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Hamas Test-fires Missiles to the Sea

Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and chant slogans against Israeli settlements and plans to annex part of the West Bank. (AFP)
Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and chant slogans against Israeli settlements and plans to annex part of the West Bank. (AFP)
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Hamas Test-fires Missiles to the Sea

Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and chant slogans against Israeli settlements and plans to annex part of the West Bank. (AFP)
Demonstrators wave Palestinian flags and chant slogans against Israeli settlements and plans to annex part of the West Bank. (AFP)

Hamas has test-fired missiles from Gaza Strip to the sea, Israeli media revealed Saturday. This is part of al-Qassam Brigades' attempts to strengthen its military capabilities.

Hamas trials aim to boost military capability and efficiency of missiles, and to improve their scope, the Israeli security agencies revealed.

The missile launches are a cause of concern for Israeli settlers who reside near the Gaza Strip border.

The Israeli navy has repeatedly warned that Hamas may be seeking to carry out attacks by sea, just as the Fatah movement and other Palestinian factions had done in the 1970s.

Israeli media reported military concerns that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad may target gas platforms near Ashkelon during any future confrontation.

Hamas has claimed to have upgraded its missile capabilities since Israel’s last war against the Gaza Strip in 2014.

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily said Hamas and the Islamic Jihad will likely respond to Israel’s annexation plans by launching attacks from Gaza. Their recent firing of incendiary balloons may only be the beginning, it warned.

Activists had in recent days launched such balloons from Gaza towards Israel after a months-long halt.

The newspaper said the launches were a show of force and a warning to Israel that the factions would resort to old methods, which Tel Aviv had struggled to contain.

Activist Abu Yassir said: "The resumption of firing balloons came in response to Israeli violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the decision to annex parts of the West Bank." He also said firing balloons will increase if Israel moved on with its plans against Palestinians.

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Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Sudan’s paramilitary unleashed drones on the Red Sea city of Port Sudan early Tuesday, hitting key targets there, including the airport, the port and a hotel, military officials said. The barrage was the second such attack this week on a city that had been a hub for people fleeing Sudan's two-year war.

There was no immediate word on casualties or the extent of damage. Local media reported loud sounds of explosions and fires at the port and the airport. Footage circulating online showed thick smoke rising over the area.

The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan's military-allied government, underscores that after two years of fighting, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are still capable of threatening each other’s territory.

The RSF drones struck early in the morning, said two Sudanese military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, a Port Sudan resident, said he woke up to strong explosions, and saw fires and plumes of black smoke rising over the port. Msha’ashir Ahmed, a local journalist living in Port Sudan, said fires were still burning late Tuesday morning in the southern vicinity of the maritime port.

The RSF did not release any statements on the attack. On Sunday, the paramilitary force struck Port Sudan for the first time in the war, disrupting air traffic in the city’s airport, which has been the main entry point for the county in the last two years.

A military ammunition warehouse in the Othman Daqna airbase in the city was also hit, setting off a fire that burned for two days.

When the fighting in Sudan broke out, the focus of the battles initially was the country's capital, Khartoum, which turned into a war zone. Within weeks, Port Sudan, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the east of Khartoum, turned into a safe haven for the displaced and those fleeing the war. Many aid missions and UN agencies moved their offices there.

The attacks on Port Sudan are also seen as retaliation after the Sudanese military earlier this month struck the Nyala airport in South Darfur, which the paramilitary RSF has turned into a base and where it gets shipments of arms, including drones.