Hamas Says Israeli Troops Kill Fighter in Gaza

A demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a protest calling for lifting the blockade on Gaza | Mohammed Salem/Reuters
A demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a protest calling for lifting the blockade on Gaza | Mohammed Salem/Reuters
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Hamas Says Israeli Troops Kill Fighter in Gaza

A demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a protest calling for lifting the blockade on Gaza | Mohammed Salem/Reuters
A demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a protest calling for lifting the blockade on Gaza | Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Israel's military said soldiers opened fire on Thursday after spotting two Palestinian gunmen near the Gaza border fence, and the Hamas militant group said one of its fighters was killed.

The last round of violence in the Gaza Strip and neighboring southern Israel was in May, with hundreds of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes over three days.

The health ministry in Gaza, an enclave run by Hamas militants, said 28-year-old Palestinian Mahmoud al-Adham was shot and killed in Thursday's incident near Beit Hanoun in the northern part of the territory.

The Israeli military says it noticed two "armed suspects" near the Israel-Gaza perimeter fence and "fired in order to drive them away".

Gaza's Health Ministry said al-Adham was wounded in his leg and died later at the hospital.

In a statement, Hamas's armed wing said Israeli forces deliberately targeted a fighter "on duty" near the border. It vowed to retaliate.

"The occupation bears responsibility for the consequences of such a criminal act," it said, referring to Israel.

After May's fighting, there was a ceasefire brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United Nations.

But tensions have remained high, with Hamas accusing Israel of failing to abide by the terms - never publicly confirmed by Israeli leaders - of a truce deal to ease a blockade of Gaza.



Hamdok Calls for UN-African Union Meeting with Sudanese Warring Parties to Secure Ceasefire

Sudanese Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. (Facebook)
Sudanese Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. (Facebook)
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Hamdok Calls for UN-African Union Meeting with Sudanese Warring Parties to Secure Ceasefire

Sudanese Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. (Facebook)
Sudanese Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. (Facebook)

Sudanese former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has called for an urgent joint meeting between the UN Security Council, the African Union Peace and Security Council, the Sudanese army, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), allied groups, and key civil actors, in a bid to reach an unconditional ceasefire and humanitarian truce in his country’s war.

In a public address marking the second anniversary of the devastating war between the military and RSF, Hamdok proposed an inclusive summit attended by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, leaders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), and representatives of civilian forces.

Hamdok’s initiative aims to secure a permanent ceasefire, reach a comprehensive peace agreement, and establish broad consensus on a transitional constitutional framework that revives Sudan’s path toward civilian democratic governance, rooted in the spirit of the December 2018 revolution.

He urged the formation of a fully empowered transitional civilian authority to oversee post-war recovery, reconstruction, and the organization of national elections. He also emphasized the need to begin confidence-building measures, including halting hostile media campaigns and releasing all prisoners and detainees.

Under his “Sudan Peace Appeal,” Hamdok also called for an international donor conference to bridge the humanitarian funding gap and support a Sudanese-led peace process that addresses the root causes of the conflict.

He proposed a three-track approach: humanitarian aid and civilian protection, a ceasefire with permanent security arrangements based on the Jeddah Agreement, and a political dialogue to lay the groundwork for lasting peace.

Moreover, Hamdok urged regional and international stakeholders to refrain from actions that prolong the conflict and to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on all parties. He also proposed forming a Sudanese-led expert task force to assess the war’s destruction and develop a national reconstruction and recovery plan.

The former prime minister warned that continued fighting could turn Sudan into a hub for extremist and terrorist groups. He condemned growing hate speech and atrocities, including massacres and horrific violence, which he said risk transforming the country into a breeding ground for terrorism.

Meanwhile, the army marked the start of the third year of war by announcing military gains against RSF positions in western and southern Omdurman, seizing weapons and killing dozens of fighters. The army claimed it had cleared several strategic areas and was now targeting remaining RSF pockets in Khartoum State.