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Iraq's Dhi Qar Governor Resigns Following Protests

Iraqi protesters during a sit-in in Dhi Qar, Iraq (AFP/Getty Images)
Iraqi protesters during a sit-in in Dhi Qar, Iraq (AFP/Getty Images)
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Iraq's Dhi Qar Governor Resigns Following Protests

Iraqi protesters during a sit-in in Dhi Qar, Iraq (AFP/Getty Images)
Iraqi protesters during a sit-in in Dhi Qar, Iraq (AFP/Getty Images)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi approved the resignation of Dhi Qar Governor Ahmed al-Khafaji.

Khafaji resigned from his position amid a political and popular crisis in the governorate, where he has been criticized for his "mismanagement."

Protests erupted in al-Nasiriyah city in Dhi Qar on Wednesday. Security forces shot three protesters, a medical source told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Dozens are protesting in the governorate, demanding better living and service conditions, and pushing for dropping the lawsuits against them related to their participation in the October 2019 demonstrations.

Khafaji's office stated in a press statement: "The governor submitted his resignation from the position to Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi, in the interest of the public interest, and to provide security and stability and preserve the interests of the citizens of this province."

The statement, carried by Iraqi National Agency (INA), indicated that the governor offered his sincere apologies to all the people of Dhi Qar for any shortcomings.

On Wednesday, the Security Media Cell of the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement indicating that the prime minister followed up with "great interest" the developments in Dhi Qar, including the injury of three protesters in Nasiriyah.

Kadhimi ordered authorities to take the necessary legal measures and open an urgent investigation into the incident.

The southern Iraqi governorates, especially Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah, and Najaf, have witnessed sporadic demonstrations during the past weeks, with dozens participating, demanding better job opportunities and living conditions.

Nasiriyah, located 350 km south of Baghdad, was the main stronghold of the protest movement in October 2019. It suffers from severe poverty, deteriorating infrastructure, and unemployment among the youth.

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Arab World

Report: Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza Than Back in

A general view of destroyed houses in areas marked as 'Yellow Line' by the Israeli military, in east of Gaza City, January 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A general view of destroyed houses in areas marked as 'Yellow Line' by the Israeli military, in east of Gaza City, January 16, 2026. (Reuters)
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Report: Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza Than Back in

A general view of destroyed houses in areas marked as 'Yellow Line' by the Israeli military, in east of Gaza City, January 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A general view of destroyed houses in areas marked as 'Yellow Line' by the Israeli military, in east of Gaza City, January 16, 2026. (Reuters)

Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in, three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters ahead of the border's expected opening next week.

The head of a transitional Palestinian committee backed by the US to temporarily administer Gaza, Ali Shaath, announced on Thursday that the Rafah Border Crossing - effectively the sole route in or out of Gaza for nearly all of the more than 2 million people who live there - would open next week.

The border was supposed to have opened during the initial phase of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war, under a ceasefire reached in October between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier this month, Washington announced that ‌the plan had now ‌moved into the second phase, under which Israel is expected to ‌withdraw ⁠troops further from ‌Gaza and Hamas is due to yield control of the territory's administration. The Gaza side of the crossing has been under Israeli military control since 2024.

The three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said it was still not clear how Israel planned to enforce limits on the number of Palestinians entering Gaza from Egypt, or what ratio of exits to entries it aimed to achieve.

Israeli officials have spoken in the past about encouraging Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza, although they deny intending to transfer the population out by ⁠force. Palestinians are highly sensitive to any suggestion that Gazans could be expelled, or that those who leave temporarily could be barred from returning.

The ‌Rafah Crossing is expected to be staffed by Palestinians affiliated with the ‍Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and monitored by EU personnel, ‍as took place during an earlier, weeks-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas early last year.

The Israeli prime ‍minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. The military referred questions to the government, declining to comment.

An Israeli official told Reuters the government would determine when the border would open and that Palestinians would not be able to leave or enter Gaza without approval from Israel.

The three sources said that Israel also wants to establish a military checkpoint inside Gaza near the border, through which all Palestinians entering or leaving would be required to pass and be subjected to Israeli security checks.

The US ⁠Embassy in Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Washington supported Israel in limiting the number of Palestinians entering Gaza or setting up a checkpoint to screen those entering and leaving.

Under the initial phase of Trump's plan, the Israeli military partially pulled back its forces within Gaza but retained control of 53% of the territory including the entire land border with Egypt. Nearly all of the territory's population lives in the rest of Gaza, under Hamas control and mostly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

The sources said that it was not clear how individuals would be dealt with if they were blocked by Israel's military from passing through its checkpoint, particularly those entering from Egypt.

The Israeli government has repeatedly objected to the opening of the border, with some officials saying Hamas must first return the body of an Israeli police officer held in Gaza, the final human ‌remains of a hostage due to be transferred under the ceasefire's first phase.

US officials in private say that Washington, not Israel, is driving the rollout of the president's plan to end the war.

Arab World

Report: US Pressures Iraq to ‘Rapidly’ Disarm Iran-Backed Factions

Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armored vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armored vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
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Report: US Pressures Iraq to ‘Rapidly’ Disarm Iran-Backed Factions

Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armored vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armored vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026. (AFP)

US officials have been pressuring Iraq to disarm Iran-backed armed factions, reported the Financial Times on Friday.

“In tense meetings with senior Iraqi political leaders tasked with forming the next government, US officials have in recent weeks also pushed the Iraqis to produce a ‘credible’ plan to rapidly disarm the groups,” it said.

Washington is exerting pressure on senior Iraqi politicians to form a government that excludes those factions, amid US President Donald Trump's efforts to curb Tehran's influence in Baghdad.

The newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that American officials threatened to take punitive measures if Baghdad did not do so, including economic measures, such as limiting dollar flows related to Iraqi oil sales.

Since 2003, under an arrangement after the American invasion of Iraq, Washington has been sending Baghdad cash shipments worth billions of dollars annually via monthly air freight flights, which are funds collected from Iraqi oil sales, the proceeds of which are deposited in the country's account with the Federal Reserve.

However, the United States has long been concerned that armed factions and Iran would use these funds. In 2015, Washington temporarily suspended dollar supplies to Baghdad amid concerns that they were flowing to Tehran and the ISIS extremist group.

The sources said that Iraqis fear instability and the outbreak of an economic crisis if Washington stops these supplies again.

Arab World

Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza than Back In

People stand at the gate of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
People stand at the gate of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza than Back In

People stand at the gate of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
People stand at the gate of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than ​in, three sources briefed on the matter said ahead of the border's expected opening next week.

The head of a transitional Palestinian committee backed by the US to temporarily administer Gaza, Ali Shaath, announced on Thursday that the Rafah Border Crossing - effectively the sole route in or out of Gaza for nearly all of the more than 2 million people who live there - would open next week.

The border was supposed to have opened during the initial phase of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war, under a ceasefire reached in October between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier this month, Washington announced that the plan had now ‌moved into the ‌second phase, under which Israel is expected to withdraw troops further from ‌Gaza ⁠and ​Hamas ‌is due to yield control of the territory's administration. The Gaza side of the crossing has been under Israeli military control since 2024.

The three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said it was still not clear how Israel planned to enforce limits on the number of Palestinians entering Gaza from Egypt, or what ratio of exits to entries it aimed to achieve, Reuters reported.

Israeli officials have spoken in the past about encouraging Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza, although they deny intending to transfer the population out by force. Palestinians ⁠are highly sensitive to any suggestion that Gazans could be expelled, or that those who leave temporarily could be barred from returning.

The Rafah ‌Crossing is expected to be staffed by Palestinians affiliated with the ‍Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and monitored by EU personnel, ‍as took place during an earlier, weeks-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas early last year.

The Israeli ‍prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. The military referred questions to the government, declining to comment.

The three sources said that Israel also wants to establish a military checkpoint inside Gaza near the border, through which all Palestinians entering or leaving would be required to pass and be subjected to Israeli ​security checks.

Two other sources also said that Israeli officials had insisted on setting up a military checkpoint in Gaza to screen Palestinians moving in and out.

The US Embassy in ⁠Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Washington supported Israel in limiting the number of Palestinians entering Gaza or setting up a checkpoint to screen those entering and leaving.

Under the initial phase of Trump's plan, the Israeli military partially pulled back its forces within Gaza but retained control of 53% of the territory including the entire land border with Egypt. Nearly all of the territory's population lives in the rest of Gaza, under Hamas control and mostly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

The sources said that it was not clear how individuals would be dealt with if they were blocked by Israel's military from passing through its checkpoint, particularly those entering from Egypt.

The Israeli government has repeatedly objected to the opening of the border, with some officials saying Hamas must first return the body of an Israeli police officer held in Gaza, the ‌final human remains of a hostage due to be transferred under the ceasefire's first phase.

US officials in private say that Washington, not Israel, is driving the rollout of the president's plan to end the war.