Calls for Unity in Kurdistan Region to Guarantee Better Future

A woman dressed in ceremonial clothing stands with a torch before lighting-up a pyre during an Iraqi Kurdish celebration of Nowruz  in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, on March 20, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)
A woman dressed in ceremonial clothing stands with a torch before lighting-up a pyre during an Iraqi Kurdish celebration of Nowruz in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, on March 20, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)
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Calls for Unity in Kurdistan Region to Guarantee Better Future

A woman dressed in ceremonial clothing stands with a torch before lighting-up a pyre during an Iraqi Kurdish celebration of Nowruz  in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, on March 20, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)
A woman dressed in ceremonial clothing stands with a torch before lighting-up a pyre during an Iraqi Kurdish celebration of Nowruz in the northeastern city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, on March 20, 2021. (Photo by Shwan MOHAMMED / AFP)

Leaders of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region on Saturday congratulated the people on the occasion of Nowruz, the Kurdish new year, calling for a new beginning based on unity to guarantee a better future.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani stated that Nowruz is a sacred national holiday. It is a symbol of victory and freedom to the Kurdish people, he added.

Barzani invited everyone to a new beginning and to benefiting from the mistakes of the past.

He added that ensuring a better life to citizens requires unity and cohesion, in addition to putting an end to the conflicts among the Kurdistan political parties.

Barzani urged all parties to convene to discuss the regional situation, and to find solutions based on constitutional rights.

“To resolve the issues with the federal government and the issues in Iraq in general, I reiterate that the Kurdistan Region will assist and be cooperative in the pursuit of stability and peace and a better future for the country,” Barzani said, adding that the UN and international community should help both parties reach a final agreement.

“Everyone should know that resolving the issues between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government is the key to peace, stability and prosperity in Iraq.”

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also congratulated the people on the occasion of the new year.

Barzani expressed hope that Iraq’s federal government will fully “implement the constitution and stabilize the political, economic, and security situation” in the country.



Palestinians in Jenin Observe a General Strike

A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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Palestinians in Jenin Observe a General Strike

A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Palestinians in the volatile northern West Bank town of Jenin are observing a general strike called by militant groups to protest a rare crackdown by Palestinian security forces.
An Associated Press reporter in Jenin heard gunfire and explosions, apparently from clashes between militants and Palestinian security forces. It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or wounded. There was no sign of Israeli troops in the area.
Shops were closed in the city on Monday, the day after militants killed a member of the Palestinian security forces and wounded two others.
Militant groups called for a general strike across the territory, accusing the security forces of trying to disarm them in support of Israel’s half-century occupation of the territory.
The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is internationally recognized but deeply unpopular among Palestinians, in part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters. Israel accuses the authority of incitement and of failing to act against armed groups.
The Palestinian Authority blamed Sunday’s attack on “outlaws.” It says it is committed to maintaining law and order but will not police the occupation.
The Palestinian Authority exercises limited authority in population centers in the West Bank. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Mideast War, and the Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state.
Israel’s current government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and says it will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Violence has soared in the West Bank following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there.