MWL Condemns Continued Israeli Attacks in the Region, Incursion into Syrian Territory

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
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MWL Condemns Continued Israeli Attacks in the Region, Incursion into Syrian Territory

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo

The Muslim World League (MWL) strongly condemned the continued Israeli attacks in the region, most recently the incursion into Syrian territory and the artillery shelling of Quneitra and Daraa governorates, SPA reported.

In a statement issued by the MWL General Secretariat, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa denounced the attacks and the terror they inflicted on civilians.

He warned that such actions threaten security and stability in the region amid continued violations of international law and norms.

Al-Issa reaffirmed the MWL's full solidarity with the Syrian Arab Republic against all threats to its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
-- SPA



Iraq Sets September 30 Deadline for Pro-Iran Groups to Disarm

 Vehicles drive along the Al-Jumhuri street in central Baghdad on June 28, 2026. (AFP)
Vehicles drive along the Al-Jumhuri street in central Baghdad on June 28, 2026. (AFP)
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Iraq Sets September 30 Deadline for Pro-Iran Groups to Disarm

 Vehicles drive along the Al-Jumhuri street in central Baghdad on June 28, 2026. (AFP)
Vehicles drive along the Al-Jumhuri street in central Baghdad on June 28, 2026. (AFP)

Iraq's government has given pro-Iran armed groups in the country until September 30 to disarm, coinciding with the end of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition's mission, its spokesman said on Monday.

The announcement comes ahead of a visit to the United States by new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, with Washington exerting pressure on Baghdad to ensure the factions turn in their weapons.

"All the armed groups have been informed of a specific date that marks the end of this issue (of disarmament) ... which is September 30, which also marks the end of the international coalition's presence," government spokesman Haidar al-Aboudi said in a weekly press conference.

"After this date, all weapons outside the state framework will be subject to legal redress," he added.

Iraq is home to dozens of Iran-backed armed factions, many of which form part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

Many emerged in the wake of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and gained further power and prominence during the fight against the ISIS group from 2014 onwards.

Under heavy US pressure in recent months, Iraqi authorities said they would seek the full integration of those member factions in the PMF into government forces in a bid to limit the possession of weapons to the hands of the state.

The government aims to include within the integration drive brigades that currently operate outside the framework of the PMF.

The move came after some of the factions with forces in the PMF launched attacks on US interests in Iraq following the start of the Middle East war in late February.

Washington in turn launched its own attacks on the factions, before withholding cash payments for Iraqi oil revenues that are paid as part of a deal following the 2003 US-led invasion.

Iraqi authorities have repeatedly attempted to fully integrate the PMF into the state forces, but some of the groups have cited the continued presence of US forces in Iraq as a reason to delay the disarmament process.

Earlier in June, Iraqi authorities announced that they had received data on weapons belonging to the pro-Iran faction Kataeb Imam Ali, a first step in the plan to integrate such groups into the state forces.

Shortly before, two pro-Iran factions, the Kataeb Imam Ali and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, announced they would be handing over administration of their brigades in the PMF to the state.

The PMF was formed in 2014, bringing together armed factions to fight the ISIS group after it seized swathes of the country.


Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Teen in West Bank

Relatives mourn the death of Amir Ahmad Jawad Jaber, a Palestinian teenager who was killed during an Israeli raid, at a hospital in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
Relatives mourn the death of Amir Ahmad Jawad Jaber, a Palestinian teenager who was killed during an Israeli raid, at a hospital in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
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Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Teen in West Bank

Relatives mourn the death of Amir Ahmad Jawad Jaber, a Palestinian teenager who was killed during an Israeli raid, at a hospital in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on June 29, 2026. (AFP)
Relatives mourn the death of Amir Ahmad Jawad Jaber, a Palestinian teenager who was killed during an Israeli raid, at a hospital in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on June 29, 2026. (AFP)

Israeli forces fatally shot a 15-year-old Palestinian teenager during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Monday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as violence surges in the Israeli-occupied territory.

"The child Amir Ahmad Jawad Jaber, 15 years old, was martyred after being shot in the head and once in the chest by occupation soldiers during their raid in the Umm al-Sharayit neighborhood in Al-Bireh" near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the ministry said.

There was no immediate response from the Israeli military when asked by AFP about the incident.

The Palestinian Red Crescent had earlier said its teams were transporting to hospital and trying to resuscitate a 15-year-old who was shot in the head with live ammunition during a raid in the Umm al-Sharayit area.

Dozens of mourners gathered at the Palestine Medical Complex as grieving relatives wept over the teenager's body.

"Today, we witnessed a clear-cut execution in broad daylight," Laila Ghannam, governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, told AFP.

"This is a disgrace to all institutions who claim to uphold democracy and human rights.

"When it comes to our cause, they see nothing. They allow this occupation to escalate its campaign of terror every single day -- not only across Palestine, but throughout the entire region."

Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, violence has escalated in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,085 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 2023, including both gunmen and civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data, which says 71 people were killed in 2026.

Official Israeli figures show that at least 46 Israelis, both soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war.


Lebanon President Says Determined to Deploy Army up to Israel Border

This handout photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency press office shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) shaking hands with Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), during a meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda on June 29, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency)
This handout photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency press office shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) shaking hands with Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), during a meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda on June 29, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency)
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Lebanon President Says Determined to Deploy Army up to Israel Border

This handout photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency press office shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) shaking hands with Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), during a meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda on June 29, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency)
This handout photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency press office shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) shaking hands with Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), during a meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda on June 29, 2026. (Lebanese Presidency)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told the US Central Command chief on Monday that he was committed to extending the state's control through its military up to the border with Israel, where Iran-backed group Hezbollah maintains a strong presence.

He reaffirmed to Admiral Brad Cooper "the Lebanese state's determination to extend its authority, through its armed forces, to the southern border", the presidency said in a statement, adding that the pair discussed preparations for implementing a framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel and the US.

Earlier, Lebanese army commander Rodolphe Haykal met with Cooper to discuss the implementation of the agreement that was signed last week with the aim to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. 

Haykal received Cooper, with the discussions addressing "the latest developments in Lebanon and the region", a Lebanese army statement said. 

They also discussed "the importance of successfully implementing the security annex of the framework agreement", as well as ways of strengthening future cooperation, the statement added. 

On Friday, Lebanon and Israel, under US sponsorship, signed a "trilateral framework" agreement seeking to end hostilities, after the Iran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March with rocket fire at Israel, triggering Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion. 

The deal commits Lebanon to restoring sovereignty over its territory through the "verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of associated infrastructure", enabling a progressive Israeli withdrawal, according to the text released by the State Department. 

"The components of this process will be detailed in a Security Annex, developed with the full support of the United States," the text said, without immediately publishing the annex. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington would reimburse Lebanon's army for $30 million as it seeks to "improve the capability and capacity" of the Lebanese military. 

Washington has long been a key supporter of Lebanon's army. 

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has called the agreement "null and void" and instead called for the implementation of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding to halt the regional war that included Lebanon. 

The Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington have sought to separate Lebanon from the Iran deal. 

However, Friday's agreement came after a lull in fighting that followed the US-Iran memorandum, which Tehran insisted should include Lebanon. 

Hezbollah on Monday said it reserved the right to self-defense after several Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon the day before, accusing Israel of a "blatant violation of the ceasefire". 

Israeli troops are operating in a self-declared occupied "security zone" stretching around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanese territory along the border. 

Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since the war began on March 2 have killed more than 4,200 people.