Since Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, Yahya Sinwar has been at the top of Israel's most wanted list, but the newly appointed chief of the Palestinian group has remained elusive as ever.

Israeli commanders believe Sinwar, 61, is hiding in a labyrinthine maze of tunnels that Hamas has built under the Gaza Strip over the years.

In December, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the army had surrounded Sinwar's house, but since then there has been little to no information on his whereabouts.

Kamala Harris does not support an arms embargo on US ally Israel, a top aide said Thursday, in one of the first substantive statements on her Gaza war policy since her July entry to the 2024 White House race.

The comment came a day after the US vice president was heckled by pro-Palestinian protesters at a rally for the first time since she became the Democratic candidate less than three weeks ago.

Harris also met with groups opposed to the war after the rally in Detroit, Michigan. Participants reportedly said they brought up the issue of halting US arms supplies to Israel.

Israel has agreed to resume Gaza ceasefire talks on August 15 at the demand of US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Thursday, as regional tensions skyrocket over the war.

Gaza's Hamas-controlled civil defence agency said Israeli bombardment killed more than 18 people in strikes on two schools on Thursday, as Iran accused Israel of wanting to spread war in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview published Thursday that he was "sorry" that Hamas was able to carry out its October 7 attack, without explicitly taking responsibility.

Netanyahu, who has resisted making an apology for security failures over Israel's worst-ever attack and focused on destroying Hamas, was asked if he would apologize during an interview with Time magazine.

"Apologize?" he was quoted as replying.

Israel committed a costly "strategic mistake" with its killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, Iran's acting foreign minister told AFP in an interview on Thursday.

"The act that the Zionists carried out in Tehran was a strategic mistake because it will cost them gravely," Ali Bagheri said one day after attending an extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah.

Although Israel has not commented on Haniyeh's death, Iran has vowed to retaliate, setting the region on edge.

Rights advocates are alarmed by a bill introduced to Iraq's parliament that, they fear, would roll back women's rights and increase underage marriage in the deeply patriarchal society.

The bill would allow citizens to choose either religious authorities or the civil judiciary to decide on family affairs. Critics fear this will lead to a slashing of rights in matters of inheritance, divorce and child custody.

Nagasaki's mayor said Thursday it was "unfortunate" that US and British ambassadors have refused to attend a ceremony marking the 1945 atomic bombing of the Japanese city because Israel was snubbed.

But he defended the decision not to invite Israel to Friday's annual event, repeating that it was "not political" but to avoid possible protests related to the Gaza conflict.

"It is unfortunate that they have communicated to us that their ambassadors are not able to attend," Shiro Suzuki told reporters.

It is "increasingly likely" 2024 will be the hottest year on record, despite July ending a 13-month streak of monthly temperature records, the EU's climate monitor said Thursday.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said last month was the second warmest on record books going back to 1940, only slightly cooler than July 2023.

Between June 2023 and June 2024, each month eclipsed its own temperature record for the time of year.

"The streak of record-breaking months has come to an end, but only by a whisker," said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S.

Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked his prime minister Ahmed Hachani without explanation on Wednesday and replaced him with social affairs minister Kamel Madouri, according to a statement from his office.

Hachani took office on August 1 last year, replacing Najla Bouden, who was also dismissed without an official reason by Saied.

His replacement Madouri had only taken on the social affairs portfolio in May.

Hamas named the alleged architect of its deadly October 7 attack on Israel, Yahya Sinwar, as the Islamist movement's political chief on Tuesday, following the killing of his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh.

Qatar-based Haniyeh, who was killed last week in Tehran in an assassination blamed on Israel, had been Hamas's face on the international stage and was widely seen as a moderate voice in the militant group.

Israel has not confirmed or denied any role in the killing. a