Around ‘1,500 bodies’ of Hamas Fighters Found in Israel

Israeli soldiers take combat positions near the border with Gaza (AP)
Israeli soldiers take combat positions near the border with Gaza (AP)
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Around ‘1,500 bodies’ of Hamas Fighters Found in Israel

Israeli soldiers take combat positions near the border with Gaza (AP)
Israeli soldiers take combat positions near the border with Gaza (AP)

Israel's army has "more or less restored control" over the Gaza border and has found more than 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants in Israel near the border, according to military spokesman Richard Hecht.

"Approximately 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants were found in Israel around the Gaza Strip," said Hecht, adding that security forces had "more or less restored control over the border" with Gaza, AFP reported.

"Since last night we know that no one came in ... but infiltrations can still happen," he said.

The army had "nearly completed" evacuation of all the communities around the border, Hecht added.

Meanwhile, Israel is planting mines in the parts where the barrier was toppled, the chief military spokesperson said on Tuesday.

In remarks aired by Israel's Army Radio, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said there had been no new infiltrations from Gaza since Monday. In an apparent response to rumours that gunmen used cross-border tunnels, he said the military had no such findings.

Also, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed US support for Israel in a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, the State Department said in a statement early Tuesday.

Blinken "reaffirmed our efforts to secure the immediate release of all hostages", the statement said.

I spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen about how the US is supporting Israel as it "defends itself against Hamas’ terrorist attack and reaffirmed efforts to secure the immediate release of all hostages."

Blinken also spoke with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, reiterating their condemnation of Hamas's attacks on Israel, the department said in a separate statement.



Sudan Court Sentences RSF Leader to Death in Absentia

Burnt shops lies down closed in downtown in Khartoum, Sudan June 25, 2026.  REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
Burnt shops lies down closed in downtown in Khartoum, Sudan June 25, 2026. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
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Sudan Court Sentences RSF Leader to Death in Absentia

Burnt shops lies down closed in downtown in Khartoum, Sudan June 25, 2026.  REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
Burnt shops lies down closed in downtown in Khartoum, Sudan June 25, 2026. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig

A court in Sudan's army-controlled city of Port Sudan on Sunday sentenced paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and 15 others to death in absentia over charges of killing a regional governor and war crimes in Darfur, state media reported.

The ruling, issued by a judiciary functioning under the army, is the first against the leadership of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since war broke out between the group and the Sudanese army in April 2023.

The court convicted Dagalo and the other defendants of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and attacks on civilians and public facilities, state news agency SUNA reported.

Those sentenced include Dagalo's brother and deputy, Abdelrahim Hamdan Dagalo, as well as several RSF officers and tribal leaders from Arab communities in West Darfur, AFP said.

The case centers on the killing of West Darfur governor Khamis Abbakar in June 2023, shortly after RSF forces seized El-Geneina, the state capital.

Abbakar was killed hours after accusing the RSF and allied militias of carrying out attacks against civilians.

UN experts determined that between 10,000 and 15,000 people, mostly from the Massalit ethnic group, were killed in El-Geneina during the violence.

The RSF has repeatedly denied allegations of genocide and other war crimes.

The court said it would refer the case to the Supreme Court for review and seek the arrest and extradition of those convicted through Interpol and other international channels.

Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Daglo had jointly led the 2021 coup that derailed Sudan's transition to civilian rule, before falling out over plans to integrate the RSF into the regular army, a dispute that eventually led to war.

Now in its fourth year, the conflict between the army and the RSF has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 11 million and triggered what the United Nations describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.


New Syrian Parliament Meets for First Time in Damascus

 Members of Syria's newly formed People's Assembly attend the body's inaugural session, the first parliament session since the end of the rule of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Members of Syria's newly formed People's Assembly attend the body's inaugural session, the first parliament session since the end of the rule of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
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New Syrian Parliament Meets for First Time in Damascus

 Members of Syria's newly formed People's Assembly attend the body's inaugural session, the first parliament session since the end of the rule of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Members of Syria's newly formed People's Assembly attend the body's inaugural session, the first parliament session since the end of the rule of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Syria's new parliament convened for the first time on Sunday, 19 months after opposition factions led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad, a milestone in the country's political transition despite the chamber's current limited powers.

Sharaa, in a speech at parliament in Damascus, told lawmakers to "make this council a model of responsibility and competence" and described it as "a platform for truth and justice".

"Syria is writing a glorious history that reflects its heroism, and we face the responsibility of building both the nation and the individual," he said.

The parliament has been seen as a test of Sharaa's pledge to build an inclusive new order in Syria, which was run as a police state by the Assad family for decades, with a legislative chamber that was seen as a rubber stamp.

Under the country's interim governing arrangements, two-thirds of the members of the 210-seat chamber were chosen last year by regional electoral colleges, while Sharaa named the remaining third on July 1.

Officials have said this system was necessary because years of war had left millions displaced and made it impossible to rely on accurate population records or voter rolls.

Critics say it gives the executive branch extensive control over the selection process.

Sharaa has said he supports holding general elections once infrastructure and documentation allow.

A temporary constitutional declaration introduced in 2025 granted parliament limited authorities, and there is no requirement for the government to win a parliamentary vote of confidence.

The Assembly can propose and approve laws. It has a 30-month term that is renewable, and it assumes legislative authority until a permanent constitution is adopted and elections are organized.


Israeli Attacks in Gaza Kill Five People, including a Girl, Say Medics

11 July 2026, Palestinian Territories, Nuseirat: A vehicle damaged in an Israeli strike is seen at the scene in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, where a Palestinian was killed and others were wounded. (dpa)
11 July 2026, Palestinian Territories, Nuseirat: A vehicle damaged in an Israeli strike is seen at the scene in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, where a Palestinian was killed and others were wounded. (dpa)
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Israeli Attacks in Gaza Kill Five People, including a Girl, Say Medics

11 July 2026, Palestinian Territories, Nuseirat: A vehicle damaged in an Israeli strike is seen at the scene in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, where a Palestinian was killed and others were wounded. (dpa)
11 July 2026, Palestinian Territories, Nuseirat: A vehicle damaged in an Israeli strike is seen at the scene in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, where a Palestinian was killed and others were wounded. (dpa)

Israeli attacks killed at least five people in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including a 9-year-old girl, Palestinian health officials said.

Medics said Israeli gunfire directed at a tent encampment on the eastern side of the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed 9-year-old Tala Abu Matar. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the girl's death.

An airstrike at a metal foundry in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood killed four people. Witnesses said the site was hit with three Israeli missiles.

Israel's military told Reuters it had struck "terrorist" infrastructure, without giving further details.

The ceasefire agreed in October 2025 between Israel and Hamas halted major fighting in the enclave, but it has failed to stop Israeli attacks that have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians since it took effect. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza over the same period.

The latest violence comes as Hamas leaders visited Cairo for further talks over implementing the second phase of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.

The discussions include Hamas disarmament and Israeli army withdrawals, according to sources close to the talks, adding that there had not yet been a breakthrough.

Nearly all of Gaza's 2 million people, most of whom have been displaced several times, now live on a tiny strip of land along the coast, mainly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings, under Hamas control.