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Hamas Blames Mladenov for Israeli Escalation as Mediators Continue Gaza Contacts

A Palestinian stands in front of the rubble of her family’s home, which was destroyed by the Israeli army in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, May 29, 2026. (AP)
A Palestinian stands in front of the rubble of her family’s home, which was destroyed by the Israeli army in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, May 29, 2026. (AP)
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Hamas Blames Mladenov for Israeli Escalation as Mediators Continue Gaza Contacts

A Palestinian stands in front of the rubble of her family’s home, which was destroyed by the Israeli army in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, May 29, 2026. (AP)
A Palestinian stands in front of the rubble of her family’s home, which was destroyed by the Israeli army in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, May 29, 2026. (AP)

Hamas has held Nikolay Mladenov, the senior Gaza representative at the Board of Peace, responsible for the latest Israeli escalation in Gaza, while confirming that intense talks with mediators and regional parties remain ongoing in an effort to halt the violence.

Sources within Hamas in Gaza said a delegation from the movement is preparing to travel to Cairo for discussions on the implementation phases of the Gaza ceasefire agreement that has theoretically been in place since October.

The talks come despite continued Israeli assassinations of gunmen from Gaza factions and airstrikes that have destroyed homes and killed civilians, including children, across the enclave.

More than 930 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire was announced, bringing the overall death toll since October 2023 to nearly 73,000, according to figures cited by the movement.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Sunday that the group was pursuing efforts “in all directions” to ensure implementation of the ceasefire and compel Israel to fulfill the commitments of the first phase of the agreement.

Qassem blamed both the Board of Peace and Mladenov for the Israeli escalation, deepening an already growing dispute between the two sides.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked. Hamas insists that Israel implement the first phase of the agreement, including withdrawal from occupied areas in Gaza and the unrestricted entry of aid and commercial goods. Israel, meanwhile, is pressing for the disarmament of Palestinian factions as the central condition of the agreement’s second phase.

On Saturday, Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Thursday the army to seize control of over 70 percent of Gaza’s territory.

Netanyahu acknowledged that Israeli forces currently occupy 60 percent of Gaza.

Egypt is expected to host the Hamas delegation as part of mediation efforts aimed at narrowing differences between the group and Israel, particularly regarding weapons issues and implementation of the ceasefire’s initial phase through a step-by-step approach.

The diplomatic activity comes amid intensified Israeli operations in Gaza, including strikes targeting members of Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Among those targeted in recent days were operatives allegedly involved in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as well as figures tied to weapons manufacturing.

Former Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Rakha Ahmed Hassan noted that the US-Israel war on Iran had negatively affected the Gaza file and enabled Israel to intensify military operations.

Rather than a gradual withdrawal, he argued, Israel has pursued “a gradual occupation,” reflecting what he described as an Israeli plan rather than an American peace initiative.

Hassan said mediators are now exploring new formulas regarding Hamas weapons, including storage or third-party custody arrangements.

Palestinian political analyst Nizar Nazzal said mediators may propose temporary measures to prevent further deterioration, but warned such efforts would likely face Israeli resistance and insufficient international pressure on Tel Aviv.

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Arab World

Roadside Bomb Kills Iraqi Army Brigadier, Soldier Near Kirkuk

The Iraqi army during operations against ISIS (Ministry of Defense)
The Iraqi army during operations against ISIS (Ministry of Defense)
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Roadside Bomb Kills Iraqi Army Brigadier, Soldier Near Kirkuk

The Iraqi army during operations against ISIS (Ministry of Defense)
The Iraqi army during operations against ISIS (Ministry of Defense)

A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army vehicle killed an Iraqi army brigadier and a soldier near the northern city of Kirkuk on Wednesday, the military said, in the second attack on Iraqi security forces in the area this month.

The bomb struck an army patrol conducting a search operation at an ISIS hideout that Iraqi warplanes had targeted a day earlier, about 80 km (50 miles) south of Kirkuk, according to a military statement.

The attack, which wounded two other soldiers, follows an October 5 assault claimed by ISIS militants southwest of Kirkuk, in which one federal policeman was killed and four others wounded when gunmen armed with machineguns and sniper rifles attacked a federal police position.

The latest incident occurred just weeks after US forces completed their withdrawal from Iraq on September 30, ending their military mission in the country.

Iraqi officials have said ISIS retains sleeper cells capable of carrying out hit-and-run attacks, raising concerns that the militants could seek to exploit security gaps despite continued Iraqi counter-insurgency operations.

Arab World

Colombia Opens Embassy in Jerusalem, Restores Free Trade Deal with Israel

FILE - Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella speaks during a bilateral agreements signing ceremony with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Barranquilla, Colombia, on Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, Pool, File)
FILE - Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella speaks during a bilateral agreements signing ceremony with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Barranquilla, Colombia, on Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, Pool, File)
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Colombia Opens Embassy in Jerusalem, Restores Free Trade Deal with Israel

FILE - Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella speaks during a bilateral agreements signing ceremony with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Barranquilla, Colombia, on Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, Pool, File)
FILE - Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella speaks during a bilateral agreements signing ceremony with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Barranquilla, Colombia, on Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, Pool, File)

Colombia opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, becoming the 10th country to do so, as new President Abelardo de la Espriella reversed his predecessor's break with Israel by also restoring a free trade agreement between the two countries.

Most countries maintain their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv. Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. The city's ⁠status remains one ⁠of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Former Colombian President Gustavo Petro in May 2024 broke diplomatic relations with Israel over its actions in Gaza and had heavily criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Petro ⁠had closed Colombia's embassy in Tel Aviv and recalled its ambassador, a move Israel said was antisemitic and a reward for Hamas militants.

Right-winger de la Espriella became president in August.

On Tuesday, the free trade agreement that was terminated by Petro was reinstated.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said: "In just two months, we have reversed most of the ⁠negative ⁠consequences of the Petro administration for Israel-Colombia relations and have even broken new ground ... I thank ... Abelardo de la Espriella for his determination to bring Israel-Colombia relations to an all-time high.”

Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Omar Bula Escobar attended the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem.

Several countries have relocated their embassies to Jerusalem since the United States did so in 2018. Among them are Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay and Somaliland.

Arab World

Barrack, al-Zaidi Discuss Iraq’s Difficult Path to Stability

US envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack speaks to the media at United Nations headquarters in New York on September 24, 2026 (Reuters)
US envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack speaks to the media at United Nations headquarters in New York on September 24, 2026 (Reuters)
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Barrack, al-Zaidi Discuss Iraq’s Difficult Path to Stability

US envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack speaks to the media at United Nations headquarters in New York on September 24, 2026 (Reuters)
US envoy to Iraq Tom Barrack speaks to the media at United Nations headquarters in New York on September 24, 2026 (Reuters)

Iraqi sources have indicated that the issue of weapons held by armed factions was likely among the topics discussed in Baghdad between Iraq’s prime minister, head of the judiciary and US envoy Tom Barrack, who spoke of the “hard road toward” towards achieving stability in the region.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi received Barrack on Monday evening, nearly two weeks after the withdrawal of the US-led international coalition forces from Iraqi territory.

According to observers, the withdrawal could prompt Washington and Baghdad to discuss post-pullout arrangements, particularly amid regional tensions and the possibility of renewed conflict between Washington and Tehran.

The Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said the meeting between al-Zaidi and Barrack addressed “bilateral relations between Iraq and the United States and ways to strengthen cooperation in various fields.”

They also discussed “the latest developments in the region and efforts to support regional security and stability in a manner that serves the common interests of both countries and eases regional tensions and conflicts.”

The US envoy praised al-Zaidi’s leadership in a post on X.

"Stability is not inherited; it is built by leaders who choose the hard road. Iraq's security and prosperity are the region's. Grateful for his leadership and partnership,” Barrack said.

The envoy’s visit to Baghdad came amid a shift in relations between Baghdad and Washington following the end of the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq late September. The relationship is now expected to transition toward a political and economic partnership, alongside continued security cooperation between the two countries.

Barrack highlighted this shift during a meeting with US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires in Iraq Steve Fagin, saying that US-Iraqi relations are moving from a security-based partnership toward a broader relationship centered on economic cooperation and mutual interests.

Barrack had met Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in Istanbul on Saturday, where they discussed “bilateral relations between Iraq and the US ... in light of the end of the international coalition forces’ mission in Iraq, as well as prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the coming period,” according to an Iraqi Foreign Ministry statement.

Barrack added that the meeting addressed developments in the region, ongoing conflicts and their implications for security and stability in Iraq and other countries in the region, as well as Iraq’s financial and economic situation and developments related to the Iraqi dinar’s exchange rate.

The US envoy also met in Baghdad with Supreme Judicial Council President Faik Zaidan. According to a statement by the council, the two sides “discussed ideas related to developing relations between the two countries in the legal and judicial fields.”

An official source close to the Coordination Framework alliance did not rule out the possibility that “the visit is an attempt to support al-Zaidi’s government, which is facing intense pressure at this stage, particularly following the decision to devalue the Iraqi dinar.”

Several lawmakers have recently raised the possibility of withdrawing confidence from al-Zaidi and bringing down his government in an attempt to absorb public anger following market turmoil and a sharp rise in the prices of goods and basic commodities after the dinar’s devaluation.

The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that he believed “Washington has come to realize that Iran and its allies in Iraq are seeking to challenge it by pressuring al-Zaidi with the threat of a no-confidence vote. Barrack’s presence may be intended to renew confidence in al-Zaidi’s government, whose leadership has previously been praised by senior US officials, including President Trump.”

The source also did not rule out the possibility that the US official would discuss the issue of weapons held by armed factions, given the importance Washington attaches to the matter.

Bringing all arms under state control is one of the key issues in Iraqi-US talks. During a meeting in Baghdad last June, al-Zaidi and Barrack stressed the importance of completing efforts to end the presence of armed formations operating outside state authority and strengthening Iraqi sovereignty.

Aqil Abbas, a researcher specializing in US affairs, highlighted the significance of Barrack’s meeting with Zaidan, saying that “the US-Iraqi understanding is based on the judiciary serving as the spearhead in efforts to dismantle armed factions, paving the way for the executive authorities to resolve this issue.”

Abbas told Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraqi authorities would likely resort to the judiciary after exhausting negotiations with armed factions and efforts to reach a consensual political solution. This, he said, confirmed that the US strategy remained focused on addressing armed factions through Iraqi institutions.

“The decisive factor in the weapons issue is the firmness of the government and judiciary, as well as the willingness shown by the Coordination Framework forces to deal with this issue,” Abbas said.

He cautioned, however, that “Iraq’s shifting sands may dash Tom Barrack’s hopes. Without a firm US position encompassing Iraq as a whole, we will not see the armed factions disarmed anytime soon.”