Sudanese Army Closes in on Presidential Palace

(FILES) Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visits the Flamingo Marine Base in Port Sudan on August 28, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
(FILES) Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visits the Flamingo Marine Base in Port Sudan on August 28, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
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Sudanese Army Closes in on Presidential Palace

(FILES) Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visits the Flamingo Marine Base in Port Sudan on August 28, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
(FILES) Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan visits the Flamingo Marine Base in Port Sudan on August 28, 2023. (Photo by AFP)

The Sudanese army is moving closer to reclaiming the presidential palace in central Khartoum, which has been under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023.

The army is advancing from several directions, while its forces took back the town of Umm Ruwaba, the second-largest city in North Kordofan state.

The army also reported defeating an RSF attack on Umm Ruwaba on Wednesday, causing significant losses, and stated that its air force is chasing down retreating RSF fighters.

The army has been intensifying its attacks on RSF-held areas in recent days, making quick gains.

Witnesses in Khartoum say Sudanese army troops, advancing from the General Command headquarters, are engaged in fierce clashes with the RSF and moving toward the presidential palace, about two kilometers away.

Sources predict the army could soon reclaim the palace if its progress continues at this pace.

The army has also entered the Al-Azba district in Bahri, retaking the Dardoug and Nibta neighborhoods. It is nearing the Al-Shuqla area in East Nile, Bahri, and has made gains in the Umm Badda area of Omdurman.

The army and RSF continue to control overlapping areas in Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri.

On Wednesday, the army said it took control of a strategic bridge in Bahri and is advancing toward the city center. However, RSF forces still control several districts, including Kafouri, Kober, East Nile, and Soba, with some resistance in other areas.

In Khartoum city, the army regained control of the Rmaila, Al-Hilla Al-Jadida, and parts of Jabra neighborhoods.

The RSF holds areas east of the army’s General Command headquarters, Khartoum International Airport, and districts like Al-Sahafa, Khartoum 2, and Al-Durrah Extension, among others.

RSF forces also control southern Khartoum, including the central market and neighborhoods such as Al-Salmah, Soba, and Mayo, extending to the eastern Jabal Awlia area.

In Omdurman, the army has retaken much of the city, except for its southern and western parts. Some neighborhoods, including the Popular Market and Al-Shuqla, remain under RSF control.



Israeli Military Inquiry Says It ‘Failed to Protect’ Civilians on October 7

An aerial view shows members of the media during a visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in the aftermath of a deadly attack by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 15, 2023. (Reuters)
An aerial view shows members of the media during a visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in the aftermath of a deadly attack by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Israeli Military Inquiry Says It ‘Failed to Protect’ Civilians on October 7

An aerial view shows members of the media during a visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in the aftermath of a deadly attack by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 15, 2023. (Reuters)
An aerial view shows members of the media during a visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in the aftermath of a deadly attack by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 15, 2023. (Reuters)

The Israeli military drastically underestimated the capabilities of Hamas before its attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and "failed in its mission to protect Israeli civilians", a summary of an Israeli military investigation published on Thursday said.

The perception that Hamas was not interested in a full-scale conflict and that Israel would have ample warning if that changed went unchallenged for years, the summary said, resulting in a lack of preparedness and ability to respond to an attack.

"The belief was that Hamas could be influenced through pressures that would reduce its motivation for war, primarily by improving living conditions in the Gaza Strip," the report said.

The investigation looked at Israeli military strategy, battle behavior and intelligence before, during and after October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 48,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza since then, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the enclave has been laid waste and most of the territory's 2.3 million prewar population have been displaced multiple times, humanitarian agencies say. Around 400 Israeli soldiers have also been killed.

The military investigation was conducted as calls grow from within the Israeli opposition and civil society for a national inquiry into the government's failures on the deadliest single day in modern Israeli history.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a national inquiry would only be appropriate after the conclusion of the war.

The first phase of a ceasefire that began on January 19 is due to expire in two days' time.

The military investigation found Israel had focused its intelligence and military efforts on other fronts, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, and relied too heavily "on intelligence, barriers, and defensive measures alone", and was thus caught by surprise.

Military commanders did not perceive an urgent threat leading up to October 7 attacks and did not reinforce the troops defending the border.

A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office on Thursday said that the military had not given the prime minister the findings of its investigations into the war.