the cost of confrontation and transfer the burden to the state without abandoning its tools or strategic options.

He said the group wanted to preserve the current situation, with ongoing Israeli attacks used to justify retaining weapons. At the same time, Israel benefits from their continued presence to strengthen its leverage and impose conditions on Lebanon later.

He added that Lebanon was facing a state of confusion: no fighting, no resistance, no liberation, only a continued insistence on retaining arms whose remaining function was unclear, except as an Israeli pretext for further attacks and for weakening the Lebanese state.

Arab World

UK Sanctions Sudanese Army and RSF Leaders

Sacks of crops are stacked at the El Obeid crops market, in El Obeid, North Kordofan State, Sudan, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
Sacks of crops are stacked at the El Obeid crops market, in El Obeid, North Kordofan State, Sudan, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
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UK Sanctions Sudanese Army and RSF Leaders

Sacks of crops are stacked at the El Obeid crops market, in El Obeid, North Kordofan State, Sudan, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
Sacks of crops are stacked at the El Obeid crops market, in El Obeid, North Kordofan State, Sudan, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig

Britain sanctioned six individuals suspected of committing atrocities in Sudan's war or of fueling the conflict through the supply of mercenaries and military equipment, the government said on Thursday.

The measures targeted senior commanders in both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces, the government said.

The conflict between ⁠the two forces has displaced millions, drawn in regional powers and caused a vast humanitarian crisis since it broke out in April 2023.

"We urgently need a ceasefire, and safe access for humanitarian relief agencies ⁠to reach all those in need," British foreign minister Yvette Cooper, who visited the Sudan-Chad border this week, said in the statement.

"Through these sanctions, we will seek to dismantle the war machine of those who perpetrate or profit from the brutal violence in Sudan," Cooper added.

The British government also sanctioned three individuals - Alvaro ⁠Andres Quijano, Mateo Andres Duque Botero, and Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero - suspected of recruiting foreign fighters for the conflict or facilitating the purchase of military equipment.

Others sanctioned include Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal, a former RSF Commander and current head of the Sudan Shied Forces, RSF Field Commander Hussein Barsham, and RSF Financial Advisor Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed.