Iraqis Await Federal Court’s Decision on Dissolution of Parliament

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, head of the Sadrist movement carry his picture in front of the gate of the Iraqi parliament building, Baghdad, Iraq, 12 August 2022. (EPA)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, head of the Sadrist movement carry his picture in front of the gate of the Iraqi parliament building, Baghdad, Iraq, 12 August 2022. (EPA)
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Iraqis Await Federal Court’s Decision on Dissolution of Parliament

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, head of the Sadrist movement carry his picture in front of the gate of the Iraqi parliament building, Baghdad, Iraq, 12 August 2022. (EPA)
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, head of the Sadrist movement carry his picture in front of the gate of the Iraqi parliament building, Baghdad, Iraq, 12 August 2022. (EPA)

Iraqis are awaiting the decision of the Federal Supreme Court over the dissolution of parliament after leader of the Sadrist movement, Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, had given it 72 hours to make a ruling.

The deadline ends on Monday.

The court had, however, set Tuesday as a date for looking into complaints filed by Sadrist leaders over the dissolution of the legislature.

The Sadrists allege that the parliament had failed in fulfilling its tasks and constitutional duties in the nine months since its formation.

The Sadrists are hoping that the Federal Court would dissolve parliament, which would lead to early elections.

Legal experts, however, predict that the court will only reiterate statements by the Supreme Judicial Council last week, when it said the dissolution of the parliament was beyond its jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Sadrist movement called on Sunday for the establishment of a new Iraq, devoid of militias, illegal possession of weapons, violence, fighting, sectarianism and warring parties.

Saleh Mohammed al-Iraqi, a close associate to Sadr, urged the establishment of a state of law “where brotherhood prevails, minorities are dignified, the judiciary is honest, balanced ties are forged with the outside, peace can reign, the army can protect, the government can serve, and religions and creeds are respected.”

Iraqi had on Saturday called for holding new parliamentary elections in the country without the participation of all parties and politicians that have been part of the political scene since the 2003 American occupation.

Sadr won the largest share of seats in the October elections but failed to form a majority government, leading to what has become one of the worst political crises in Iraq in recent years.

His bloc later resigned from parliament and his supporters last month stormed the parliament building in Baghdad. His supporters have been holding a sit-in at parliament ever since.



Israeli Strikes Hit Dozens of Targets in Gaza as Ceasefire Efforts Stall

A man looks through the rubble to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2025. (AFP)
A man looks through the rubble to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Israeli Strikes Hit Dozens of Targets in Gaza as Ceasefire Efforts Stall

A man looks through the rubble to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2025. (AFP)
A man looks through the rubble to inspect a destroyed building that was hit by Israeli bombardment in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 18, 2025. (AFP)

Israeli airstrikes hit around 40 targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military said on Friday, hours after Hamas rejected an Israeli ceasefire offer that it said fell short of its demand to agree a full end to the war.

Last month, the Israeli military broke off a two-month truce that had largely halted fighting in Gaza and has since pushed in from the north and south, seizing almost a third of the enclave as it seeks to pressure Hamas into agreeing to release hostages and disarm.

The military said troops were operating in the Shabura and Tel Al-Sultan areas near the southern city of Rafah, as well as in northern Gaza, where it has taken control of large areas east of Gaza City.

Egyptian mediators have been trying to revive the January ceasefire deal, which broke down when Israel resumed airstrikes and sent ground troops back into Gaza, but there has been little sign that the two sides have moved closer on fundamental issues.

Late on Thursday, Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas' Gaza chief, said the movement was willing to swap all remaining 59 hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel in return for an end to the war and reconstruction of Gaza.

But he dismissed an Israeli offer, which includes a demand that Hamas lay down its arms, as imposing "impossible conditions".

Israel has not responded formally to Al-Hayya's comments but ministers have said repeatedly that Hamas must be disarmed completely and can play no role in the future governance of Gaza. The ceasefire offer it made through Egyptian mediators includes talks on a final settlement to the war but no firm agreement.

Defense Minister Israel Katz also said this week that troops would remain in the buffer zone around the border that now extends deep into Gaza and cuts the enclave in two, even after any settlement.