Latest news with #IraqiShia
Rhyl Journal
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Arab leaders promise to work on Gaza reconstruction and press for ceasefire
In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its roughly two million residents. The summit in Baghdad was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the UN rejects any 'forced displacement' of Palestinians. Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. 'This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,' Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Mr al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay 20 million dollars (£15 million) for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon. Mr El-Sisi said that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the US, is 'exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire' in Gaza, adding that the efforts led to the release of Israel-American hostage Edan Alexander. He said that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza 'once the aggression stops'. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to abandon power in Gaza and along with other militant groups to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed. The Baghdad meeting was upstaged by US President Donald Trump's tour in the region earlier in the week. Mr Trump's visit did not usher in a deal for a new ceasefire in Gaza as many had hoped, but he grabbed headlines by meeting with new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa – who had once fought against US forces in Iraq – and promising to remove US sanctions imposed on Syria. Mr al-Sharaa did not attend the summit in Baghdad, where Syria's delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Iraqi Shia militias and political factions are wary of Mr al-Sharaa's past as a Sunni militant and had pushed back against his invitation to the summit. During Syria's conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shia militias fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, making al-Sharaa today a particularly sensitive figure for them. An Iraqi official said that Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani had paid a visit to Baghdad prior to the summit and 'conveyed messages of support for the Iranian-American negotiations' to reach a nuclear deal and lifting of crippling sanctions on Iran.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arab League summit begins in Baghdad with Gaza at top of agenda
Regional leaders are meeting in Baghdad at the annual summit of the Arab League, with the war in Gaza expected to once again loom large in discussions. In March, at an emergency summit in Cairo, Arab leaders endorsed a proposed plan for reconstruction of the Gaza Strip without displacing its roughly two million residents. Saturday's summit comes two months after after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation of force to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. The Baghdad meeting was upstaged by US President Donald Trump's tour in the region earlier in the week. Mr Trump's visit did not usher in a deal for a new ceasefire in Gaza as many had hoped, but he grabbed headlines by meeting with new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa – who had once fought against US forces in Iraq – and promising to remove US sanctions imposed on Syria. Mr al-Sharaa was not attending the summit in Baghdad, where Syria's delegation was headed by foreign minister Asaad al-Shibani. Iraqi Shia militias and political factions are wary of Mr al-Sharaa's past as a Sunni militant and had pushed back against his invitation to the summit. Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Mr al-Sharaa joined the ranks of al-Qaida insurgents battling US forces in Iraq after the American-led invasion in 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein and still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq. During Syria's conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shia militias fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, making Mr al-Sharaa today a particularly sensitive figure for them. Iraq, which has strong – and sometimes conflicting – ties with both the United States and Iran, has sought to strike a difficult balance between them and to position itself as a regional mediator. An Iraqi political official said that Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani had paid a visit to Baghdad prior to the summit, and 'conveyed messages of support for the Iranian-American negotiations' for a nuclear deal and a demand for the lifting of crippling sanctions on Iran.
North Wales Chronicle
17-05-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Arab leaders promise to work on Gaza reconstruction and press for ceasefire
In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its roughly two million residents. The summit in Baghdad was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the UN rejects any 'forced displacement' of Palestinians. Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. 'This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,' Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Mr al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay 20 million dollars (£15 million) for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon. Mr El-Sisi said that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the US, is 'exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire' in Gaza, adding that the efforts led to the release of Israel-American hostage Edan Alexander. He said that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza 'once the aggression stops'. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to abandon power in Gaza and along with other militant groups to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed. The Baghdad meeting was upstaged by US President Donald Trump's tour in the region earlier in the week. Mr Trump's visit did not usher in a deal for a new ceasefire in Gaza as many had hoped, but he grabbed headlines by meeting with new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa – who had once fought against US forces in Iraq – and promising to remove US sanctions imposed on Syria. Mr al-Sharaa did not attend the summit in Baghdad, where Syria's delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Iraqi Shia militias and political factions are wary of Mr al-Sharaa's past as a Sunni militant and had pushed back against his invitation to the summit. During Syria's conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shia militias fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, making al-Sharaa today a particularly sensitive figure for them. An Iraqi official said that Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani had paid a visit to Baghdad prior to the summit and 'conveyed messages of support for the Iranian-American negotiations' to reach a nuclear deal and lifting of crippling sanctions on Iran.
Leader Live
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Arab leaders promise to work on Gaza reconstruction and press for ceasefire
In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its roughly two million residents. The summit in Baghdad was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the UN rejects any 'forced displacement' of Palestinians. Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. 'This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,' Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Mr al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay 20 million dollars (£15 million) for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon. Mr El-Sisi said that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the US, is 'exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire' in Gaza, adding that the efforts led to the release of Israel-American hostage Edan Alexander. He said that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza 'once the aggression stops'. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to abandon power in Gaza and along with other militant groups to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed. The Baghdad meeting was upstaged by US President Donald Trump's tour in the region earlier in the week. Mr Trump's visit did not usher in a deal for a new ceasefire in Gaza as many had hoped, but he grabbed headlines by meeting with new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa – who had once fought against US forces in Iraq – and promising to remove US sanctions imposed on Syria. Mr al-Sharaa did not attend the summit in Baghdad, where Syria's delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Iraqi Shia militias and political factions are wary of Mr al-Sharaa's past as a Sunni militant and had pushed back against his invitation to the summit. During Syria's conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shia militias fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, making al-Sharaa today a particularly sensitive figure for them. An Iraqi official said that Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani had paid a visit to Baghdad prior to the summit and 'conveyed messages of support for the Iranian-American negotiations' to reach a nuclear deal and lifting of crippling sanctions on Iran.
South Wales Guardian
17-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Arab leaders promise to work on Gaza reconstruction and press for ceasefire
In March, an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo endorsed a plan for Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its roughly two million residents. The summit in Baghdad was attended by Arab leaders including Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Among the guests were Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza and the flow of aid into the besieged territory. He said that the UN rejects any 'forced displacement' of Palestinians. Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January. In recent days, Israel has launched widespread attacks in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a further escalation to pursue his aim of destroying Hamas. 'This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,' Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a speech that called for allowing aid to flow into Gaza. Mr al-Sudani added that Iraq will work on setting up an Arab fund for the reconstruction of the region in which Baghdad will pay 20 million dollars (£15 million) for Gaza and a similar amount for Lebanon. Mr El-Sisi said that Egypt, in coordination with Qatar and the US, is 'exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire' in Gaza, adding that the efforts led to the release of Israel-American hostage Edan Alexander. He said that Egypt plans to hold an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza 'once the aggression stops'. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to abandon power in Gaza and along with other militant groups to hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' Western-backed Palestinian Authority in 2007, and reconciliation attempts between the rivals have repeatedly failed. The Baghdad meeting was upstaged by US President Donald Trump's tour in the region earlier in the week. Mr Trump's visit did not usher in a deal for a new ceasefire in Gaza as many had hoped, but he grabbed headlines by meeting with new Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa – who had once fought against US forces in Iraq – and promising to remove US sanctions imposed on Syria. Mr al-Sharaa did not attend the summit in Baghdad, where Syria's delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Iraqi Shia militias and political factions are wary of Mr al-Sharaa's past as a Sunni militant and had pushed back against his invitation to the summit. During Syria's conflict that began in March 2011, several Iraqi Shia militias fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, making al-Sharaa today a particularly sensitive figure for them. An Iraqi official said that Iran's Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani had paid a visit to Baghdad prior to the summit and 'conveyed messages of support for the Iranian-American negotiations' to reach a nuclear deal and lifting of crippling sanctions on Iran.
