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Iraqi Factions Defy Qaani's Directive to Maintain Calm

A memorial of the names of the victims in Mosul on the anniversary of the city's recapture from ISIS (AFP)
A memorial of the names of the victims in Mosul on the anniversary of the city's recapture from ISIS (AFP)
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Iraqi Factions Defy Qaani's Directive to Maintain Calm

A memorial of the names of the victims in Mosul on the anniversary of the city's recapture from ISIS (AFP)
A memorial of the names of the victims in Mosul on the anniversary of the city's recapture from ISIS (AFP)

Shiite leaders of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) denied reports claiming that the factions agreed to escalate attacks against US troops in Iraq.

Recent reports said there was "defiance" against the directives of the commander of al-Quds Force Esmail Qaani regarding maintaining calm after targeting Erbil airport and Ain al-Assad base.

However, sources confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that a meeting was held last week in Baghdad airport between Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officers and Iraqi Shiite leaders where the two sides agreed on maintaining calm, which was opposed by Hezbollah and Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades.

The sources said that the leaders of the Fatah Alliance and Asaib Ahl al-Haq supported the decision, however, the Sayyid Al-Shuhada Brigades spokesman, Kadhim al-Fartousi, announced that the Iraqi Islamic resistance strongly rejected any mediation regarding halting military operations against the US forces.

The military escalation against the US troops aims to remove them from Iraq, he said, warning that escalation will not be stopped, regardless of pressures on the factions.

According to Iraqi sources, who attended the meeting, the Iranian proposal was met with challenge and opposition.

One of the six faction leaders said: "They could not stay quiet while the death of his predecessor Qassim Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a US drone strike went unavenged."

The details from the meeting, confirmed to The Associated Press by three Shiite political officials and two senior militia officials, demonstrate how Iranian-aligned Iraqi militia groups are asserting a degree of independence, sometimes even flouting orders from Tehran.

Iran now relies on Lebanon's Hezbollah for support in reining them in, and there is potential that Iran's new president could play a role in doing the same.

Abu Ali al-Askari brigades take a different path from the rest of the factions, adopting direct and adventurous escalation without agreeing to any political settlement with the other PMF brigades.

The leader of the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades is threatening to postpone the elections scheduled for April 2022, according to The AP.

The sources said that the Iranian officers warned the leaders of the Shiite factions that "continuing the security escalation will end the Shiite rule."

The regional situation is reaching dangerous levels, and the Iranians have sent clear messages to the Iraqis that the situation at the Afghan border requires a stable front in the eastern axis, especially in Iraq, according to a Fatah commander and political advisor of Rule of Law coalition.

The Fatah commander said that major Shiite parties have agreed to a minimum truce until the Iraqi elections, but the situation is getting more complicated because of the decentralization method in which the factions operate.

Three main factors play into the policy of "creative chaos" for the faction's system.

The first is the emerging Shiite cells, which work with the leaders of the traditional factions without direct contact with the Iranians and carry out special operations.

The second is that the factions' strategy separates their rivalry with Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi and their agenda of removing the US forces from the country.

But the third factor constitutes the intense competition for influence over whom to replace Muhandis.

A PMF commander reported that the relationship between factions' leaders is not what it seems, saying there is intense competition.

"It may all seem chaotic, but it is the chaos that created influence in Iraq," he noted.

Several factions see in the new Iranian president Ebrahim Rasisi a more significant opportunity to consolidate influence and stabilize the status of the Popular Mobilization Forces in the same form in which the IRGC operates.

In general, the factions that seek escalation against the government or US interests in Iraq reflect a fundamental shift that was not prominent during the former government and represents an imposition of a new reality on Iraq's security and political conditions.

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Arab World

Britain Imposes Sanctions on RSF Leaders, Including Hemedti’s Brother

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. (AP)
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. (AP)
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Britain Imposes Sanctions on RSF Leaders, Including Hemedti’s Brother

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. (AP)
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. (AP)

Britain on Friday imposed sanctions on senior commanders of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accusing them of involvement in mass killings, systematic sexual violence and deliberate attacks on civilians in Sudan.

The UK government said Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF’s deputy commander and brother of its leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, along with three other commanders suspected of involvement in the crimes, are now subject to asset freezes and travel bans.

In an official statement, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The atrocities taking place in Sudan are so horrific they scar the conscience of the world. The overwhelming evidence of heinous crimes - mass executions, starvation, and the systematic and calculated use of rape as a weapon of war - cannot and will not go unpunished.”

The RSF’s actions in el-Fasher are not random: they are part of a “deliberate strategy to terrorize” populations and seize control through fear and violence. The impact of their actions is visible from space. Satellite images of el-Fasher show blood-stained sand, clusters of bodies, and evidence of mass graves where victims have been burned and buried. There needs to be accountability for these actions, and urgent steps taken to avoid this happening again, it added.

Sanctioning RSF leaders suspected of mass killings and sexual violence in el-Fasher “sends a clear message that those who commit atrocities will be held accountable,” it continued, underscoring Britain’s commitment to preventing further crimes.

Those sanctioned include Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF deputy commander, whom the UK said there are reasonable grounds to suspect of involvement in mass killings, ethnically motivated executions, systematic sexual violence including gang rape, kidnapping for ransom, arbitrary detention, and attacks on health facilities and aid workers.

Also sanctioned is Gedo Hamdan Ahmed, the RSF commander in North Darfur, who is suspected of involvement in mass killings, sexual violence, kidnappings and attacks on medical teams and humanitarian staff.

The list further includes Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, an RSF brigadier suspected of responsibility for violence against people based on ethnicity and religion and for deliberately targeting civilians, and Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed, an RSF field commander suspected of responsibility for the deliberate targeting of civilians in el-Fasher.

Britain urged all parties to the conflict to immediately end atrocities, protect civilians and remove obstacles to humanitarian access.

The government also pledged an additional £21 million to provide food, shelter, healthcare and protection for women and children in hard-to-reach areas on the brink of collapse. The funding, the statement said, will enable aid agencies to reach 150,000 people, meet basic needs, keep hospitals operating and reunite families separated by war.

The sanctions come after the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia proposed a three-month ceasefire plan in November, followed by peace talks. While the RSF initially accepted the plan, it later launched intensive drone strikes on army-held areas.

The war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the army and the RSF, has displaced millions.

Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a UK-led resolution condemning atrocities and mandating an urgent investigation into crimes committed in el-Fasher.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the war as a “scandal,” announcing plans to convene talks between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Geneva to press both sides to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians and implement commitments made under the Jeddah Declaration.

Arab World

Arab, Muslim States Say UNRWA Role is Indispensable

UNRWA headquarters in Gaza (file photo, Reuters)
UNRWA headquarters in Gaza (file photo, Reuters)
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Arab, Muslim States Say UNRWA Role is Indispensable

UNRWA headquarters in Gaza (file photo, Reuters)
UNRWA headquarters in Gaza (file photo, Reuters)

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye and Qatar on Friday rallied behind the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, stressing that its role in protecting Palestinian refugees and caring for their needs is both indispensable and irreplaceable.

They warned that any effort to undermine its capacity could carry dangerous consequences for the region.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the eight countries said that for decades UNRWA has carried out a unique mandate entrusted to it by the international community, focused on protecting Palestinian refugees and providing education, health care, social services and emergency assistance to millions of them across its areas of operation, in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 302 of 1949.

They added that the General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution renewing UNRWA’s mandate for an additional three years reflects international confidence in the agency’s vital role and the continuity of its operations.

The ministers condemned the Israeli forces’ storming of the agency’s headquarters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem, saying the attack constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the inviolability of UN premises.

They described it as an unacceptable escalation that runs counter to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on Oct. 22, 2025, which stipulates that Israel, as an occupying power, must not obstruct UNRWA’s operations but rather facilitate them.

On the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the ministers stressed the agency’s essential role in distributing aid through its network of centers, ensuring that food, relief supplies and necessities reach those entitled to them fairly and efficiently, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2803.

The statement said UNRWA schools and health facilities are a lifeline for the refugee community in Gaza, as they continue to support education and provide basic health services despite extremely difficult conditions.

It added that this supports the implementation on the ground of US President Donald Trump’s plan and enables Palestinians to remain on their land and build their homeland.

The ministers reaffirmed that UNRWA’s role cannot be replaced, saying there is no other entity with the infrastructure, expertise and field presence required to meet the needs of Palestinian refugees or to ensure the continuity of services on the necessary scale.

They warned that any weakening of UNRWA’s capacity would result in serious humanitarian, social, and political repercussions across the region. They called on the international community to ensure adequate and sustainable funding for the agency and to grant it the political and operational space needed to continue its vital work across all five areas of operation.

The statement noted that support for UNRWA is a cornerstone for preserving stability, safeguarding human dignity and guaranteeing the rights of Palestinian refugees until a just and lasting solution to their cause is reached in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions, including General Assembly Resolution 194.

 

Arab World

Partial Rafah Rebuilding Risks Delaying Cairo Conference

Two boys shelter from the rain while sitting on a donkey cart in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip (AFP)
Two boys shelter from the rain while sitting on a donkey cart in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip (AFP)
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Partial Rafah Rebuilding Risks Delaying Cairo Conference

Two boys shelter from the rain while sitting on a donkey cart in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip (AFP)
Two boys shelter from the rain while sitting on a donkey cart in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip (AFP)

Discussion has intensified over plans for partial reconstruction in parts of Gaza, even as official Arab statements insist that rebuilding must begin across the entire enclave.

The debate comes nearly two weeks after the postponement of the Cairo Conference on Gaza reconstruction, intended to marshal large-scale funding to revive the devastated territory, amid estimates that rebuilding could cost as much as $35 billion.

Hebrew media leaks about these “partial plans,” targeting areas including the southern city of Rafah, say the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved financing for them.

Experts who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat said the move aligns with earlier US plans in case efforts to move to the second phase of the Gaza agreement fail.

They said the Cairo reconstruction conference would be delayed for some time but would eventually take place, although not soon, and that its outcomes would face Israeli obstacles during implementation.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted an Israeli official as saying Tel Aviv had given preliminary approval to cover the cost of removing rubble from Gaza and to take responsibility for the massive engineering operation, following a request from the United States. Israel would begin by clearing an area in Rafah in southern Gaza in preparation for reconstruction.

According to the newspaper’s sources, Israel could be required to remove rubble from the entire Gaza Strip, a process expected to take years and cost more than $1 billion.

The United States wants reconstruction to begin in Rafah in the hope it can serve as a successful model for US President Donald Trump’s vision for rehabilitating Gaza, drawing residents from across the enclave, with other areas rebuilt in later phases, the Israeli paper said.

The Israeli leaks come about two weeks after comments by Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tamim Khallaf, who told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo was working with regional and international partners to prepare the conditions needed for the success of the Early Recovery and Reconstruction in Gaza conference. His remarks came in response to questions about the reason for its delay.

On Nov. 25, an informed Egyptian source told Asharq Al-Awsat the conference would not be held as scheduled at the end of November and would be postponed, citing the escalation in Gaza and Cairo’s desire to see better conditions on the ground to achieve its goals.

The comments coincided with reports of Israeli plans to divide Gaza into two parts, one under Israeli control and the other under Hamas control, covering no more than about 55 percent of the territory.

An emergency Arab summit hosted by Cairo on March 4 adopted a Gaza reconstruction and development plan aimed at early recovery and rebuilding the enclave without displacing Palestinians.

The plan outlines specific phases over up to five years at an estimated cost of $53 billion. Egypt also called for an international conference to support Gaza’s reconstruction, in coordination with the United Nations.

Rakha Ahmed Hassan, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and a former assistant foreign minister, said guarantors and some mediators of the Gaza agreement would not accept such partial plans, viewing them as a violation of the deal.

He said they come amid Israeli moves to obstruct the second phase by arguing that disarming Gaza must come first.

Palestinian political analyst Abdel Mahdi Mutawe said Israel’s approval of partial reconstruction funding and renewed promotion of the idea indicated little chance of reaching a second phase, pushing instead toward an alternative plan previously discussed by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.

That plan envisages building in areas outside Hamas control as long as the group does not accept disarmament.

Mutawe said reviving talk of partial reconstruction delays comprehensive rebuilding and sends a message to potential donors that obstacles remain, further delaying the Cairo conference.

In October, Kushner said at a press conference in Israel that rebuilding Gaza in areas under Israeli army control was being carefully studied, with considerations underway in areas controlled by the Israeli military that could be secured to begin building a “new Gaza.”

He said no funds would be allocated to reconstruction in areas still controlled by Hamas. The partial plans run counter to Arab positions.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa stressed in a phone call on Thursday the need for full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the inevitability of starting reconstruction across the entire enclave, according to an Egyptian presidency statement.

In an interview with US broadcaster Tucker Carlson at the Doha Forum on Sunday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani reaffirmed that the Palestinians will not be abandoned but that cheques to rebuild what others have destroyed won’t be signed.

Hassan said Qatar’s recent call for Israel to bear the cost of the destruction it caused reflected a firm Arab position aimed at preventing a repeat of the devastation.

He added that Egypt was also aware of Israeli moves toward an alternative plan involving partial reconstruction in Rafah, but that Cairo sought to strengthen a unified Arab stance in favor of comprehensive rebuilding, which would begin with the second phase that includes an Israeli withdrawal.

Mutawe said the Arab position would certainly exert pressure, but acknowledged differing views among Arab states.

He said the Cairo reconstruction conference was tied to progress in the second phase and the issue of disarmament in Gaza. It would eventually take place, he said, but not in the near term, and its outcomes would remain vulnerable to Israeli obstacles.