Strike Blamed on US Kills Four Iran-backed Fighters in Iraq

Iraqi security forces stand guard during a funerary procession for a slain member of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- an alliance of factions now integrated into the regular army that also includes powerful Iran-backed groups -- who was killed in a US-Israeli air strike in Mosul the previous evening, in Baghdad on March 8, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Iraqi security forces stand guard during a funerary procession for a slain member of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- an alliance of factions now integrated into the regular army that also includes powerful Iran-backed groups -- who was killed in a US-Israeli air strike in Mosul the previous evening, in Baghdad on March 8, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
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Strike Blamed on US Kills Four Iran-backed Fighters in Iraq

Iraqi security forces stand guard during a funerary procession for a slain member of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- an alliance of factions now integrated into the regular army that also includes powerful Iran-backed groups -- who was killed in a US-Israeli air strike in Mosul the previous evening, in Baghdad on March 8, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
Iraqi security forces stand guard during a funerary procession for a slain member of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- an alliance of factions now integrated into the regular army that also includes powerful Iran-backed groups -- who was killed in a US-Israeli air strike in Mosul the previous evening, in Baghdad on March 8, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Four fighters from the Iran-backed Kataeb Imam Ali group were killed in northern Iraq on Tuesday in air strikes blamed on the US, the armed faction announced. 

The attacks followed the downing of a drone late Monday near the UAE embassy in the nearby city of Erbil, drawing condemnation from Arab countries. 

The Kataeb Imam Ali group said its fighters were killed in "American aggression" against one of their positions in the Debs district of Kirkuk province, said AFP. 

The bombing targeted a position belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi, which is an alliance of factions now integrated into Iraq's regular army and includes powerful Iran-backed groups. 

The Iraqi government's security information cell confirmed that several Hashed fighters were killed in a "bombing" in Kirkuk, without attributing the strike to anyone. 

"It is a blatant attack on Iraq," it said. 

Since the start of the Middle East war, bases belonging to Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilization Forces, have been hit several times, with strikes targeting pro-Iran fighters. 

Iraq, long a proxy battleground between the US and Iran, had said it did not want to be dragged into the war, but it has not been spared. 

It was drawn in from the outset, with strikes blamed on the United States and Israel targeting Iran-backed groups, which have since claimed attacks on US bases in Iraq and the wider region. 

Drone and rocket attacks have targeted Baghdad International Airport, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, as well as oil fields and facilities. 

On Monday night, two drones were downed near the military base, a security source told AFP. 

The northern autonomous Kurdistan region, of which Erbil is the capital, hosts US troops and has been a main target of drone attacks, but these have largely been intercepted. 

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Tuesday that they had targeted a US base in the region. 

"The headquarters of the invading US army in Al-Harir Air Base in the Kurdistan region was targeted with five missiles," the Guards said in a statement. 

Late on Monday, Kurdish counter-terrorism forces said US-led coalition forces had "downed three explosive-laden drones over Erbil". 

One drone fell near the UAE consulate in the city, a statement added, with no casualties reported. 

The Kurdistan regional government condemned the attack as "unjustified". 

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan also criticized the targeting of the consulate. 

A Kurdish security source told AFP late Monday that the drone was likely aimed at the US consulate but did not reach its target and fell instead near the Emirati mission. 

 



France to Host International Meet on Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in June

15 April 2026, Berlin: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, gives a statement at the International Sudan Conference at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. (dpa)
15 April 2026, Berlin: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, gives a statement at the International Sudan Conference at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. (dpa)
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France to Host International Meet on Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in June

15 April 2026, Berlin: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, gives a statement at the International Sudan Conference at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. (dpa)
15 April 2026, Berlin: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, gives a statement at the International Sudan Conference at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. (dpa)

France will host an international meeting in June dedicated to the long-touted two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the French foreign minister announced on Thursday.

"On September 22 last year, France took the momentous decision to recognize the State of Palestine and will host an international conference in Paris on June 12 so that Israeli and Palestinian civil societies can make their voices heard," Jean-Noel Barrot said in a video message played to a gathering of peace activists in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

The "People's Peace Summit" in Tel Aviv was organized by the "It's Time" coalition, a grouping of more than 80 peacebuilding organizations working to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through a political agreement guaranteeing both peoples' right to self-determination and secure lives.

Several hundred people attended the meeting in Tel Aviv, AFP journalists reported.

"While the Middle East remains deeply scarred by the terrorist attacks of October 7 (2023) in Israel, by more than two and a half years of devastating war in Gaza and by a humanitarian crisis that, sadly, shows no sign of abating, your presence here is an act of resistance against fatalism and resignation," Barrot said.

Palestinian movement Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel sparked the war in Gaza, where a ceasefire in effect since October has largely halted fighting.

Barrot's remarks come as the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the most right-wing in Israel's history, vehemently opposes the emergence of a sovereign and fully independent Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and is working on the ground to undermine the possibility of a two-state solution.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas appears extremely weakened and deeply unpopular.


‘Positive’ Mood in Cairo Talks on New Proposal by Mediators

 A Palestinian man carries jerrycans filled with water through a tent camp in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
A Palestinian man carries jerrycans filled with water through a tent camp in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
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‘Positive’ Mood in Cairo Talks on New Proposal by Mediators

 A Palestinian man carries jerrycans filled with water through a tent camp in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
A Palestinian man carries jerrycans filled with water through a tent camp in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)

Hamas described as “positive” an initial meeting held by its delegation on Wednesday evening with mediators in Egypt to discuss a new Gaza ceasefire proposal.

Asharq Al-Awsat reviewed a message sent by Hamas to Palestinian factions describing the talks as “a preliminary, frank, clear and brief meeting, held in a positive atmosphere.”

The message said Hamas told the UN’s senior representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace, Nickolay Mladenov, and his team that “there must be clear implementation of the first phase before moving to the second,” noting this stance had already been adopted by the movement and other Palestinian factions.

It added that mediators are awaiting Israel’s response to determine next steps.

A senior Hamas source confirmed the message, saying the atmosphere in Wednesday’s meetings with mediators was positive. Another meeting was held later the same evening with Mladenov and other figures, the source said.

Mladenov, who arrived in Cairo from Israel on Tuesday, carried Israel’s position on the recently updated proposal covering the first and second phases, the source added. Further meetings are expected on Thursday.

The source said Israel is still trying to obstruct the agreement by pushing conditions linking progress to disarmament, including seeking signed approval from Hamas and other factions, a demand all factions in the Cairo talks reject.

Mediators, including Mladenov, are attempting to find workable approaches, the source said, with talks set to continue through Friday.

Leftist factions raise concerns

Despite Hamas describing the talks as positive and calling for a clear implementation timeline and firm guarantees, some factions, particularly leftist groups within the Palestine Liberation Organization, raised concerns over the latest mediators’ proposal.

A senior source from leftist factions said their observations focused on the absence of a binding timeline for Israeli withdrawal and the lack of a clear monitoring mechanism.

The source also cited the need for a defined schedule for the second phase and warned of a reduced Palestinian national role in favor of an international administration.

Other concerns included ambiguity in implementing the first phase, linking reconstruction to disarmament, and the exclusion of areas beyond the “Yellow Line” from reconstruction plans.

The factions proposed affirming the right to self-determination and a Palestinian state in line with international legitimacy, and that Gaza’s administrative committee begin work from the first phase.

They also suggested weapons be neutralized through a national agreement within security arrangements overseen by guarantor states, particularly Egypt, and held in custody there.

They further proposed that weapons neutralization coincide with a full Israeli withdrawal, the disarmament of armed groups linked to Israel, and the deployment of international forces starting from the “Yellow Line,” to be completed after withdrawal.

They called for international guarantees for both withdrawal and reconstruction, ensuring reconstruction begins in all areas vacated by Israeli forces, including those beyond the “Yellow Line,” alongside the launch of an early recovery plan at the start of the remaining first phase.

The proposal stressed the need to ensure freedom of political and civil activity under national laws. It said any arrangements in Gaza must not contradict Palestinian Authority laws and called for strengthening national consensus.

It also called for addressing armed groups through a separate track, with the possibility of integrating them into official institutions.

The proposal urged a comprehensive solution to the detainees’ issue, particularly those from Gaza, and said any arrangements for weapons neutralization should be linked to resolving this issue.

The Hamas source said the factions’ observations were conveyed to the mediators and Mladenov.


Israel Army Says Soldier Killed ‘in Combat’ in South Lebanon

 Israeli military vehicles drive in Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, April 30, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli military vehicles drive in Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, April 30, 2026. (Reuters)
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Israel Army Says Soldier Killed ‘in Combat’ in South Lebanon

 Israeli military vehicles drive in Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, April 30, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli military vehicles drive in Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, April 30, 2026. (Reuters)

The Israeli army said Thursday that a soldier was killed in southern Lebanon, the fourth such death since a fragile ceasefire took effect there earlier this month.

Sergeant Liem Ben Hemo, 19, "died in combat in the south of Lebanon", the army said in a statement, adding that another soldier was wounded in the incident.

The latest death brings to 17 the number of soldiers killed since the war began with Iran-backed Hezbollah on March 2, according to an AFP tally based on military figures.

One Israeli civilian working for the army has also been killed.