Gaza Airstrike Targeted Hamas Military Wing Leader, Israel Sayshttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5273755-gaza-airstrike-targeted-hamas-military-wing-leader-israel-says
Gaza Airstrike Targeted Hamas Military Wing Leader, Israel Says
A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches among the ruins of buildings destroyed during the Israel Hamas war, in Gaza City, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Gaza Airstrike Targeted Hamas Military Wing Leader, Israel Says
A tent camp for displaced Palestinians stretches among the ruins of buildings destroyed during the Israel Hamas war, in Gaza City, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Friday targeted the leader of Hamas’ military wing, Israeli officials said, but it wasn't immediately clear if Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed or injured.
Hamas did not immediately acknowledge or comment on the strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said an airstrike carried out by the military Friday evening targeted al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas’ Qassam brigades.
There were at least two Israeli strikes Friday evening in Gaza City, one of which Israel said targeted al-Haddad. One strike targeted a residential building and another a vehicle. Seven people were killed and dozens of others wounded, according to health officials in the Palestine Red Crescent Society’s Saraya Field Hospital and Shifa hospital, where the casualties were taken
In a statement, Netanyahu and Katz said that al-Haddad was “one of the architects” of the Oct. 7 attack.
Gaza has seen near-daily Israeli fire despite a fragile ceasefire agreement reached in October. More than 850 people have been killed since then, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Health Ministry is part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, but staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records, viewed as generally reliable by the international community.
Netanyahu and Katz threatened that Israel will continue to work against all those who took part in the Oct. 7 attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Over 72,700 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas’ 2023 attack.
“Sooner or later, Israel will reach you,” the statement read.
Palestinian citizens reported more airstrikes that followed the one that targeted al-Haddad. It was not immediately clear what the Israeli military was targeting.
Since the shaky ceasefire was reached, both Israel and Hamas have traded accusations of violations. Israel has targeted Hamas members inside the coastal enclave, the last of whom was the son of Hamas’ lead negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya.
Defector ‘Savannah’ Arrives in Khartoum, Deepening RSF Crisis
A circulated image shows defector Savanna among his troops during military operations before splitting from the Rapid Support Forces.
Former Rapid Support Forces (RSF) field commander Brigadier General Ali Rizqallah, known as “Savannah,” arrived in the Sudanese capital Khartoum days after announcing his split from the paramilitary force led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), in a move observers say highlights growing divisions within the RSF leadership and field ranks.
When Savannah announced his defection last week, he stressed he would not side with either party in the conflict, saying only that he had “sided with the will of the people.” But his arrival in Khartoum was widely seen by observers as a practical indication that he had joined the Sudanese army, dealing another blow to the RSF, which has faced a growing wave of defections in recent months.
Media sources said Savannah arrived in Khartoum without official details about his next moves, but the timing of his arrival, amid escalating military operations on several fronts, reinforced speculation of significant internal shifts within the RSF structure.
Defected RSF Major General Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, known as “Al-Nour al-Qubba,” told local media that Savannah was among the RSF’s most prominent field commanders and that his defection had generated wide attention because of his military influence and standing within the force.
He described Savannah as “one of the strong men and men of principle,” predicting that his joining the army would represent “a real addition to the armed forces and the Sudanese people.”
Al-Qubba also hinted at further defections within the RSF, saying the coming days would witness new developments following Savanna’s move to the army, in remarks suggesting that other commanders could join the Sudanese armed forces.
Savannah emerged as one of the leading RSF field commanders in the Kordofan region after the outbreak of war in April 2023. He led several military operations against the army and helped expand RSF control across large parts of the region.
He is the fourth prominent commander to defect from the RSF in recent months after Abu Aqla Keikel, commander of the Sudan Shield forces, who joined the army in October 2024, followed by Major General Al-Nour Ahmed Adam al-Qubba and field commander Bashara al-Huwaira, who also defected and joined the armed forces.
Tribal leader Musa Hilal, the former head of the Janjaweed militia, had previously declared support for the army after relocating to Port Sudan following the RSF’s takeover of his hometown of Misterei in Darfur, in a development observers say contributed to growing unrest and divisions within the RSF.
Observers say RSF attacks on areas controlled by Musa Hilal and his forces affected tribal and military balances in Darfur and indirectly accelerated defections from the paramilitary group.
Neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF issued official comment on Savannah’s arrival in Khartoum. The RSF had previously described him in a Telegram statement as a “defeated general,” while pro-RSF platforms circulated videos showing fighters from his combat group rejecting his defection.
The war between the Sudanese army and the RSF has entered the first month of its fourth year, with humanitarian and security conditions continuing to deteriorate across the country.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that the conflict has displaced more than 14 million people, including nearly four million who fled to neighboring countries, while the United Nations has described the Sudan crisis as the world’s “largest humanitarian catastrophe.”
Unofficial estimates say the war has killed around 150,000 civilians, in addition to thousands of fighters from both sides, amid the absence of precise figures on military losses.
Kurdish Groups Reject Allocation of Only 4 Seats to Them in Syria Parliamenthttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5273780-kurdish-groups-reject-allocation-only-4-seats-them-syria-parliament
Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026. (Reuters)
Kurdish Groups Reject Allocation of Only 4 Seats to Them in Syria Parliament
Syrian Kurds demonstrate to mark Kurdish Language Day, demanding constitutional recognition of the Kurdish language by the Syrian government, in Qamishli, Syria, May 14, 2026. (Reuters)
Syrian Kurdish groups on Friday rejected the allocation of only four seats for Kurds in Syria’s 210-member parliament, saying the move does not reflect the true size of the Kurdish population in the country.
The position came as Kurds marked “Kurdish Language Day” amid disputes with the Syrian government over the removal of Kurdish-language signs from official buildings in northeastern Syria.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa had issued a decree on January 16 affirming that Syria’s Kurdish citizens are an “essential and authentic” part of the Syrian people and that their cultural and linguistic identity is an inseparable part of the country's “pluralistic and unified” national identity.
But Kurdish groups say the agreement is not being implemented on the ground, warning of attempts to “undermine” it.
Ten Kurdish political groups and parties said in a statement on Friday that allocating only four seats to Kurds in parliament fails to reflect their actual size in Syria and is a continuation of policies of “marginalization and political exclusion,” according to the local Kurdish Hawar News Agency (ANHA).
The groups called for parliamentary representation of at least 40 seats for Kurds, saying the figure reflects the Kurdish population.
Separately, Kurdish leader Murat Karayilan, a member of the leadership of the People’s Defense Forces, the armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), criticized the Syrian government for removing Kurdish-language signs and replacing them with Arabic ones in Hasakeh in northeastern Syria.
The PKK is banned in Türkiye but has affiliates inside Syria.
Karayilan said in a televised interview marking Kurdish Language Day: “What happened in Hasakeh is exceptional.” He suspected political and intelligence interference that led to the removal of the signs, urging “caution” in handling the issue.
He called for preserving Kurdish-language education in northeastern Syria, saying it had continued for 14 years and represented “an achievement for our people that should not be abandoned.”
The Syrian government said on May 8 that Arabic remains the sole official language in Syria under existing laws and cannot currently be changed except through constitutional amendments.
In a statement on Facebook, Ahmad al-Hilali, deputy governor of Hasakeh and spokesperson for the presidential team tasked with implementing the agreement to integrate Kurds into state institutions, said the controversy over a sign at the Palace of Justice in Hasakeh that did not include Kurdish had been misunderstood.
“The Palace of Justice is an official institution that embodies justice and adherence to the laws in force in the Syrian state,” Hilali said.
He added that under the January decree, Kurdish is recognized as a national language and may be taught in public and private schools in areas where Kurds make up a significant number of the population.
Iraq’s Coordination Framework on Verge of Collapse after Zaidi’s Govt Approved by Parliamenthttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5273762-iraq%E2%80%99s-coordination-framework-verge-collapse-after-zaidi%E2%80%99s-govt-approved
This handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office shows new prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi (C) sitting ahead of presenting his government to the parliament in Baghdad on May 14, 2026. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)
Iraq’s Coordination Framework on Verge of Collapse after Zaidi’s Govt Approved by Parliament
This handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Press Office shows new prime minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi (C) sitting ahead of presenting his government to the parliament in Baghdad on May 14, 2026. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)
Iraq’s ruling pro-Iran Coordination Framework appears to be on the verge of collapse after Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's government was approved by parliament on Thursday.
The PM submitted an incomplete lineup, but it still earned the vote of confidence. The parliament approved 14 ministers out of 23. Discussions on the remaining vacant portfolios, including notable ones such as interior and defense, have been postponed due to political disputes between Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish forces.
Thursday’s vote exposed evident differences in the Framework, which includes major parties, such as former PM Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition, with other influential Shiite blocs over sovereign portfolios, especially the interior and higher education ministries, said lawmakers and political sources.
State of Law MP Ibtissam al-Hilali told the media that failure to include a candidate from her bloc in the lineup was an act of "deceit" against political agreements reached before the session.
Meanwhile, the National Contract bloc and the Sumerian Movement announced on Friday that they were quitting former PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's Construction and Development bloc, accusing the political leadership inside the alliance of violating agreements and seeking to marginalize members.
In a joint statement, they said the proceedings at parliament reflected "a violation of political agreements whereby individual interests were placed above national ones."
They said they would form a new parliamentary bloc in a move that would reshape alliances in the legislature.
Later on Friday, MP Ammar Youssef also announced he was leaving Sudani’s bloc but that he would remain in Faleh al-Fayyad's National Contract bloc.
These developments are seen as a realignment of Shiite political forces that are coming under mounting internal and foreign pressure.
Sudani, Zaidi’s predecessor, has slammed his allies in the Framework, saying: "No other government has come under such false accusations and misinformation." He accused "failed leaderships" of mounting these campaigns.
Iraqi lawmakers attend the session to approve the new government in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (Iraqi Presidency Office via AP)
Zaidi, who is backed by the Framework, is Iraq's youngest prime minister at the age of 40. He was chosen to form the new government late last month.
His program includes "reforming the security apparatus by restricting weapons to state control and strengthening the capabilities of the security forces", state news agency INA quoted the parliament media office as saying.
He also vowed to ensure a state monopoly on weapons amid growing US pressure to dismantle Tehran-backed groups.
His nomination followed months of political wrangling after the United States vetoed the previous frontrunner, former premier Maliki.
Senior US diplomat Tom Barrack said his government was ready to work with Zaidi "to advance our shared goals of prosperity for the Iraqi people and the elimination of terrorism, which is always an impediment to the people's progress".
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi congratulated Iraq's new government following the approval from parliament. "Strengthening the friendly and brotherly relations between Tehran and Baghdad has always been at the top of the priorities of our foreign policy," he wrote on X.
The US has recently piled pressure on Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed groups, which it designates as terrorist organizations.
After the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, those groups intervened in support of Tehran and hit US facilities in Iraq more than 600 times before a ceasefire was announced, according to a US official.
Recently, several powerful Iraqi politicians have also called for a state monopoly on weapons, revealing divisions over the sensitive issue.
While some armed groups showed readiness to cooperate, others remain adamant that the issue should not be discussed under US pressure.
Hussein Mounes, the head of a parliamentary bloc close to the Kataib Hezbollah group, criticized the "clear and direct American interference in shaping the political scene".
The new premier faces other daunting tasks.
His government will also need to repair Iraq's relations with Gulf countries, which have protested attacks by Tehran-backed groups on their territory during the war.
His program has also set economic reforms as a main priority, with an emphasis on diversification and investment, in a country where almost the entire economy relies on oil.
Iraq has lost significant income due to the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, given that oil exports make up about 90 percent of the country's budget revenues.
لم تشترك بعد
انشئ حساباً خاصاً بك لتحصل على أخبار مخصصة لك ولتتمتع بخاصية حفظ المقالات وتتلقى نشراتنا البريدية المتنوعة
