Hamas Leader in Gaza: Be Ready for Great Battle

Sinwar (L) with several members of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, in Gaza on Saturday. (AFP)
Sinwar (L) with several members of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, in Gaza on Saturday. (AFP)
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Hamas Leader in Gaza: Be Ready for Great Battle

Sinwar (L) with several members of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, in Gaza on Saturday. (AFP)
Sinwar (L) with several members of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, in Gaza on Saturday. (AFP)

The leader of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, called on Palestinians Saturday to be ready for the "great battle" against Israel to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

"Our people must prepare for a great battle if the occupation does not cease its aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque," he said during a meeting with military leaders from several Palestinian factions, in addition to journalists and intellectuals in Gaza.

Displaying a photo of Israeli police raiding Al-Aqsa Mosque, he said, "This photo will not be repeated. Whoever makes the decision to allow this photo to be repeated, has decided to allow the violation of thousands of synagogues all across the world."

He accused Israel of seeking to turn the clashes into Al-Aqsa into a religious war.

The Palestinians do no want such a conflict, but they are up to the challenge if it is imposed on them, he added.

A religious war, such as the one desired by Israel, will not spare anyone, he warned.

He called on the Palestinian factions and all Palestinians to prepare for the "great battle" if the Israelis do not cease their violations at Al-Aqsa.

"The battle will not conclude with the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but it will only begin if the violations persist," Sinwar said.

However, he called on the world to act to prevent this war.

"Currently, there is an opportunity to prevent this war, but our military wings must still be prepared for it,” he stressed.

Moreover, Sinwar confirmed that Hamas has prepared 1,111 missiles that will be launched in the next confrontation with Israel.



Sudan Army Surrounds Khartoum Airport and Nearby Areas 

A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
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Sudan Army Surrounds Khartoum Airport and Nearby Areas 

A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. (AFP)

The Sudanese army is encircling Khartoum airport and surrounding areas, two military sources told Reuters on Wednesday, marking another gain in its two-year-old war with a rival armed group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Separately, Sudan's army said in a statement it had taken control of the Tiba al-Hassanab camp in Jabal Awliya, describing this as the RSF's main base in central Sudan and its last stronghold in Khartoum.

The army had long been on the back foot in a conflict that threatens to partition the country and has caused a humanitarian disaster. But it has recently made gains and has retaken territory from the RSF in the center of the country.

The army seized control of the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum on Friday.

Witnesses said on Wednesday that RSF had mainly stationed its forces in southern Khartoum to secure their withdrawal from the capital via bridges to the neighboring city of Omdurman.

The UN calls the situation in Sudan the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with famine in several locations and disease across the country of 50 million people.

The war erupted two years ago as Sudan was planning a transition to democratic rule.

The army and RSF had joined forces after forcing Omar al-Bashir from power in 2019 and later in ousting the civilian leadership.