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RSF Pledges to Preserve Sudan’s Unity

Sudanese refugees cross the border to Chad. (Reuters file photo)
Sudanese refugees cross the border to Chad. (Reuters file photo)
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RSF Pledges to Preserve Sudan’s Unity

Sudanese refugees cross the border to Chad. (Reuters file photo)
Sudanese refugees cross the border to Chad. (Reuters file photo)

Deputy commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Abdulrahim Hamdan Daglo pledged on Tuesday to permanently eliminate remnants of the ousted regime and to hold to account anyone found guilty in violations in the country.

In a rare appearance, he declared: “Our war is against enemies of the nation who ruled for 30 years, destroyed Sudan, displaced its people and plunged them in poverty.”

“It is time to eliminate this gang for good,” he said in a video that was posted on the X platform.

Moreover, he warned that the remnants of the regime were making “dangerous” claims that the RSF’s capture of three Darfur provinces was a precursor to Sudan’s division.

“Sudan’s unity and people are a red line. We won’t allow anyone to harm them,” declared Daglo, who is the brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly known as Hemedti.

War broke out in Sudan between the RSF and army in mid-April. The conflict erupted over a plan to integrate the RSF and the army, four years after they worked together to oust veteran leader Omar al-Bashir during a popular uprising.

The RSF quickly seized swathes of Khartoum and supply routes running west, before gradually forcing army retreats in parts of the vast Darfur and Kordofan regions and south of the capital.

From late October the RSF took over army headquarters in Nyala, Zalingei and El Geneina, three of five Darfur state capitals.

Abdulrahim vowed that the RSF will thwart attempts to stoke strife in Darfur.

“We are working towards a united Sudan where people can live together without discrimination and marginalization,” he added.

The RSF, he continued, is responsible for protecting civilians and public and private properties. “We are up to the task in spite of the challenges,” he stressed.

Furthermore, he said the RSF “stands at an equal distance” from all segments of Darfur.

“We are fighting to end the injustice in Darfur and any region in Sudan,” Abdulrahim stated. “We will not hesitate in holding to account anyone who violates the rights of others or threatens their security and safety.”

Moreover, he called on the people of Darfur to show tolerance and forgiveness and shun hatred and discrimination to thwart the plans of those seeking strife.

He also urged refugees and the displaced to return to their homes to resume their normal lives, saying they had nothing to fear.

Turning to the armed groups in Darfur, Abdulrahim said they must assume their duties alongside the RSF in providing security and stability in the region, “which has witnessed massive suffering.”

He called on international and regional humanitarian organizations to offer needed aid to the people of Darfur, saying the RSF will ensure their safe and smooth delivery.

The US Treasury had in September imposed sanctions on Abdulrahim for dangerous violations committed during the conflict with the army in Darfur.

The RSF and its affiliated militias have been accused of being involved in the murder and forced displacement of people in west Darfur.

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Arab World

Syrian FM in Beirut to Reassure Lebanon Over Military Intervention Fears

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrives at the government palace in Beirut. (AP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrives at the government palace in Beirut. (AP)
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Syrian FM in Beirut to Reassure Lebanon Over Military Intervention Fears

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrives at the government palace in Beirut. (AP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrives at the government palace in Beirut. (AP)

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani sought on Thursday to allay Lebanese fears of possible Syrian military intervention, assuring that Damascus had “no intention of taking any military step.”

The assurance came during his visit to Beirut, whose meetings extended beyond Lebanese officials, including his first meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, to a broad spectrum of political forces. During the visit, Shibani also expressed Damascus's openness to meeting Hezbollah “if the interest requires it.”

The broad meetings in Beirut conveyed a message of Syrian openness toward Lebanon's political forces. They were the first of their kind between a senior Syrian official and representatives of Lebanese parties, underscoring Damascus' desire to open a new chapter with all Lebanese, across the political spectrum.

The most striking stop was Shibani’s first meeting with Berri, one of Hezbollah’s most prominent allies inside Lebanon.

Afterward, Shibani described the meeting as excellent. He also said a future meeting with Hezbollah was possible “if the interest requires it,” while stressing that no such meeting was scheduled during his current visit to Beirut.

Military intervention confusion

Shibani arrived in Lebanon on Thursday morning on his second visit to the neighboring country. He began his meetings with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, during which the Syrian delegation sought to “clarify the confusion” surrounding talk of a Syrian military intervention in Lebanon.

The delegation said “Syria has no intention of taking such a step,” stressing that Damascus wanted to deal with Lebanon “from state to state.”

It said Syria stood by the Lebanese state in its decisions and choices, and wanted to develop bilateral and economic ties while contributing to Lebanon’s security and stability, which it said would also benefit Syria.

Shibani said the visit aimed to strengthen and steadily develop relations between the two countries, praising existing coordination.

He said Syria’s current authorities were working to close the chapter on the mutual interference that had marked relations in the past, and wanted to expand cooperation at all levels while engaging with all Lebanese parties.

Shibani called for continued and stronger coordination between Lebanon and Syria, and for a shared vision for solutions in the region and in both countries.

He pointed to efforts to build a Lebanese-Syrian economic partnership with Gulf states open to the idea, and said coordination through the committee formed by the two countries was important to advance work on the economy, energy and other fields.

Shibani also invited Aoun to visit Damascus and hold a summit with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Aoun

The Lebanese presidency said Aoun “affirmed Lebanon’s commitment to brotherly relations with Syria based on cooperation, coordination and non-interference in the internal affairs of both countries,” and to developing those ties across all fields.

Aoun said such relations were especially important after a previous period of mutual interference that created tension and caution.

He said that the chapter should end through state-to-state relations, respect for each country’s particularity and good neighborly ties, because what affects Syria, positively or negatively, also affects Lebanon, and vice versa.

Aoun welcomed security coordination between the two countries, “particularly in controlling the border and preventing all forms of smuggling, including weapons, drugs and people, in both directions, in the interest of both Lebanon and Syria.”

He also welcomed the formation of a higher committee to safeguard their shared interests.

Aoun said Lebanon was following events in Syria, especially in the south. He said he always calls, in regional and international meetings and contacts, for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and Syria so the region can enjoy stability and security.

He said he was keen on Syria’s stability, just as Syria was keen on Lebanon’s stability.

Economic cooperation

Shibani also met Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. At a joint news conference, the two sides announced the formation of a joint higher committee that Shibani said would serve as “a platform for all relevant ministries to develop economic, investment and trade partnerships, as well as security understandings, and expand cooperation between the two countries.”

Salam said the two sides also discussed electricity interconnection between Lebanon and Syria, transport, the exchange of goods and easier movement across their border, which stretches for more than 300 km.

He said he had discussed those issues with Sharaa during his last visit to Damascus in May.

Dar al-Fatwa

Shibani visited Lebanon’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian. Dar al-Fatwa said the meeting covered Islamic and national affairs, strengthening ties between the two countries, and the importance of consultation, communication, cooperation and coordination between the Lebanese and Syrian states.

Derian praised “the efforts and endeavors of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his keenness on Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity, Arab identity and the extension of its authority over all Lebanese territory.”

Derian placed great importance on the Syrian foreign minister’s visit to Lebanon at a difficult time for the country.

“Lebanon will remain in solidarity and cooperation with Syria and with all brotherly Arab states, away from axes and conflicts that threaten the security of Lebanon and the Arab region,” he said.

Shibani also visited Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai.

Jumblatt

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt received Shibani.

“Between a balanced and objective relationship with Syria, and an agreement that could lead to worse than the May 17 Agreement, I prefer a balanced relationship with Syria,” Jumblatt said after the meeting.

“A good relationship between Lebanon and Syria is a historical destiny,” he added.

Arab World

Sources Reveal to Asharq Al-Awsat How Hamas Identified Suspects in the Assassinations of Haddad and Ouda

Palestinians inspect the site of a destroyed building as smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in the Al Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 15 May 2026 EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians inspect the site of a destroyed building as smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in the Al Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 15 May 2026 EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Sources Reveal to Asharq Al-Awsat How Hamas Identified Suspects in the Assassinations of Haddad and Ouda

Palestinians inspect the site of a destroyed building as smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in the Al Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 15 May 2026 EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinians inspect the site of a destroyed building as smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in the Al Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 15 May 2026 EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

The announcement by security bodies affiliated with Hamas in Gaza that they had executed a Palestinian convicted of "collaborating" in the killing of the late Izz al-Din Haddad, former commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the movement's armed wing, drew attention inside and outside Gaza. The announcement came nearly two months after Israel killed Haddad and his successor, Mohammed Ouda, in separate strikes less than two weeks apart.

Hamas sources told Asharq Al-Awsat some details of how suspects in the killings of Haddad and Ouda were identified, revealing that the movement's security services are preparing to announce another execution involving a second individual accused of providing information that helped facilitate Ouda's assassination.

Although a ceasefire was supposed to have taken effect in Gaza last October, Israel has continued to kill members and senior figures of Hamas and the Qassam Brigades.

A statement issued Wednesday evening by the so-called "Resistance Security" in Gaza said it had executed an individual identified only by the initials "M.M." after completing what it described as all "revolutionary procedures." The statement said the man had been convicted of collaborating with Israeli intelligence and providing information that led to several attacks resulting in the deaths of Palestinians, including leaders of armed factions, most recently Haddad.

Two Hamas sources, one with field knowledge and the other from the movement's security apparatus, separately described to Asharq Al-Awsat how the suspect was apprehended.

Went to the Hospital to Confirm Victims' Identities

The field source said the suspect was arrested immediately after Haddad's assassination on May 15, 2026, at the scene of the attack after being observed communicating with an Israeli intelligence officer.

The security source, however, said the suspect was arrested the following day after he was spotted at the attack site. The source said he was also seen at Al-Shifa Hospital on the day of the strike to verify the identities of those killed and wounded. He allegedly returned to the hospital the next day, searching the buildings for resistance members who had been injured in earlier airstrikes.

Both sources claimed the suspect confessed immediately after his arrest to collaborating with Israeli intelligence, which they said had recruited him to monitor several locations linked to the Haddad family. They said he admitted moving between those locations and being present at the scene after Haddad, his wife and his daughter were targeted while traveling in a vehicle on Al-Wahda Street east of Gaza City.

According to the security source, the 47-year-old suspect also confessed to providing information that contributed to the killings of around 30 fighters from the Qassam Brigades and other armed factions, most of them from the Sheikh Radwan Battalion. The source added that surveillance equipment and devices used to track entry and exit routes were found in his possession when he was arrested at Al-Shifa Hospital.

Smoke billows from a residential building that was hit by an Israeli strike the previous day in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on May 16, 2026.(Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Intensive Surveillance of Mohammed Ouda's Wife

The two sources said Hamas is continuing efforts to track down and arrest individuals it describes as collaborators.

The security source said another suspect was arrested two days after the killing of Mohammed Ouda, who had assumed command of the Qassam Brigades' General Staff following Haddad's death before being killed by Israel on May 26.

The source said the detainee in the Ouda case was not a Hamas member and would also be executed after all "revolutionary procedures" had been completed.

According to sources in Gaza, the term "revolutionary procedures" refers to informing the suspect's family, the families of those allegedly killed as a result of information he provided, and the armed factions of the investigation's findings.

The Hamas security source said the suspect in Ouda's assassination admitted collaborating with Israeli intelligence and contributing to the killing of several prominent field operatives, in addition to his alleged role in Ouda's assassination. According to the source, the suspect's Shin Bet handler provided him with information related to the Haddad family's identity and whereabouts and specifically instructed him to monitor Ouda's wife.

The field source added that on the day Ouda was killed, his wife was under close surveillance by the alleged collaborator as she prepared the evening meal for the Day of Arafah fast. She reportedly left the family's newly rented apartment to prepare the meal while Ouda was on his way to join them. He later arrived and ate with his family before the apartment was struck, after the detained suspect allegedly confirmed to his handlers that they were all inside.

The source said Hamas security personnel had become suspicious of several individuals in the vicinity of the apartment targeted in the strike on Ouda and monitored the suspect for some time before arresting him.

According to the two sources, modern communication devices were seized from both suspects accused in the assassinations of Haddad and Ouda.

During the war and after the ceasefire, Hamas security services have executed several people convicted of collaborating with Israel in connection with a series of assassinations targeting senior leaders, including the late Qassam Brigades commander Mohammed Deif. According to the sources, some of those executed were Hamas members, although most were not affiliated with the movement.

Arab World

Bomb Blast at Damascus Cafe Kills Five

A police vehicle near the site of what Syrian state media reported was a blast at a cafe in central Damascus, Syria, July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Yamaam Al Shaar
A police vehicle near the site of what Syrian state media reported was a blast at a cafe in central Damascus, Syria, July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Yamaam Al Shaar
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Bomb Blast at Damascus Cafe Kills Five

A police vehicle near the site of what Syrian state media reported was a blast at a cafe in central Damascus, Syria, July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Yamaam Al Shaar
A police vehicle near the site of what Syrian state media reported was a blast at a cafe in central Damascus, Syria, July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Yamaam Al Shaar

A bomb went off at a cafe in central Damascus on Thursday, killing at least five people and wounding 16, Syrian authorities said.

The blast took place near the capital's Palace of Justice, a key government building, sparking scenes of panic in the busy area.

An AFP correspondent saw ambulances weaving their way through traffic with their sirens blaring as they headed to the site, and security forces cordoned off the area of the blast.

"The explosion that occurred in a cafe near the Palace of Justice in Damascus resulted from an explosive device planted in the location," state television said, after earlier reporting that authorities were seeking to determine the source of the blast.

Nour Khayyat, 40, who owns a shop selling batteries for solar panels near the site of the explosion, told AFP that "at about 3:00 pm (1200 GMT), I heard a powerful blast and the storefront shook".

"People rushed to the cafe and called ambulances," he added.

Mohammed al-Zahabi, the owner of a glasses shop next to the targeted cafe, was trembling as he told AFP that "after the blast, I felt strong pressure, and the whole place shook".

"I ran to the place and saw people lying on the floor with blood pooled around them everywhere," he added, saying the scenes recalled the blasts that Damascus experienced during the nearly 14-year civil war.

Damascus has been the site of multiple attacks and incidents since the new authorities took over following the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The deadliest came in June 2025, when an attack on a Damascus church killed 25 people.

The suicide attack was later claimed by an Islamist group, while the authorities blamed it on the ISIS.