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Sudan's RSF Welcomes UN Call for Cessation of Hostilities in Ramadan

A Sudanese woman, who fled the conflict in Murnei in Sudan's Darfur region, walks beside carts carrying her family belongings upon crossing the border between Sudan and Chad in Adre, Chad August 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A Sudanese woman, who fled the conflict in Murnei in Sudan's Darfur region, walks beside carts carrying her family belongings upon crossing the border between Sudan and Chad in Adre, Chad August 2, 2023. (Reuters)
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Sudan's RSF Welcomes UN Call for Cessation of Hostilities in Ramadan

A Sudanese woman, who fled the conflict in Murnei in Sudan's Darfur region, walks beside carts carrying her family belongings upon crossing the border between Sudan and Chad in Adre, Chad August 2, 2023. (Reuters)
A Sudanese woman, who fled the conflict in Murnei in Sudan's Darfur region, walks beside carts carrying her family belongings upon crossing the border between Sudan and Chad in Adre, Chad August 2, 2023. (Reuters)

Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group on Saturday welcomed a call by the United Nations Security Council for a cessation of hostilities in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, offering a potential respite from the 11-month-old conflict.

Ramadan is expected to start on Sunday evening.

In a statement, the RSF expressed hope that the Security Council resolution would "significantly lessen the suffering of the Sudanese people by ensuring the smooth delivery of humanitarian aid" and pave the way for a political process leading to a permanent ceasefire.

War erupted in Sudan on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese army and the RSF. The UN says nearly 25 million people - half Sudan's population - need aid, some 8 million have fled their homes and hunger is rising. Washington says the warring parties have committed war crimes.

On Friday, the Security Council adopted a British-drafted resolution for a cessation of hostilities in Ramadan with 14 votes in favor, while Russia abstained. However, the mechanism for implementing the resolution remains unclear.

Sudan's UN ambassador, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed, told the council on Thursday that the president of the country's transitional council commended the appeal of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a Ramadan truce. However, he said the leader is "wondering about how to do this."

"In embracing the proposed humanitarian ceasefire, we express our readiness to partake in discussions concerning the establishment of mutually agreed upon monitoring mechanisms," the RSF said in its Saturday statement.

"These mechanisms are crucial for ensuring the effective implementation of the ceasefire and for achieving the humanitarian objectives intended by this resolution."

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Israeli Military Probes Suspected Abuse of Palestinian Detainee, Drawing Protests

Right-wing Israelis demonstrate next to the Sde Teman military base near Beersheba, against the detention for questioning of military reservists who were suspected of abuse of a detainee following the October 7 attack in Israel, on July 29, 2024. (AFP)
Right-wing Israelis demonstrate next to the Sde Teman military base near Beersheba, against the detention for questioning of military reservists who were suspected of abuse of a detainee following the October 7 attack in Israel, on July 29, 2024. (AFP)
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Israeli Military Probes Suspected Abuse of Palestinian Detainee, Drawing Protests

Right-wing Israelis demonstrate next to the Sde Teman military base near Beersheba, against the detention for questioning of military reservists who were suspected of abuse of a detainee following the October 7 attack in Israel, on July 29, 2024. (AFP)
Right-wing Israelis demonstrate next to the Sde Teman military base near Beersheba, against the detention for questioning of military reservists who were suspected of abuse of a detainee following the October 7 attack in Israel, on July 29, 2024. (AFP)

Israel's military opened an investigation into suspected abuse of a Palestinian held at a detention camp for prisoners captured during the Gaza war, it said on Monday, drawing an outcry from right-wing protesters and politicians.

The military said its Advocate General had ordered the inquiry "following suspected substantial abuse of a detainee". It provided no further details.

Army Radio said military police had showed up as part of their investigation at the Sde Teiman detention site where about 10 reserve soldiers were suspected of abusing a prisoner captured from an elite unit of Palestinian group Hamas.

Rights groups including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) have alleged serious abuse of detainees at the camp, a former military base in the Negev desert, which Israel has announced will be phased out. The military had previously announced it was investigating allegations of abuse.

As the military police arrived at the camp, a number of civilian protesters, including far right members of parliament, gathered outside, denouncing the investigation of soldiers they said were doing their duty. Some tried to break into the base.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant denounced the break-in attempt.

Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the military chief of staff, condemned the protests and defended the investigation, which he said upheld the honor of Israel's military (IDF).

"We are in the midst of a war, and actions of this type endanger the security of the state," Halevi said in a statement regarding the attempted break-in. "It is precisely these investigations that protect our soldiers in Israel and the world and preserve IDF values."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a prominent leader of the nationalist-religious bloc in Netanyahu's government and frequent critic of the army command, posted a filmed message on social media platform X saying the soldiers should be treated like heroes, not criminals.

Widespread reports of mistreatment of detainees in Israeli prisons have added to international pressure on Israel over its conduct of the Gaza war, now approaching the start of its 11th month. In May, the US State Department said it was looking into allegations of Israeli abuse of Palestinian detainees.