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Hamas Missile Tests Spur Israeli Concerns

Smoke billows from buildings following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City in 2014. (AFP)
Smoke billows from buildings following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City in 2014. (AFP)
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Hamas Missile Tests Spur Israeli Concerns

Smoke billows from buildings following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City in 2014. (AFP)
Smoke billows from buildings following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City in 2014. (AFP)

The Hamas movement’s test-firing of five missiles near the Gaza coastline on Saturday caused major concerns across Israel.

According to Israeli military sources, Hamas’ military wing, the Ezzeddine al-Qassam Brigades, are conducting almost daily missile tests developed by its manufacturing unit.

Most of the drills are believed to be carried out in anticipation of any new military confrontation with the Israeli forces.

Israeli military sources also pointed out that Hamas launched these missiles from several outposts in the Gaza Strip, aiming to raise missile efficiency and military capabilities and to improve their range.

The tests have raised fear among Jewish settlers living near the Gaza Strip border.

For its part, Tel Aviv is concerned that the launching of rockets is a prelude to targeting gas platforms operating off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas’ maritime forces had carried out in 2014 several covert operations—such as the infiltrating a military outpost off the coast of Ashkelon which was an unexpected surprise for Israeli security forces at the time.

Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft hit a compound in the southern Gaza Strip in retaliation to a rocket launched from the coastal region.

The Israeli army said Palestinians there fired a rocket into the Jewish state provoking the counterattack.

"In response to the projectile fired at southern Israel... fighter jets struck a Hamas compound composed of two military structures," the army statement said.

A Palestinian security source said the raid hit a facility of Hamas's military wing west of Rafah in southern Gaza, "without causing injuries."

Israeli army radio said that there were no casualties from Friday night's rocket, which it said fell on open ground in southern Israel, AFP reported.

It was the second exchange in 24 hours, after the air force hit a Hamas position in Gaza early Friday in response to a rocket being fired from the Palestinian enclave the night before.

Such rockets are usually fired not by Hamas, but by fringe radical groups.

Israel holds Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since 2008, responsible for any fire coming from Gaza.

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Arab World

Int'l Efforts to Resolve Lebanon’s Crisis Stumble at Local Intransigence

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh last week. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh last week. (SPA)
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Int'l Efforts to Resolve Lebanon’s Crisis Stumble at Local Intransigence

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh last week. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh last week. (SPA)

International efforts to resolve the presidential vacuum in Lebanon are stumbling at the intransigence of the local parties, which has so far prevented a tangible breakthrough.

French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is expected to visit Beirut this month in continuation of Paris' efforts to help the country’s disputing parties to agree on a new president for the republic.

Eleven months after the expiry of President Michel Aoun’s term, Lebanon’s political parties are still unable to elect a successor.

The Hezbollah party and Amal Movement are insisting on nominating the head of the Marada movement, former Minister Suleiman Franjieh, while the opposition is asking Speaker Nabih Berri to call for successive electoral sessions that would ultimately end with the election of a new president.

Member of the Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Karam pointed to “continuous, diverse and extensive initiatives” to end the crisis, the latest of which has been from Qatar.

He added: “It would have been more beneficial for the internal parties to resort to the constitution and apply it instead of waiting for external initiatives.”

In a radio interview, Karam stressed that the Qatari initiative was not aimed at electing Army Commander General Joseph Aoun as president, adding that the Qataris were “open to all possibilities.”

Despite the multitude of initiatives, the issue is still being met with “internal intransigence” and “rigidity in positions,” according to parliamentary sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.

They revealed that the internal political forces “did not show sufficient flexibility in dealing with these efforts.”

This assessment was confirmed by MP Ghassan Skaff, who said on X that the Qatari and French efforts will not succeed if they are not reciprocated by the Lebanese parties.

Arab World

Iraq: Head of Mosul Diocese Calls for Int’l Probe into Wedding Hall Fire

People light candles in front of pictures of some victims of the wedding hall fire in Al-Hamdaniya. (Reuters)
People light candles in front of pictures of some victims of the wedding hall fire in Al-Hamdaniya. (Reuters)
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Iraq: Head of Mosul Diocese Calls for Int’l Probe into Wedding Hall Fire

People light candles in front of pictures of some victims of the wedding hall fire in Al-Hamdaniya. (Reuters)
People light candles in front of pictures of some victims of the wedding hall fire in Al-Hamdaniya. (Reuters)

The Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, Benedictus Younan Hanno, described the results of an investigation announced by the Interior Ministry on a fire at a wedding hall in Al-Hamdaniya as “shameful,” questioning the measures taken by the government authorities in dismissing some heads of the directorates of the district.

Scores of panicked guests surged for the exits last week in the Haitham Royal Wedding Hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.

Iraq released the results of its probe on Sunday saying unsafe fireworks were the main reason that caused the deadly fire.

On Monday, the Nineveh Heath Department updated the death toll to 113, including 41 who have not been identified yet. It said 12 people who suffered severe burns were sent for treatment abroad and eight will follow.

In a press conference on Sunday evening, the archbishop rejected the outcome of the probe, saying: “There are things that don’t make sense in this investigation... I feel that there are political conspiracies behind these dismissals.”

Some reports indicated that most of the sacked employees belonged to the Christian community and other minorities. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that some “armed groups close to the Catholic Church fear that the fire will be used as a pretext to settle scores and dismiss local Christian officials in favor of their opponents from other sects and minorities.”

Hanno called for “an international investigation based on clear facts and strategy.” He continued: “We are with the state in expelling any corrupt manager with evidence and documents. But we give the authorities 24 hours to withdraw this decision and take matters seriously.”

The investigative committee formed by the federal authorities recommended the dismissal of the mayor of Hamdaniya, the town’s municipal director, the director of tourism classification in Nineveh Governorate, the director of Hamdaniya Electricity and the director of the Fire and Safety Directorate in the Civil Defense Directorate in Nineveh, as well as the referral of the director of civil defense in the governorate to a specialized committee.

On Saturday, the head of the investigation committee, Major General Saad Al-Dulaimi, said that the venue was overcrowded, and roofed with flammable sandwich panels and decorations made from flammable materials.

“The committee noticed that there were no emergency doors other than the small and insufficient service doors, and no safety supplies, which led to a large fire and heavy losses among the people in the hall,” he stated.

Arab World

Israel Mulls De-Escalation Measures in Gaza

Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip enter from the Erez Crossing into Israel after it reopened on September 28. (AFP)
Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip enter from the Erez Crossing into Israel after it reopened on September 28. (AFP)
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Israel Mulls De-Escalation Measures in Gaza

Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip enter from the Erez Crossing into Israel after it reopened on September 28. (AFP)
Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip enter from the Erez Crossing into Israel after it reopened on September 28. (AFP)

Israel is considering a series of measures to de-escalate tension in the Gaza Strip and prevent a potential escalation.

Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported that Israel is mulling increasing workers’ permits to Israel and easing the conditions for bringing goods into the Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel is holding talks with Qatar with the aim of transferring financial aid to “Hamas” to pay the salaries of its employees.

The government fears that any escalation in Gaza would undermine the ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia, according to the newspaper.

These measures are part of talks that kicked off two weeks ago in an attempt by mediators to de-escalate tension with Gaza after “Hamas” resumed protests near the border before it suspended them in parallel with a progress in talks.

Israel estimates that Hamas initiated the protests and mounted pressures in efforts to enhance the economic situation.

A Western diplomat who recently visited the Gaza Strip told the newspaper that these pressures ensue from the deteriorating economic distress in Gaza, the cut-off of international aid to residents, and the increasing challenges in the Strip.

The Israeli government is considering increasing entry permits for Gazan workers to Israel from 15,000 to 20,000 and easing the conditions for bringing goods into the Strip.

Haaretz said that the government components including the far-right wing approve that the current government is endorsing the policy of the former government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present this issue for discussion in the government and to promote these measures in order to maintain calm on the Palestinian lands amid ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia.

US President Joe Biden told Netanyahu during their meeting in New York last week that preventing violent escalation against the Palestinians would help the US administration strengthen communications with Saudi Arabia.

Arab World

Tunisia Needs 550 Million Dinars to Reduce Disaster Risk

Tunisia's President Kais Saied shakes hands with newly appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, in Tunis, Tunisia August 1, 2023. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)
Tunisia's President Kais Saied shakes hands with newly appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, in Tunis, Tunisia August 1, 2023. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)
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Tunisia Needs 550 Million Dinars to Reduce Disaster Risk

Tunisia's President Kais Saied shakes hands with newly appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, in Tunis, Tunisia August 1, 2023. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)
Tunisia's President Kais Saied shakes hands with newly appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, in Tunis, Tunisia August 1, 2023. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)

The Tunisian government on Monday said it needs 550 million dinars to implement its national strategy of Disaster Risk Reduction (2018-2030).

“In order to achieve this objective, Tunisia has already started implementing the Integrated Program for Disaster Resilience with a budget of 360 million dinars,” said Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani in a speech read out by Minister of the Environment, Leila Chikhaoui, at the opening of the Arab-African Conference on Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction.

He said the program aims to strengthen institutional coordination for the management of climate and disaster risks through the creation of a national platform for disaster risk reduction and the installation of an early warning system.

The PM reiterated the importance of working together in solidarity to support international efforts to protect human lives, property and infrastructure.

In the past few weeks, the North African region was hit by natural disasters that have wreaked havoc and chaos in Libya and Morocco.

Thousands died in Derna, eastern Libya, when torrents and floods - caused by powerful Storm Daniel, swept away entire neighborhoods and bodies into the sea.

A devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Morocco last month, killing at least 3,000 people and leveling dozens of villages in a rugged mountainous area.

The Tunisian Minister of Environment and Local Development said her country will suffer annual losses of 427.8 million dinars ($138 million) if the national strategy for disaster risk reduction is not implemented.

“Tunisia is considered a country that is highly vulnerable to climate change and disasters due to its geographical location,” she stressed.

Arab World

Algeria Says Niger Accepted Mediation Offer

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (dpa)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (dpa)
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Algeria Says Niger Accepted Mediation Offer

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (dpa)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (dpa)

Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf is preparing to visit Niamey, the capital of Niger, to discuss the arrangements for the Algerian mediation in the country’s crisis, according to Algeria’s foreign ministry.

Niger has accepted an Algerian offer to mediate in its political crisis, the ministry said.

Algeria received Niger's official notification of its acceptance of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's mediation initiative, the ministry added in a statement read out on national television.

Algiers said: "The acceptance of the Algerian initiative strengthens the prospect of a political solution to this crisis".

The mediation would "pave the way" towards a "peaceful" resolution of the crisis, it added, saying such an outcome is in the interest "of the entire region".

Tebboune said Attaf will be "visiting Niamey as soon as possible with the aim of launching discussions ... with all stakeholders".

On August 23, Attaf was mandated by Tebboune to go on a diplomatic tour to Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana, which form part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to help find a solution to the crisis in Niger.

Following the coup in Niger, Algeria announced its rejection of any military intervention and stressed the necessity to return to legitimacy.

Algeria shares a 1,000-km southern land border with Niger. The border is considered a haven for extremist Islamist groups, drugs and weapons traffickers, and networks to smuggle illegal migrants to north Algeria to go from there to the European shores.

At the end of August, Algeria proposed a six-month transitional period led by a civilian to solve the crisis in Niger. However, Niger's junta leader General Abdourahmane Tiani said the country will pursue a transition process which will last not more than three years.

The Algerian FM added that the two envoys to Algeria - whether the ambassador in Niamey or the Secretary General of the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Lounes Magramane - didn’t meet the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum.

Attaf didn’t reveal if Bazoum would be part of the solution according to the mediation plan.

Professor of political science and international relations and Sahel affairs expert, Algerian Mohamed Abdelly, said Algeria’s plan to resolve the conflict can achieve unanimity among all parties.

Yet, he remarked that the six-month plan offers a short period that isn’t enough to resolve the current disputes.

Arab World

Tunisia Rejects EU Financial Aid, Casting Doubt on an Immigration Deal 

Italian Coast Guard personnel prepare to tow boats used to carry migrants, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (LaPresse via AP))
Italian Coast Guard personnel prepare to tow boats used to carry migrants, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (LaPresse via AP))
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Tunisia Rejects EU Financial Aid, Casting Doubt on an Immigration Deal 

Italian Coast Guard personnel prepare to tow boats used to carry migrants, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (LaPresse via AP))
Italian Coast Guard personnel prepare to tow boats used to carry migrants, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (LaPresse via AP))

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday rejected financial support announced by the European Union in September, saying the amount is small and goes against a deal signed three months ago.

Saied's move could undermine the "strategic partnership" from July that includes measures on combating human traffickers and tightening borders, and which came during a sharp increase in boats heading to Europe from the North African nation.

The European Commission last month said it would disburse 127 million euros ($133 million) in aid to Tunisia as part of the deal to fight illegal immigration from Africa to Europe.

"Tunisia rejects what the EU announced, not because of the small amount ... but because the proposal conflicts with the memorandum of understanding signed in July," Saied said.

The July deal included a pledge of 1 billion euros in aid to Tunisia to help its battered economy, rescue state finances and deal with the migration crisis.

The smaller amount announced by Europe 10 days ago, however, has frustrated Tunisian authorities struggling to improve public finances and raised fears among credit rating agencies that the government could default on foreign debts in coming months.

The dispute between the two parties has coincided with the arrival of record numbers of migrants from Tunisia and North Africa to Italy's island of Lampedusa.

Tunisia last week postponed a visit by a delegation from the European Commission to discuss the details of the migration agreement.

Last month it also denied the entry of five members of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee for meetings over the political situation in Tunisia, saying it would not allow interference in its affairs.

Arab World

UN Envoy Calls for a 'Unified Mechanism' to Lead Reconstruction of Libya's Flood-wrecked City

A view shows the destruction, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 30, 2023. (Reuters)
A view shows the destruction, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 30, 2023. (Reuters)
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UN Envoy Calls for a 'Unified Mechanism' to Lead Reconstruction of Libya's Flood-wrecked City

A view shows the destruction, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 30, 2023. (Reuters)
A view shows the destruction, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 30, 2023. (Reuters)

The United Nations’ top official in divided Libya on Monday called for a unified mechanism to lead the reconstruction of a coastal city that was wrecked by devastating floods last month.
UN Special Envoy for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily said in a statement that such a mechanism is required amid “unilateral and competing initiatives” by Libyan actors and institutions on the reconstruction of the Mediterranean city of Derna and other flood-impacted areas.
Devastating rainfall and floods, triggered by Mediterranean Storm Danial, hit parts of eastern Libya last month. The floods overwhelmed two depleted dams outside Derna on Sep. 11, causing massive waters that washed away residential buildings to the sea and left as much as one-third of Derna’s housing and infrastructure damaged, according to the UN’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Government officials and aid agencies have given estimated death tolls ranging from more than 4,000 to over 11,000. The bodies of many of the people killed still are under rubble or in the Mediterranean, according to search teams.
As Libya remains divided, with two rival administrations claiming legitimacy and each wanting to oversee the reconstruction of Derna, Bathily called for “a unified national mechanism ... required to effectively and efficiently take forward the reconstruction efforts in the flood-affected areas”, The Associated Press said.
He urged Libyan rival authorities and their international partners to facilitate the establishment of the unified mechanism to ensure “transparency and accountability.”
Following the disaster, many in and outside Libya called for an international investigation, reflecting the deep public mistrust in state institutions. The two dams had not been maintained for decades despite repeated warnings that they were depleted.
Bathily’s call for a unified mechanism quickly gained support from the US, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy.
The five governments said in a joint statement that they “strongly support” a proposal to “deliver transparent and accountable relief and response to the reconstruction needs in the wake of the flood disaster.”
The oil-rich North African nation has been in chaos since 2011, when an Arab Spring uprising, backed by NATO, ousted Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. For most of the past decade, rival administrations have claimed authority to lead Libya.
The country’s east and south have been under the control of Gen. Khalifa Hafter and his self-styled Libyan National Army, which is allied with a parliament-confirmed government. A rival administration is based in the capital, Tripoli, and enjoys the support of most of the international community.

Arab World

Two Syrian Soldiers Injured in Israeli Air Attack on Army Sites in Deir al Zor

Israeli previous strike on Syria (File- Reuters)
Israeli previous strike on Syria (File- Reuters)
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Two Syrian Soldiers Injured in Israeli Air Attack on Army Sites in Deir al Zor

Israeli previous strike on Syria (File- Reuters)
Israeli previous strike on Syria (File- Reuters)

Two soldiers were injured following an Israeli air attack on Syrian armed forces posts in the vicinity of Syria's eastern Deir al Zor province on Monday, Syrian state media said early on Tuesday, citing a military source.
"At about 23:50 p.m. on Oct. 2, the Israeli enemy launched an air attack on some of our armed forces’ sites in the vicinity of Deir al Zor, and the aggression led to the injury of two soldiers and some material losses," the source said.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army, Reuters said.
Israel has for years been carrying out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that started in 2011.
Hundreds of thousands of people have died and millions have been made homeless since protests against Assad in 2011 developed into a civil war that drew in foreign powers and left Syria carved into zones of control.

Arab World

Egypt’s Sisi Confirms Candidacy for Presidential Elections

A school boy walks near an election campaign bus for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi adorned with his image, his slogan "long live Egypt", and C-shaped balloons, as Sisi's supporters prepare for a rally in Giza, the twin-city of the Egyptian capital, on October 2, 2023. (AFP)
A school boy walks near an election campaign bus for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi adorned with his image, his slogan "long live Egypt", and C-shaped balloons, as Sisi's supporters prepare for a rally in Giza, the twin-city of the Egyptian capital, on October 2, 2023. (AFP)
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Egypt’s Sisi Confirms Candidacy for Presidential Elections

A school boy walks near an election campaign bus for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi adorned with his image, his slogan "long live Egypt", and C-shaped balloons, as Sisi's supporters prepare for a rally in Giza, the twin-city of the Egyptian capital, on October 2, 2023. (AFP)
A school boy walks near an election campaign bus for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi adorned with his image, his slogan "long live Egypt", and C-shaped balloons, as Sisi's supporters prepare for a rally in Giza, the twin-city of the Egyptian capital, on October 2, 2023. (AFP)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi confirmed on Monday that he will stand for a third term in office in an election in December.

"Just as I responded to the call of the Egyptians before, today I respond to their call again," Sisi said in a closing speech for a three-day event that promoted policies under his rule at a new capital being built in the desert outside Cairo.

"We are on the cusp of our new republic, which seeks to complete the process of the state's survival and rebuild it on the foundations of modernity and democracy," he said.

Sisi, a former army chief who has been president since 2014, had been widely expected to run again and secure a third term after constitutional amendments four years ago that would allow him to stay in office until 2030.

In recent weeks, supporters have mounted a campaign using billboards and public messages urging him to stand in the Dec. 10-12 poll.

Sisi came to power after the ouster of Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. He was announced winner of presidential elections in 2014 and 2018.

The election comes as Egypt is struggling with an economic crisis that has seen record inflation and a chronic foreign currency shortage.

Arab World

Iraq Rejects Turkish Strikes in Kurdistan Region, Seeks Resolution 

A man waves an Iraqi national flag as protesters gather in Baghdad's Tahrir square to mark the 4th anniversary of the 2019 anti-government demonstrations on October 1, 2023. (AFP)
A man waves an Iraqi national flag as protesters gather in Baghdad's Tahrir square to mark the 4th anniversary of the 2019 anti-government demonstrations on October 1, 2023. (AFP)
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Iraq Rejects Turkish Strikes in Kurdistan Region, Seeks Resolution 

A man waves an Iraqi national flag as protesters gather in Baghdad's Tahrir square to mark the 4th anniversary of the 2019 anti-government demonstrations on October 1, 2023. (AFP)
A man waves an Iraqi national flag as protesters gather in Baghdad's Tahrir square to mark the 4th anniversary of the 2019 anti-government demonstrations on October 1, 2023. (AFP)

Iraq rejects repeated Turkish air strikes or the presence of Turkish bases in its Kurdistan region and hopes to come to an agreement with Ankara to solve this problem, Iraqi President Abdul-Latif Rashid said in comments aired on Monday.

Türkiye said on Sunday it carried out air strikes in northern Iraq that destroyed 20 targets belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after the militant group said it orchestrated the first bomb attack in Ankara in years.

Türkiye regards the PKK as a terrorist group and regularly carries out air strikes in northern Iraq, which has long been outside the direct control of the Baghdad government.

Türkiye has also has sent commandos and set up military bases on Iraqi territory to support its offensives.

"These violations are rejected by the Iraqi people, the (Kurdistan) region and all of Iraq's inhabitants," Rashid said in an interview with broadcaster Al-Hadath, a short clip of which was aired on Monday.

It was not clear whether the interview was filmed before or after Sunday's Turkish air strikes.

Rashid said such strikes sometimes killed civilians, including people visiting the region who "become victims of Turkish bombing."

Türkiye has denied targeting civilians and says it works to avoid civilian casualties through its coordination with Iraqi authorities.

Rashid is a member of the Iraqi Kurdish PUK party that has close ties to Iran and has criticized Türkiye’s strikes in Iraq's north.

Rashid said Baghdad hoped to come to an agreement with Ankara to resolve the issue in a manner similar to a security agreement Iraq has inked with Iran to deal with Iranian Kurdish separatist groups in the Kurdistan region.