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Abbas Says There's ‘Complete Stalemate’ in Peace Process

President Mahmoud Abbas and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Tuesday (AFP)
President Mahmoud Abbas and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Tuesday (AFP)
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Abbas Says There's ‘Complete Stalemate’ in Peace Process

President Mahmoud Abbas and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Tuesday (AFP)
President Mahmoud Abbas and his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades in Nicosia on Tuesday (AFP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas renewed his warning on Tuesday of taking the necessary legal measures to protect the interests of the Palestinian people and put an end to the Israeli occupation’s crimes, which have reached an unacceptable level.

“The current situation cannot be tolerated in light of the absence of a political horizon and international protection for the Palestinian people,” he said during a press conference with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades at the presidential palace in Nicosia.

Abbas said he informed his counterpart of the complete stalemate in efforts to reach a peaceful settlement to the Palestinian problem because the current government of Israel has suspended all agreements.

He stressed that the Palestinian leadership will continue contacts to mobilize international support to confront these dangerous challenges and to take deterrent measures to ensure an end to double standards.

At the same time, the Palestinian President said the leadership is ready to engage in any peace efforts and initiatives based on UN resolutions, leading to the establishment of peace, security, and stability for everyone in the region, and an end to the Israeli occupation of the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Abbas arrived in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, on Monday on a three-day official visit upon the invitation of his Cypriot counterpart.

He met with a number of Arab ambassadors, to whom he explained the latest developments related to the Palestinian cause, and the ongoing Israeli attacks and crimes against the people, especially in Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Abbas also briefed the Arab diplomats on ongoing contacts and efforts to revive the peace process.

During his trip, Abbas also signed with the Cypriot side bilateral cooperation agreements in the field of diplomatic training, exchange of information on education programs, and the exchange of academics at conferences on topics of common interest.

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Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
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Kurdistan Salary Crisis Clouds Eid Celebrations in Baghdad

Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)
Leader of the Hikma Movement Ammar al-Hakim delivers his Eid speech to supporters in Baghdad (Hikma Media)

The festivity of Eid al-Adha in Baghdad was overshadowed by growing political tensions, particularly over the unresolved salary crisis in the Kurdistan Region.

While Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani opted for a neutral gesture - issuing a general holiday greeting and performing Eid prayers without comment - other political leaders used the occasion to speak pointedly about the nation’s deepening challenges.

Al-Sudani attended Eid prayers at Al-Rasoul Mosque in the capital, choosing to remain silent on political matters. However, influential Shiite cleric and head of the Hikma Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali both delivered speeches that touched on the country’s fraught political and economic landscape.

Al-Hakim warned against the use of political money in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 11, 2025.

Calling the vote “historic,” he emphasized the need for electoral integrity and urged political blocs to adopt a national code of conduct barring the use of illicit funds. “There is talk of a market where candidates and voters are being bought. This is corruption and betrayal of the people,” he said.

He also addressed Iraq’s perennial electricity crisis, calling for a “strategic state of emergency” to resolve the issue once and for all. “Despite changing governments and large budgets, the same problems repeat themselves,” he noted.

Al-Hakim stressed the need for governments to define clear priorities, including agriculture, water, and clean energy, and said Iraqis “deserve a dignified life that begins with stable electricity and ends with technological advancement.”

Khazali, meanwhile, focused his remarks on the Kurdistan Region salary crisis, criticizing accusations from Kurdish media that he was responsible for the federal government’s suspension of public sector salaries in the region. “It’s simply not true,” he said. “Unfortunately, salaries remain unpaid to this day.”

He stressed that despite Iraq’s wealth, the country continues to suffer from poverty and unemployment, and argued that the roots of these issues lie in the legacy of the former Ba’ath regime.

Khazali also pointed out that Kurdistan experiences higher poverty rates than the rest of Iraq, and that many Iraqi refugees abroad are from the region.

Turning to the electricity crisis, he warned this summer could be the most difficult in years, as outages are expected to worsen. “All past governments focused on increasing output but ignored the need to instill a culture of energy conservation,” he said, warning that some groups may seek to exploit the crisis to sow internal unrest.