Shebl al-Zaidi, head of Kataib al-Imam, said over the weekend that his group agreed to the Iraqi state holding a monopoly over weapons. Similar statements were made by Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq; Haider al-Gharrawi, head of Ansar Allah al-Awfiya; the Kata'ib Sayyid ul-Shuhada militia; and others.

Following these declarations, Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council chief, Faiq Zaidan, issued a statement on Saturday saying the militias had responded positively to calls for exclusive state control of arms. Kata'ib Hezbollah and al-Nujaba rejected the statement.

Sources told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraqi officials recently received detailed intelligence on the militias, allegedly passed on through a Western intelligence body. According to the report, the information included details on militia leaderships, their military structures, financial networks and Iraqi government figures identified as having ties to them.

The Iraqi officials were reportedly stunned by the volume and precision of the information, which was described as a practical warning of a possible military operation. The report said the intelligence had been preceded by a warning from a "friendly Arab country" to Iraq about a potential attack.

In this context, the Saudi newspaper claimed that any strikes could target training camps, missile and drone depots, institutions and influential figures associated with the militias. Over the past year, the US has increased pressure on the Iraqi government to collect militia weapons and dismantle the groups. More recently, it was reported that the Trump administration had set a condition that Iraq's next prime minister must not be affiliated with the militias.

The post Iraqi militias split over disarmament as warnings of attack emerge appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Sources told Saudi channel Al-Hadath that Barrack warned of an imminent Israeli operation in Lebanon against Hezbollah. The operation is expected to continue until the terrorist organization is disarmed. Barrack further stressed that if Iraqi "factions" – a term used to describe the pro-Iranian militias – interfere in favor of Hezbollah, Iraq would be targeted.

Additional sources in Baghdad said the American envoy asked al-Sudani to play a "constructive role" in stabilizing Syria and briefed him on recent developments concerning Lebanon. An advisor to the Iraqi government said Barrack conveyed a clear message that the pro-Iranian militias must refrain from any action that could aid Hezbollah in Lebanon, whether financially or militarily. The main objective of the message was to prevent any Iraqi involvement in a regional escalation.

The post US warns Iraq to stay out of Hezbollah-Israel conflict or face retaliation appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

During 903 days of Iraqi captivity, Elizabeth Tsurkov, 38, experienced relentless solitary confinement orchestrated by a militia with Iranian backing, The New York Times reported. The initial months brought the most severe agony through unending physical abuse, sexual violence, and additional atrocities, she told the outlet.

"They whipped me all over," she stated in her inaugural post-freedom conversation conducted in September, The New York Times reported. "They basically used me as a punching bag."

Physical injuries prevented comfortable sitting, forcing Tsurkov, an Israeli Russian scholar pursuing doctoral studies at Princeton University, to recline during her account delivered at an acquaintance's residence, with intermittent pain requiring position adjustments, according to The New York Times. Across multiple interview hours with the outlet, she conveyed her abduction, imprisonment, and liberation narrative through predominantly steady delivery, occasionally punctuated by emotional moments.

Kataib Hezbollah, the predominant Shiite paramilitary organization among Iran-supported groups commanding Iraqi influence, held her throughout this period, she informed The New York Times. Sharing her ordeal serves to amplify Iraqi voices silenced by the group's torture practices, she explained to the outlet.

Her ordeal illuminates Kataib Hezbollah's unrestricted operational freedom within Iraq, The New York Times reported. Despite the Iraqi state's compensation for thousands of militia personnel, governmental authority over the organization's activities remains minimal or absent, according to the outlet. Baghdad's prime ministerial office expressed its "committed to holding accountable any party or individual involved in acts of kidnapping or torture," The New York Times reported.

Consistency marks Tsurkov's captivity account when compared against evaluations from her Sheba Medical Center physician in Israel following her return, with that doctor confirming nerve impairment potentially lasting permanently, The New York Times reported. Documentation from her medical file, which the outlet reviewed, chronicles extensive torture-related trauma, stating the necessity for "long-term physical and psychological rehabilitation" given the "severe damages and complex trauma."

Her circumstances transformed rapidly under diplomatic intervention, with the Trump administration providing decisive support, The New York Times reported. Washington applied sustained pressure on senior Iraqi leadership regarding her situation, sending representatives to Baghdad demanding advancement, according to the outlet. Mark Savaya, a business executive and Trump associate who had assumed critical involvement and would subsequently receive appointment as special envoy to Iraq, accompanied her flight to Cyprus, where Israeli military aviation collected her for homeward transport, the outlet reported.

"I genuinely believe I would have died if they had not engaged so consistently and with such incredible determination," Tsurkov told The New York Times.

Hostility defines Israel-Iraq relations, absent any diplomatic channels, according to The New York Times. Iranian alignment characterizes much of Iraqi governance, with Iran standing as Israel's principal adversary, the outlet reported.

Tsurkov had completed multiple visits to Iraq, conducting research into the Shiite faction under the guidance of influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, The New York Times reported. Precautionary measures were always taken on these trips, she informed the outlet: using a Russian passport, presenting as a Russian national, and avoiding contact with armed groups.

On March 21, 2023, Tsurkov was scheduled to meet a woman at 9:00 p.m. at a central Baghdad coffee establishment. WhatsApp introductions preceded this appointment, with the contact requesting assistance with Islamic State research while claiming shared acquaintance connections. Retrospective analysis led Tsurkov to view this arrangement as deliberate entrapment.

A dark sport utility vehicle approached as she proceeded homeward, with multiple men compelling her into the rear seating, The New York Times reported. Help calls and escape attempts followed, she recounted to the outlet, but kidnappers responded by beating and sexual assaulting her, the specifics of which the outlet agreed to withhold. "They started twisting my pinkie, almost breaking it," she recounted, The New York Times reported. "So I thought resisting more was pointless."

Transit involved zip-tie wrist restraints, her head covered with fabric, and phone confiscation, The New York Times reported. A vehicle stop forced her into trunk confinement. Approximately thirty minutes following abduction, the arrival occurred at a substantial residence. Four and a half months of residence in a camera-monitored windowless chamber followed, with inadequate nutrition and complete isolation, The New York Times reported.

Initially, her Israeli nationality remained unknown to abductors, suggesting ransom-motivated kidnapping, she informed The New York Times. One month into detention, circumstances worsened when phone evidence revealed her Israeli citizenship. Israeli espionage accusations followed, which both she and Israeli officials speaking with the outlet categorically rejected, The New York Times reported.

Her digital advocacy record and published material supporting Palestinian causes while critiquing Israeli governance became her defense, she told The New York Times. Persuasion failed with her captors, according to the outlet.

Confession refusal resulted in being "strung up and tortured," she informed The New York Times. Fabricated admissions to her interrogators commenced shortly afterward as a means to halt physical abuse, she told The New York Times.

Constructing plausible "confessions" without endangering Iraqi individuals became her focus, The New York Times reported. Her initial false testimony involved meeting a French journalist at a Baghdad café two years prior to coordinating anti-government protests. Her interrogators accepted this narrative, removing her from suspension, granting her permission to sit, providing her with food, and allowing her to rest.

That same day brought unwanted physical contact from the senior jailer, identified by others as "the colonel," who groped a thigh tattoo while threatening rape. "He was very filthy and very obsessed with sex," she told the outlet. Such threats from interrogators occurred constantly without execution, she informed The New York Times.

In July 2023, she endured the most severe torture sessions when kidnappers questioned her Israeli service, The New York Times reported. She claimed she worked in a hospital, while informing The New York Times that her actual role involved conscription into a low-level military intelligence directorate two decades earlier.

Two jailers, known as Ibrahim and Maher, delivered repeated beatings until she told the truth, she told The New York Times. "This tooth is missing because of that," she stated to The New York Times, indicating an oral gap.

July 5, 2023, marked Israel's inaugural public recognition of Tsurkov's abduction, declaring "we hold Iraq responsible for her fate and safety," The New York Times reported.

Her transfer arrived "by the grace of God," she told The New York Times. New custodians eliminated torture while introducing nursing care, according to the outlet. Books, notebooks, television equipment, and an Arabic thesaurus arrived, the outlet reported. Dietary variety and abundance replaced previous conditions, The New York Times reported. June 2024 renovations expanded her access to kitchen and bathroom facilities, according to the outlet. Yet solitary confinement persisted for more than two years within third-story windowless quarters, The New York Times reported. "I never saw the sun," she told The New York Times.

Her location and Israeli official assessments placed her at a Kataib Hezbollah installation near Iran's border, within territory beyond Iraqi governmental authority, The New York Times reported. Israel's twelve-day summer Iranian bombing operation brought strikes close enough to create structural vibrations, she informed the outlet.

Hundreds of millions in ransom demands from the militia received no serious consideration from American and Israeli officials, both current and former, The New York Times reported. In November 2023, she made a video appearance on Iraqi television, providing initial public confirmation of her continued survival, The New York Times reported. Couch-seated positioning accompanied scripted Hebrew statements claiming Israeli intelligence and CIA employment, The New York Times reported. Coded messaging conveyed the cruelty she experienced.

False residence claims in the Gan HaHashmal neighborhood signaled electrocution, with "hashmal" representing Hebrew electricity terminology, The New York Times reported. Fictional intelligence handler names incorporated wordplay for "torture" across Hebrew, English, and Russian languages, including "Ethan Nuima," where E. Nuim phonetically resembles "inuim," Hebrew's torture term, according to the outlet. Broadcast editing excluded these names, the outlet reported.

Months accumulated while constant pain from her injuries generated despondency and survival value questioning, The New York Times reported. Yet analytical thinking, she mapped her doctoral thesis by filling notebook pages alongside article concepts. Television glimpses of release campaign efforts, including her sister's interview appearances, elevated her emotional state, The New York Times reported.

On September 9, she met with Mark Savaya, one of her primary credited liberators, who described himself as a trump associate. American assistance requests from Israel followed, The New York Times reported. Adam Boehler, serving as US hostage envoy, became a dedicated advocate through social media campaigns and challenges to al-Sudani for enhanced action, according to the outlet. The intrusion by Boehler into the Baghdad meeting occurred uninvited during al-Sudani's discussions, according to three knowledgeable individuals who spoke anonymously to The New York Times about sensitive diplomatic matters. State Department senior adviser Massad Boulos met with the Tsurkov family last spring, promising them additional life confirmation, The New York Times reported.

Israeli elimination operations over recent years targeting senior Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iranian officials had unsettled Kataib, with her status shifting from asset to liability, she told The New York Times.

White House commentary avoided a direct discussion of Savaya's involvement, issuing statements that Trump "is always concerned about Americans detained abroad" while remaining "willing to leverage our country's strength and his negotiating skills to intervene in this case," The New York Times reported. Baghdad's prime ministerial office credited "complex diplomatic and humanitarian efforts" by official Iraqi entities for her freedom, adding that "external threats or pressures had nothing to do with the Iraqi decision," The New York Times reported.

She was subsequently transported to the US Embassy. Embassy officials established video connections with her sisters, Emma and Avital, as well as Boehler, according to the outlet. "Are you alive? Because I buried you so many times in my head," Emma asked. "She said she was okay, but she would need medical care," according to the outlet.

The post 'I never saw the sun': Israeli captive breaks silence on 903 days of torture in Iraq appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Video: Marco Rubio during his visit to the Gaza command center / Credit: CONTACT

The new headquarters is being set up at a rapid and impressive pace. The Americans, as it happens, know how to improvise on the dime just as capably as the Israelis. Their leaders' determination to closely follow developments is the reason for their aerial convoy to the site – not to provide Israeli babysitting, as critics suggest.

"There has never been anything like this," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said while visiting the place two days ago. Indeed, there never has been. An international blend of Israelis, Americans, French, Germans, Canadians, Cypriots, Greeks, and others moves through the enormous hangars. I even thought I spotted a United Arab Emirates flag in the corner.

Nevertheless, it's uncomfortable to report that at this preliminary stage, the crowds of soldiers, officers, and civilians don't precisely know what to do with themselves yet. Before Rubio's arrival, they didn't even trouble themselves to sit at their computer workstations. Only when he neared the work stations did someone issue instructions to occupy the chairs to generate the appearance of "quiet, working." I was present to observe it.

The hundreds of dedicated people who arrived to serve at the location don't know what to do, for the straightforward reason that everything remains in organizational phases. Nobody possesses plans yet – even unclear ones – for where to proceed from here, only good intentions. The war halted abruptly, and this represents a tremendous international accomplishment. Nevertheless, the practical path forward is extremely complicated, and its execution will prove more challenging.

Here's what's absent: A unified international force, certainty regarding the nations that will comprise it, coordination methods between the different armies that will function within it, work plans, schedules, orderly directives, guidelines on what occurs in problematic scenarios, and evidently also a Security Council resolution without which the force – which obtained the acronym ISF – won't be established whatsoever. This is likely not the entire list.

Pressure on Hamas

Preparing each of these stages will require time, especially if the Security Council intervenes midway. Consequently, even though the Americans and the Israelis assisting them are all functioning at Trump speed, in the optimal scenario, weeks will elapse before the ISF commences dismantling Hamas from its armaments, demolishing the tunnels, and demilitarizing Gaza. In the less favorable and more probable scenario, months will elapse.

Those already thoroughly exploiting the transitional period are Hamas murderers. It's been five days they haven't returned the deceased hostages, signifying they're flagrantly violating the ceasefire agreement. Hamas is re-establishing its regime in the half of the Strip that remained under its control. It can be assumed that the organization is also restoring terror infrastructure at an expedited pace. That's what it exists for, ultimately.

Hamas' restoration while the ISF organizes is hazardous to Israel, naturally, but equally important – it jeopardizes Trump's plan. Every day that elapses without someone mowing the terror lawn will render the ISF's future work more challenging, perhaps even unfeasible. We've witnessed in the past the West's struggles in eradicating terror in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Because ultimately – this is at minimum the intention – a moment will come when the international force will need to confront Hamas terrorists directly. Following two years of war, the organization is presently at the peak of its weakness. Trump's interest ought to be that this situation continues. Nevertheless, time plays into the terrorists' advantage. Like a phoenix, they're reconstructing themselves afresh in Gaza's dunes – construction that opposes the interests of both the US and Israel. Trump himself, and also Rubio on Friday, once more emphasized they're committed to eliminating Hamas.

What, consequently, must be accomplished so the 20-point plan's objectives don't evaporate? The answer is that the transitional period until the ISF begins work must be exploited in a manner that won't undermine the plan. How? The US must permit Israel to do in Gaza precisely what it authorizes IDF forces to do in Lebanon. Specifically, not allow terror to rear its head. No, this doesn't jeopardize the ceasefire. The Israelis don't desire the war's renewal either. They overwhelmingly endorsed the plan the president presented.

Nevertheless, there are intermediate situations where there's no full war, but also not sitting with zero activity facing strengthening terror. This is what's occurring in Lebanon, in Judea and Samaria, and also in various theaters where the US functioned for many years and justifiably against terror.

Allow the IDF to operate

Trump's plan was and remains beneficial for Israel, the region and peace. Nevertheless, until the international community advances to its subsequent sections, and so the force will possess the capability to do so, the IDF must be permitted to operate also in Gaza's western side.

Trump believes, rightfully, in "peace through strength." The most precise implementation of this principle is cutting down the emerging terror in recent days inside Gaza. This is the method to guarantee the ISF will have easier work, meaning its success in maintaining peace in the future will be greater.

The post The US-led Gaza force is not working; Trump must let Israel act appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

According to the report, it appears the US is not satisfied with anything less than the complete dismantlement of Hashd al-Shaabi (the militia umbrella organization), and cancellation of any role they have in the state's security system.

The newspaper wrote that Iraqi authorities have offered a series of concessions in recent months – starting from pressure to halt the "Hashd al-Shaabi" law, which establishes the militias' status by making them one of the security mechanisms, through increasing pressure on the militias so they would accept integration that would "cancel their power component," and up to pushing for the release of Israeli hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov "without anyting in exchange," according to the report.

On Thursday, the US announcement about designating four additional militias as foreign terrorist organizations was noted. The organizations in question are "Al-Nujaba," "Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada," "Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya," and "Kataib Imam Ali." The move allows the American administration to further isolate those organizations economically. Two militias already defined as terrorist organizations were also mentioned – Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

All these organizations are members of the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq," which, according to the report, carried out hundreds of launches toward Israel and the US since the start of the war in October 2023.

The post Report: US intensifies pressure for total Iraqi militia dismantlement appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

She has been transferred to the US Embassy in the Iraqi capital, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirming her release. Tsurkov was held for 903 days.

"My whole family is overjoyed," her sister Emma wrote. "We can't wait to see Elizabeth and shower her with the love we've been holding back for 903 days. We are deeply grateful to President Trump and his special envoy Adam Boehler. If Adam had not made my sister's return his personal mission, I don't know where we would be today. We also want to thank Josh Harris and his team at the US Embassy in Baghdad for their support, and the staff of the nonprofit Global Reach, who worked tirelessly to bring my sister home safely."

Tsurkov, 36, was kidnapped on March 26, 2023, in Baghdad, while conducting research for her doctoral studies at Princeton University, where she specialized in Shiite militias in the Middle East. She entered Iraq using her Russian passport, as the country does not allow Israelis to enter.

She was held by Kataib Hezbollah, a Shiite militia operating in Iraq. The group was founded in 2003 by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force to fight Sunni groups and the US-led invasion, with the aim of establishing a pro-Iranian Shiite regime in Iraq. In November 2023, Tsurkov appeared in a video from captivity. In January this year, Iraq's foreign minister confirmed she was alive and said the government in Baghdad was "working for her release."

Al-Sudani declared that "following extensive efforts by the security forces over many months," he was announcing the release of what he termed a "Russian citizen," Elizabeth Tsurkov. He added: "We will not be complacent in enforcing the law, in safeguarding the state's authority, and in protecting the reputation of Iraq and its people."

The post Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov freed from captivity in Iraq appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The police were called to the scene due to a complaint about a "rampaging man" at the station. They found the suspect in a state of intoxication, which led them to the girl's body. Area residents described him to Bild as "a terrible person, completely insane."

The post Uproar in Germany: Ukrainian girl pushed to her death by illegal Iraqi migrant appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The incident occurred on Sunday, when 19 soldiers were exposed to the gas while conducting a search operation inside the cave. Eleven of them were evacuated for medical treatment, while eight died from the exposure. Methane is a colorless, odorless natural gas that can cause asphyxiation in high concentrations.

According to Turkish media reports, security forces have been searching the area for nearly three years for the remains of the officer, who was killed in a firefight with PKK fighters in May 2022. The cave, located 852 meters (2,795 feet) above sea level, had previously been used by the PKK.

A statement from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office said the soldiers were exposed to "a high concentration of methane gas that had accumulated in the area." The president expressed deep sorrow over the deaths, extended condolences to the families of the victims and the Turkish Armed Forces, and wished a swift recovery to the injured.

Turkey has been engaged in a decades-long conflict with the PKK, which it considers a terrorist organization. The fighting has spread over time into northern Iraq and northern Syria. In May this year, the PKK announced it was laying down arms and disbanding, following a February call by its imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan to end the armed struggle. The organization said it had "fulfilled its historic mission."

The post 8 Turkish soldiers killed by gas in Iraq  appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Known in Aramaic as Mandaʿeya (meaning "to know"), the Mandaeans practice a distinctive mystical religion that has endured for at least 1,600 years, concentrated in southern Iraq and Iran's Khuzestan province. Their global population has dwindled to between 60,000 and 100,000 people, with most now living outside the Middle East. Iran's Mandaean community consists of only a limited number of individuals who endure harsh religious and cultural constraints.

Let me introduce you to one of the most peaceful ethno-religious groups in Iraq: the Sabian Mandaeans.

Mandaean faced the same fate as the Yezidis and Assyrians in Middle East. They were persecuted by many religions for their beliefs and were forced to convert to other religions pic.twitter.com/kQIPTvlYKN

— namemellme (@namemellme) October 9, 2024

 Mandaean theology centers on belief in one supreme, incomprehensible deity and the cosmic struggle between forces of light and darkness. While rejecting the prophetic claims of Muhammad, Jesus, and Moses, they venerate Adam, Abel, Seth, Enosh, Noah, and John the Baptist as sacred figures, with John the Baptist holding the highest prophetic status.

Remarkable parallels to Jewish priestly traditions and Essene practices

Scholars of religion and biblical studies highlight compelling connections between Mandaean customs and elements of Jewish religious culture. They contend that the Mandaean faith "originated with the first human being."

Mandaean clergy bear the title "rabbi," their houses of worship are termed "mishkana," and baptismal locations are designated "yardena." The community employs concepts and terminology linked to the Second Temple period's Essene sect and language found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Consider "Mara Rabuta" – a divine name in Mandaean religion that appears in the "Outer Genesis Scroll" from Qumran. The Mandaeans identify themselves as "bnei nahura" (children of light), terminology employed by Second Temple-era Essenes. Their linguistic heritage represents an Aramaic dialect remarkably similar to that of the Babylonian Talmud.

#Mandaeans honor and respect #women. #Mandaeans belong to an #ancient #faith that started in #Mesopotamia #modern #day #Iraq and #Iran.As #followers of #John #the #Baptist, they're are #baptised regularly always in flowing water. This community uses #Penrith's #Nepean #River. pic.twitter.com/Y0MXmTbPsw

— Fabrizio Porro (@Fabrizi18363416) May 26, 2025

 Several researchers propose that the Mandaeans constitute a Jewish sectarian group that diverged during the Second Temple period – possibly from the Essenes or another Jewish faction – subsequently relocating to present-day Iran and Iraq before evolving into an autonomous religion with mystical elements. While multiple theories address the Mandaeans' enigmatic origins, scholarly consensus maintains that they "share Land of Israel historical connections with Jewish people."

A legacy of persecution and demographic collapse

Throughout history, the Mandaeans remained a modest community of several tens of thousands of adherents. They established themselves primarily along the Mesopotamian waterways, where ritual immersion and purification were possible, emphasizing ethical and moral conduct in worldly life, with a special focus on family relationships.

Iran's Islamic Revolution transformed them into a targeted minority. Unlike Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian communities, the Mandaeans received no official recognition as a protected minority under Islamic governance. Flight became their only option. Substantial numbers relocated to Australia, Sweden, Germany, and North America.

Since 1979, conditions for Iran's remaining Mandaeans have deteriorated significantly. They lack parliamentary representation and face severe restrictions on cultural expression and religious practice.

The post Iran's mysterious sect faces extinction and they might be Jewish appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Earlier in the day, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that if negotiations fail and a conflict breaks out with the US, Iran would target American bases in the region. "Some officials on the other side are threatening confrontation if the talks do not bear fruit. If war is forced upon us... all American bases are within our reach, and we will strike them boldly in the host countries," Nasirzadeh told reporters.

He added that last week Iran had conducted a test of a missile carrying a 2-ton warhead, a development that signals Tehran's advancing military capabilities.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a warning about rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, cautioning that the situation could escalate into military action. The UKMTO advised all vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman to remain on high alert and report any suspicious activity.

Pessimism is growing on both sides ahead of the next round of negotiations, scheduled for Sunday. The central point of contention remains uranium enrichment on Iranian soil. Both sides have made it clear this is a red line  - Tehran is demanding explicit recognition of its right to enrich uranium, while the US insists Iran must not be allowed what it views as a pathway to a nuclear weapon.

The post US preparing to evacuate Iraq embassy amid Iranian threats appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.