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First Direct Clashes Erupt Between Hamas, Armed Gangs in Gaza

 Palestinians carry the remains of a victim of a fire that broke out in displacement tents in Gaza City (AFP). 
 Palestinians carry the remains of a victim of a fire that broke out in displacement tents in Gaza City (AFP). 
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First Direct Clashes Erupt Between Hamas, Armed Gangs in Gaza

 Palestinians carry the remains of a victim of a fire that broke out in displacement tents in Gaza City (AFP). 
 Palestinians carry the remains of a victim of a fire that broke out in displacement tents in Gaza City (AFP). 

The al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, witnessed on Sunday morning the first direct, face-to-face clashes between fighters from Hamas and members of an armed gang operating in the area, marking a new and dangerous escalation in Gaza’s internal security landscape.

Field sources said the clashes involved a group led by Palestinian Rami Halas, which calls itself the “Popular Defense Forces.” The group is reportedly active in areas under Israel’s control and has stepped up attacks against Palestinians over the past 10 days, killing at least two people and wounding several others.

According to the sources, members of the Halas gang advanced toward al-Sanafour junction in al-Tuffah, an area west of the so-called “Yellow Line,” designated as an initial withdrawal line under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

As the gunmen entered residential neighborhoods, they were met with immediate gunfire from Hamas fighters and members of other armed factions. The exchange of fire lasted more than 20 minutes before the gang withdrew toward the Yellow Line, which remains under Israeli control.

The clashes coincided with the presence of Israeli surveillance drones overhead. Sources said that shortly after the fighting subsided, the drones carried out strikes on homes in al-Tuffah and surrounding areas. This was followed by the use of booby-trapped vehicles loaded with tons of explosives, detonated in stages to destroy what remained of houses in those zones.

The sources also revised earlier accounts of a killing on Saturday at the main junction in al-Shuja’iyya, east of Gaza City. A Palestinian initially believed to have been shot by Israeli forces was, in fact, killed by gunmen from the same armed gang, they said. He was at least the second person killed by the group in the area within roughly 10 days.

In recent weeks, the Halas gang has intensified its attacks in eastern Gaza City, allegedly operating under Israeli cover. About two weeks ago, it forced residents of a residential block in al-Tuffah to evacuate their homes.

Armed gangs in Gaza have become more active and increasingly sophisticated, carrying out assassinations — such as the killing of Internal Security officer Ahmed Zamzam —and opening fire on civilians in areas west of the Yellow Line. Sunday’s incident marked the first direct clash between such gangs and established armed factions.

Meanwhile, Hamas has expanded executions and crackdowns against armed gangs and individuals accused of collaborating with Israel since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10. Hamas sources said several alleged collaborators linked to the assassinations of senior leaders, including former Qassam Brigades commander Mohammed Deif, have been executed, while others have been arrested and remain under investigation.

Separately, Israeli fire killed three Palestinians in Khan Younis on Sunday, including a 15-year-old boy and a young man, while a fisherman was shot dead off the city’s coast. Since the ceasefire, more than 423 Palestinians have been killed in what are described as Israeli violations across Gaza.

 

 

 

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Arab World

Crisis Looms in Southern Iraq over Water, Electricity Shortages

People protest in Dhi Qar over frequent power outages. (Social media)
People protest in Dhi Qar over frequent power outages. (Social media)
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Crisis Looms in Southern Iraq over Water, Electricity Shortages

People protest in Dhi Qar over frequent power outages. (Social media)
People protest in Dhi Qar over frequent power outages. (Social media)

The worsening electricity crisis in Iraq continues to burden most of the population, amid rising temperatures that have surpassed 50 degrees Celsius in some southern governorates.

There are fears that the crisis could lead to local conflicts between some governorates, given that some receive up to 20 hours of power, while others receive only about 10 at best.

In Dhi Qar, a number of residents threatened to cut off water from the Al-Bidaa canal and prevent it from reaching the Basra Governorate in the far south if they do not receive more hours of electricity. A video showed dozens of citizens holding signs that read: "Water for electricity."

The canal is a main channel for drinking water to Basra, flowing from the Tigris River through Dhi Qar. Cutting it off may lead to a humanitarian and service crisis for millions of Basra residents, who already suffer from water salinity and irregular supply to their homes.

An official source in Dhi Qar dismissed the citizens' ability to cut off the water supply. The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the protests reflect anger over deteriorating electricity services in the governorate, but it will not reach the stage of cutting off water or bartering it for electricity.

The source said the problem relates to the Al-Fuhoud and Al-Chibayish areas bordering Basra.

Al-Chibayish receives enough electricity from Basra, unlike the Al-Fuhoud, which receives around two hours for every four-hour cut from Dhi Qar, making the residents’ anger justified, added the source.

The official source said the crisis is not limited to Dhi Qar, but affects most of Iraq, especially the south.

Citizens in six governorates, including Baghdad, demonstrated a few days ago to protest the shortage of electricity.

In Wasit, which borders Dhi Qar, hundreds took to the streets over the past two days in protest against the power cuts.

The demonstrations led to clashes with police and anti-riot forces, who were forced to use water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protesters, prompting criticism from MPs who demanded a probe into the unrest.

Energy officials and experts warned that the crisis will likely continue for years due to the stark disparity between demand and production capacity. The country's needs are estimated at around 60,000 megawatts, while current production does not exceed 25,000 megawatts.

Arab World

Iraq PM Aiming for Legislation that Limits Possession of Weapons to the State

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. (AFP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. (AFP)
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Iraq PM Aiming for Legislation that Limits Possession of Weapons to the State

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. (AFP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. (AFP)

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi stressed that October 1 will be a new chapter for the state after the withdrawal of all foreign military forces from the country.

By then, it would have achieved national sovereingty over its territories as it continues to build its military and security capabilities to allow it to protect its security and stability by itself, he added.

September 30 is the deadline for both the withdrawal of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition forces from Iraq and pro-Iran armed factions to lay down their weapons.

The PM made his remarks during a meeting with Commander of the US Central Command Brad Cooper in Baghdad.

Al-Zaidi underscored the deadline for the troop withdrawal, adding that imposing state monopoly over weapons “according to the law, protects everyone and bolsters the authority and sovereignty of the state.”

“It is a condition for Iraq to move to a new phase of development,” he stressed.

The PM said he was aiming for a draft-law on limiting the possession of weapons to the state.

Sources said that this may lead to a potential confrontation with the armed factions that refuse to lay down their weapons.

Meeting with members of the parliamentary security and defense committee, al-Zaidi said that the “greatest threat to the state” was the possession of weapons outside state control because it undermines the rule of law and state institutions.

He called for preparing the draft-law, stressing the need to “bolster the standing of the state and its sovereignty and institutions.”

Legal expert Ali al-Tamimi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Iraqi constitution stipulates that military and security forces should be under the command of civilian authority. It bars the formation of militias outside state frameworks.

He noted that the law that established the Popular Mobilization Forces in 2016 says that they are a state formation, but it demands that its members quit any parties they are members of.

The greatest challenge with the state imposing state monopoly over arms is “defining the concept of weapons.” He explained that the armed factions believe their weapons are part of a “resistance” and in line with the PMF law.

The state, on the other hand, views these weapons as outside its authority and they need to come under its control, he added.

Arab World

Syria Forms Committee to Seek Interpol Handover of Assad-Era Figures

Syrians celebrate outside the Omari Mosque in Daraa, where the Syrian uprising began in 2011, after a Syrian court sentenced Atef Najib, the official responsible for the crackdown in the city, to death (dpa)
Syrians celebrate outside the Omari Mosque in Daraa, where the Syrian uprising began in 2011, after a Syrian court sentenced Atef Najib, the official responsible for the crackdown in the city, to death (dpa)
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Syria Forms Committee to Seek Interpol Handover of Assad-Era Figures

Syrians celebrate outside the Omari Mosque in Daraa, where the Syrian uprising began in 2011, after a Syrian court sentenced Atef Najib, the official responsible for the crackdown in the city, to death (dpa)
Syrians celebrate outside the Omari Mosque in Daraa, where the Syrian uprising began in 2011, after a Syrian court sentenced Atef Najib, the official responsible for the crackdown in the city, to death (dpa)

Syria has formed a committee to seek the extradition of criminals sentenced to death in absentia, Deputy Justice Minister Mustafa al-Qassem said on Wednesday, as the government defended the rulings against criticism from Amnesty International.

Al-Qassem said the committee would coordinate with Interpol to secure the handover of those convicted to Syria.

A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced ousted President Bashar al-Assad and several senior figures from his rule to death, including former security official Atef Najib, in the first rulings of their kind since the former government was overthrown in late 2024.

Cheers and chants erupted inside the courtroom, through the corridors of the Palace of Justice and outside the building as the verdicts were announced.

“We have established offices to receive complaints related to transitional justice crimes, and we are seeking to recover Syrians’ stolen funds and pursue those who invested them abroad,” al-Qassem told Syria’s Al-Ikhbariya television.

He said international cooperation, particularly in the handover of fugitives, would help accelerate Syria’s transitional justice process.

Al-Qassem said the Justice Ministry was also seeking the closest possible alignment between Syrian judicial procedures and international trial standards, while stressing Syria’s national sovereignty in matters of transitional justice.

The Justice Ministry, meanwhile, pushed back against Amnesty International’s criticism of Tuesday’s rulings, saying the group’s statement “does not accurately reflect the nature of the judicial procedures followed in these cases or the safeguards guaranteed to litigants under Syrian law.”

Amnesty said the government, if it wanted to “truly turn the page on the horrors of the past,” should end trials in absentia and the death penalty, criminalize core crimes under international law in domestic legislation and undertake comprehensive judicial reform.

It said prosecutions should take place before ordinary civilian courts, with victims participating and without resorting to capital punishment, as part of a nationwide, victim-centered strategy aimed at establishing truth, delivering justice and providing reparations.

The ministry said the cases were heard before a competent civilian criminal court by qualified judges, with victims and their representatives taking part in accordance with legal procedures.

It said constitutional and legal safeguards were observed, along with relevant principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

The trials, it added, were based on facts, evidence and judicial case files, with defendants guaranteed rights of defense, appeal and objection under applicable procedures.

The ministry said Syria’s current circumstances, after years of crimes and violations, placed a legal and moral duty on the state to deliver justice and hold those responsible to account.

That responsibility, it said, did not justify bypassing constitutional or legal safeguards or diminishing the rights of any party to a case.

Justice was being pursued through state institutions and within their jurisdiction, the ministry said, “in a manner that preserves victims’ right to redress and defendants’ right to a trial under the law, away from revenge or politicization.”

On capital punishment, the ministry said the death penalty remained part of Syrian law and could only be imposed by a court ruling based on law, evidence and facts.

Any execution, it said, would be subject to prescribed legal safeguards and could take place only after all stages and procedures required by law and the competent authorities had been completed.

The ministry also defended trials in absentia, saying that when permitted by law and conducted under the required conditions, they did not, in themselves, undermine fair-trial guarantees or the legality of the proceedings.

It reiterated its willingness to engage with international rights groups and consider observations that could help improve Syria’s justice system.

But it said evaluating judicial procedures, ruling on cases and determining responsibility and punishment remained the jurisdiction of the Syrian judiciary, operating under the constitution and the law while safeguarding the rights of all parties and victims’ right to justice.

Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais told Al-Ikhbariya on Tuesday that the ruling against Atef Najib had been issued in the name of the entire Syrian people.

He said the verdict showed that no one was above the law, regardless of status or position, and that rights would ultimately be restored to those entitled to them, however long it took.