Iraq Says Ties with Arab World Have Entered ‘New Phase’

Officials are seen at the symposium. (Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter)
Officials are seen at the symposium. (Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter)
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Iraq Says Ties with Arab World Have Entered ‘New Phase’

Officials are seen at the symposium. (Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter)
Officials are seen at the symposium. (Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Twitter)

Iraq announced that its relationship with its Arab surroundings had entered a “new phase,” stressing that the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, which is currently being held in the city of Basra, will help strengthen the country’s political status in the Arab, regional and international arenas.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Monday following a symposium, “Foreign Policy and Sports Diplomacy: A Message of Peace and Affection among Peoples”. organized by its Foreign Service Institute with the participation of a number of Arab and foreign politicians, heads of diplomatic missions, researchers and experts.

“During the symposium, it was emphasized that organizing the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup in Basra is a means to strengthen bilateral relations between Iraq and the Arab Gulf states. It also another factor that contributes to consolidating Iraq’s political position in the Arab, regional, and international arenas, and provides it with broader horizons,” the ministry’s statement read.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had refused to apologize for naming the tournament the “Arabian Gulf” instead of the “Persian Gulf” - as requested by Iran - stressing that his country was part of the Arab system and keen on maintaining the relationship with Arab Gulf states.

In an interview with the German Deutsche Welle channel, on the sidelines of his visit to Berlin last week, Sudani said: “We respect all points of view, and today we are part of the Arab system, and we are keen on perpetuating our relationship with the Arab Gulf states.”

He also revealed continuous efforts by Baghdad “to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran.”

“Bringing points of view between Iran and the countries of the region, including Saudi Arabia, is an approach that the government has followed and continues to follow, and will help ease tensions… which will impact the security of Iraq and the region,” he added.



Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
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Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed

The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory's last fibre optic cable it blamed on Israel.

"All internet and fixed-line communication services in the Gaza Strip have been cut following the targeting of the last remaining main fibre optic line in Gaza," the PA's telecommunications ministry said in a statement, accusing Israel of attempting to cut Gaza off from the world, AFP reported.

"The southern and central Gaza Strip have now joined Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip in experiencing complete isolation for the second consecutive day," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that its maintenance and repair teams had been unable to safely access the sites where damage occurred to the fibre optic cable.

"The Israeli occupation continues to prevent technical teams from repairing the cables that were cut yesterday", it said, adding that Israeli authorities had prevented repairs to other telecommunication lines in Gaza "for weeks and months".

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the communication lines were "directly targeted by occupation forces".

It said the internet outage was hindering its emergency services by impeding communication with first responder teams in the field.

"The emergency operations room is also struggling to coordinate with other organisations to respond to humanitarian cases."

Maysa Monayer, spokeswoman for the Palestinian communication ministry, told AFP that "mobile calls are still available with very limited capacity" in Gaza for the time being.

Now in its 21st month, the war in Gaza has caused massive damage to infrastructure across the Palestinian territory, including water mains, power lines and roads.