Islamic Jihad Holds First New Politburo Meeting in Cairo

Palestinian Islamic Jihad members take part in a military show marking the 32nd anniversary of the organization's founding, Gaza City, (File photo: Reuters)
Palestinian Islamic Jihad members take part in a military show marking the 32nd anniversary of the organization's founding, Gaza City, (File photo: Reuters)
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Islamic Jihad Holds First New Politburo Meeting in Cairo

Palestinian Islamic Jihad members take part in a military show marking the 32nd anniversary of the organization's founding, Gaza City, (File photo: Reuters)
Palestinian Islamic Jihad members take part in a military show marking the 32nd anniversary of the organization's founding, Gaza City, (File photo: Reuters)

Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement will hold talks with Egyptian officials where it will submit a number of requests, announced member of the movement’s politburo Nafez Azzam.

Azzam noted that the talks will discuss the most important Palestinian issues, adding that the movement will hold a meeting that includes all the members of the new political bureau, and then begin its visit to a number of friendly countries.

Islamic Jihad elected members of the new bureau in September last year, including Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhala, elected to replace Ramadan Shallah who is in a critical health condition.

The Jihad delegation arrived in Cairo from abroad and Gaza, along with a delegation from Hamas to discuss the truce.

Israeli sources spoke of tangible progress between Israel and Hamas to achieve a long-term truce.

Islamic Jihad issued a statement, of which Asharq Al-Awsat received a copy, announcing the most important issues that it will discuss with the Egyptian side during the delegation’s visit, led by Sec-Gen Nakhala.

The statement announced that the visit to Cairo comes within the framework of strengthening relations with the Egyptian officials. It also pointed out that they will discuss releasing Palestinian detainees held by the Egyptian security services.

Egypt arrests a number of Palestinians affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements.

In March, Egypt released eight Hamas members after years of detention, including four members of al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the movement. They were released during the three-week visit of the head of Hamas politburo, Ismail Haniyeh, to Cairo.

Jihad will also ask Egyptian officials to exert pressure and guarantee that the Israeli occupation will stop the ongoing Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people.

Egypt sponsored the ceasefire agreement in the last round after commander Baha Abu Ata was killed.

The movement condemned recent statements of Palestinian leaders and media analysts about the delegation’s visit to Cairo, pointing out that the statements aim to normalize relations with the Zionist enemy and spread rumors about the visit.



US Charges Iran Guards Captain in 2022 Killing of American in Iraq

Smog obscures the skyline in Tehran, Iran, 18 December 2024. (EPA)
Smog obscures the skyline in Tehran, Iran, 18 December 2024. (EPA)
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US Charges Iran Guards Captain in 2022 Killing of American in Iraq

Smog obscures the skyline in Tehran, Iran, 18 December 2024. (EPA)
Smog obscures the skyline in Tehran, Iran, 18 December 2024. (EPA)

The US Justice Department said on Friday it had charged a captain in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards with murder and terrorism offenses in the 2022 death of American Stephen Troell in Iraq.

Mohammad Reza Nouri, 36, helped plan an attack on Troell, 45, who was working at an English language institute in central Baghdad, according to a complaint unsealed in US Federal Court in Manhattan.

The attack was carried out in retaliation for the US killing of the Revolutionary Guards' top commander Qassem Soleimani in a 2020 drone strike, according to the complaint.

"The Department of Justice will not tolerate terrorists and authoritarian regimes targeting and murdering Americans anywhere in the world," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Nouri is already in custody in Iraq after being convicted, along with four Iraqis, in that country for Troell's murder. All five were sentenced to life in prison in Iraq last year.

Nouri is facing eight charges in US court, including murder of a US national and providing material support to terrorism resulting in death. The United States considers the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.

It was not yet clear if Nouri had an attorney. Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The complaint accuses Nouri of collecting personal information on Troell, whom he appears to have believed was an American or Israeli intelligence officer, and recruiting operatives to target him.

Troell was shot and killed on Nov. 7, 2022, after a heavily armed gunman forced him to stop while he was driving home with his wife, according to US authorities.