Ennahda Accused of Stoking Tensions in Tunisia in Wake of Mysterious Fires

Head of the Ennahda movement Rached al-Ghannouchi. (EPA)
Head of the Ennahda movement Rached al-Ghannouchi. (EPA)
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Ennahda Accused of Stoking Tensions in Tunisia in Wake of Mysterious Fires

Head of the Ennahda movement Rached al-Ghannouchi. (EPA)
Head of the Ennahda movement Rached al-Ghannouchi. (EPA)

Tunisian authorities launched an investigation into the mysterious and simultaneous fires that broke out in several governorates.

The fires destroyed a market for traditional products in Gabes, a closed factory for second-hand clothes in Ben Arous, and a warehouse for old buses in Bizerte.

The fires all erupted on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, raising questions that they may be deliberate.

Supporters of President Kais Saeid said the opposition, led by the Ennahda movement, have an interest in stoking social tensions at this time by portraying the president as incapable of managing public affairs.

The opposition, on the other hand, accused the president's supporters of starting the fires as part of a plan to "make up ready-made accusations" against political parties with the ultimate goal of dissolving them.

Some neutral parties did not rule out the possibility that terrorist groups could be behind the fires. They cited an increase in crime in the past whenever political tensions spiked in the country, taking advantage of social and security instability to carry out attacks.

The head of the Anti-Corruption Committee in the dissolved parliament and member of the pro-Saeid “People’s Movement”, Badredine Gammoudi, said arsonists were responsible for these fires.

He called on the state to take action to prevent attempts to spread fear among Tunisians.

Several parties underscored the importance of protecting grain crops from fires, amid predictions of a record yield.



Netanyahu Offers Hamas Leaders Gaza Exit but Demands Group Disarm

A general view shows tents housing displaced Palestinians during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Gaza City on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
A general view shows tents housing displaced Palestinians during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Gaza City on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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Netanyahu Offers Hamas Leaders Gaza Exit but Demands Group Disarm

A general view shows tents housing displaced Palestinians during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Gaza City on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
A general view shows tents housing displaced Palestinians during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Gaza City on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday offered to let Hamas leaders leave Gaza but demanded the group abandon its arms, as his country kept up its bombardment of the Palestinian territory.

Gaza's civil defense agency said an Israeli air strike on a house and tent sheltering displaced Palestinians killed at least eight people, including five children.

The strike in Khan Yunis came in the morning on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Israel resumed intense bombing of the Palestinian territory on March 18 and then launched a new ground offensive, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire in the war with Hamas.

Netanyahu rejected criticism that his government was not engaging in negotiations aimed at releasing hostages held in Gaza, insisting the renewed military pressure on Hamas was proving effective.

"We are negotiating under fire... We can see cracks beginning to appear" in Hamas's positions, the Israeli leader told a cabinet meeting.

In the "final stage", Netanyahu said that "Hamas will lay down its weapons. Its leaders will be allowed to leave".

"The military pressure is working," Reuters quoted him as saying.

"The combination of military pressure and diplomatic pressure is the only thing that has brought the hostages back."

Hamas has expressed a willingness to relinquish Gaza's administration, but has warned its weapons are a "red line".

Egypt, Qatar and the United States are attempting to again broker a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

A senior Hamas official stated on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators and urged Israel to support it.

Netanyahu's office confirmed receipt of the proposal and stated that Israel had submitted a counterproposal in response.

However, the details of the latest mediation efforts remain undisclosed.