Iraq
Iraqis raise pictures and flags in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad, during a protest against the ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, on October 11, 2024. Photo: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq is at the “forefront” of Arab countries defending against aggression with Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon violating human rights and international law, an advisor to the prime minister said on Monday as Baghdad attempts to steer clear of regional conflict.
“Iraq will remain at the forefront of countries defending the rights of Arab peoples, and will continue to work to strengthen Arab solidarity in the face of aggression,” Hashem al-Karawi, an advisor to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, told state media.
His remarks came a day after Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned against violating Iraq’s airspace to expand the conflict in the Middle East, with Baghdad trying to stay out of growing hostilities between arch-rivals Iran and Israel. He called on regional actors to “take the conflict far” from Iraq.
“The continuation of war and its expansion toward the Islamic Republic of Iran and the violation of Iraqi airspace is completely unacceptable and rejected,” Hussein stressed during a joint presser with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi.
Tensions in the Middle East against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war have simmered since an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut late last month killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah - a top Hamas and Iran ally.
That September strike marked a significant escalation in the conflict, and Israeli troops soon began marching across the border into southern Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, nearly a quarter of Lebanon’s population - 1.2 million people - have been displaced by Israeli bombardments in the country.
“Iraq calls on all Arab countries and the international community to join efforts to end the occupation and provide the necessary protection for civilians in Palestine and Lebanon,” Karawi said.
“The barbaric aggressions by the Zionist entity represent a flagrant violation of human rights and a breach of international laws,” he stressed, adding that Baghdad is calling on Western countries to “save the region from a dangerous slope.”
Baghdad has sent several rounds of aid to the Gaza Strip since October 7, when Palestinian Hamas militants launched a large-scale incursion into southern Israel, killing more than 1,170 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a massive ongoing offensive in Gaza, killing at least 42,227 people, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Iraqi aid has also been supplied to Lebanon since the spillover of the war.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of shadow militia groups backed by Iran, has launched several drone attacks against Israel in recent months. The militias have repeatedly threatened to join the war against Israel.
Earlier this month, a drone strike that Israel said was launched from Iraq killed two Israeli soldiers.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war, Baghdad has struggled to keep the delicate balance between maintaining relations with pro-Iran militias and keeping them at bay, and protecting the diplomatic and military interests of Western countries allied to Israel, particularly the United States.
Last week, an Iran-backed Iraqi militia official said that Israel may launch “limited” attacks on Iraq but the strikes will differ from those against Lebanon.
“We are in the face of a war, a historic war, one fought with pride and honor, reflecting the battles of glory and heroism. Whatever the cost for Iraq, it does not cause concern, and it should not be based on mere political or diplomatic calculations,” Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada spokesperson Kadhim al-Fartusi added.
On October 1, Iran launched its second direct attack at Israel, firing around 200 ballistic missiles toward its rival. Tehran said the attack was in response to the killing of Nasrallah, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Abbas Nilforoushan.
Israel has vowed to retaliate, exacerbating fears of all-out regional war.
Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji on Saturday told Rudaw that the Iraqi government and political leaders are “making every valuable and courageous effort” to distance the country from conflict.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Sudani called on world leaders to intensify their efforts to spare the Middle East from a wider conflict.
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