Gaza health authorities said the strike on the hospital in Khan Younis, the last one operational in southern Gaza, killed five journalists and four medical staff.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit called the attack “just one episode in a relentless series of massacres deliberately targeting civilians.” The Egyptian Foreign Ministry labelled it a “new episode in a long series of blatant Israeli violations of international humanitarian law.”
In a statement, Netanyahu said Israeli military authorities were conducting a thorough investigation. “Israel values the work of journalists, medical staff, and all civilians,” he said.
An Israeli military spokesman, Effie Defrin, told reporters the army “does not intentionally target civilians” and blamed Hamas for creating “impossible conditions” in the territory.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, an initial strike hit the fourth floor of the complex, and a second strike targeted medical teams as they responded to the casualties.
Citing Israeli military officials, Israel’s Kan TV reported the strike was carried out by a tank, not an aircraft. The report said the tank targeted a camera on the hospital that troops believed Hamas was using to monitor their movements.
The war, which began in October 2023, has devastated the coastal enclave. Israel does not permit foreign journalists into Gaza, but local reporters continue to provide coverage. According to Gaza health officials, at least 273 journalists and a total of 62,744 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the conflict began.
The development comes at a time when figures from the Ministry of Health show that, between 2020 and 2024, at least 5,925 people in Rwanda needed assisted reproductive services because they were unable to conceive naturally.
This article outlines key aspects of the new surrogacy law, including the responsibilities of both surrogate mothers and intended parents.
{{Surrogacy practices abroad and in Rwanda}}
Surrogacy is already common in many parts of Europe, Asia, and the United States. In India, for example, only legally married couples may apply, while surrogates must be between 25 and 35 years old and are only allowed to carry one pregnancy for someone else in their lifetime.
In Rwanda, the law takes a different approach. While in some countries surrogacy became commercialized, with surrogates earning between $55,000 and $100,000 depending on the country and their experience, Rwanda insists it will remain an act of compassion.
No payment is allowed beyond covering medical expenses linked to pregnancy and childbirth.
{{Legal framework and eligibility}}
The law passed on August 4, 2025, defines surrogacy as an assisted reproductive arrangement in which a surrogate mother agrees to carry a child for another person or couple and hand over the baby immediately after birth.
To qualify as a surrogate, a woman must be aged between 21 and 40, must have previously carried a pregnancy to term without complications, and must pass a medical assessment confirming she is healthy enough for another pregnancy.
The intended parents are responsible for finding their own surrogate. They must cover all medical costs throughout the pregnancy and for up to six weeks after delivery, including any complications the surrogate may face.
They are also required to respect the surrogacy contract and to accept any outcome of the pregnancy. This means that whether the child is born with a disability, is stillborn, or is of a particular sex, the intended parents must accept the circumstances.
{{Responsibilities of the surrogate mother}}
Like any pregnant woman, the surrogate is expected to safeguard her health and that of the baby. The law requires her to follow medical advice, attend regular health check-ups, and avoid any actions that might endanger the pregnancy. She must also keep the intended parents informed of her condition.
Once the baby is born, the surrogate is legally obliged to hand the child over to the intended parents and honor the terms of the agreement.
{{Restrictions on genetic selection}}
The law makes it clear that reproductive technology cannot be used to alter a person’s genetic makeup or to select the sex of the baby.
In addition, sperm or embryos donated by one individual cannot be shared with more than one couple seeking assisted reproduction.
State Minister for Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, recently told Members of Parliament that infertility in Rwanda is caused by male factors in 30 percent of cases and female factors in another 30 percent. Another 30 percent of cases are due to problems affecting both partners, while 10 percent remain unexplained.
The returnees were received by the government on Monday, August 25, 2025, and will be accommodated at the Nyarushishi Transit Center in Rusizi district before resuming normal life.
The repatriation follows decisions made during a high-level tripartite ministerial meeting between Rwanda, the DRC, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 24, 2025.
Most of the returnees had been staying in the temporary Goma camp after fleeing areas in eastern DRC, where they were previously held captive by the FDLR militia group.
Egide Twagirumukiza, 65, who has lived in the DRC since 1994, said the FDLR had instilled fear among residents, preventing anyone from returning.
“They really prevented us from returning! They would either kill you or detain you if you tried to go back,” he said.
The group joins over 1,100 Rwandans who returned in May 2025 with UNHCR’s support. According to UNHCR, as of August 6, 2025, the temporary Goma camp still hosted 630 Rwandans awaiting return, with another 31 at various sites in Kitshanga, Karuba, and Mweso.
According to a statement released by the Congo River Alliance on Monday, August 25, at around 2:30 a.m., these forces carried out incursions into densely populated areas of Kibati, Munigi, Goma, and surrounding communities. The attacks resulted in the deaths of four civilians and left three others seriously injured.
The Alliance called on human rights organisations, as well as the national and international community, to document and strongly condemn what it described as “systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity” perpetrated by the Kinshasa regime.
The statement further accused the government of trampling the spirit and letter of the ongoing Doha Peace Process, citing continued arbitrary arrests, death sentences for alleged members of the Alliance, and targeting former President Joseph Kabila in what the group called “a mockery of justice.”
In an earlier statement on Sunday, August 24, the Alliance warned that coalition forces—including foreign mercenaries—had launched attacks on KADASOMWA and nearby positions, causing significant civilian displacement and casualties from drone bombardments.
The statement warned that, unlike previous attacks where perpetrators were allowed to return home without consequence, this new campaign would not go unpunished.
The Congo River Alliance reiterated its commitment to protect civilian populations and establish a security perimeter to neutralise what it described as the “terrorist forces of the Kinshasa regime.”
The AFC/M23 remains engaged in ongoing peace talks in Doha, Qatar, aimed at resolving the conflict in eastern DRC, where the group has accused government forces of targeting Kinyarwanda-speaking communities through marginalisation and violence.
He made these remarks during the celebration of the Anglican Church of Rwanda’s 100th anniversary, which took place at Gahini Diocese in Kayonza District.
When asked about the progress of reopening closed churches, Dr. Mbanda explained that they are working to fulfill all the requirements and are hopeful that the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) will authorize their reopening.
“The requirements and guidelines from RGB are being implemented. We are using the Irembo platform to register all churches that meet the standards. Many have already completed this process while others are still working on it. This does not only concern the Anglican Church but applies to all churches in Rwanda that wish to reopen,” he said.
Dr. Mbanda also cautioned religious leaders and Christians against criticizing the policy of closing churches that fail to meet standards, emphasizing that the measures are meant to protect the faithful, not to serve the interests of the state.
“Sometimes we misinterpret these requirements. But they are actually for our own good. If someone tells you that a church must have toilets, proper ventilation, or sufficient lighting, those are not bad demands—they are meant to help us. It is true that some churches face financial challenges that prevent them from meeting all the requirements immediately, but difficulty does not mean they are unnecessary. In fact, they are very important,” he said.
He added: “We need to comply step by step, patiently putting in place the necessary facilities. Once this is done, RGB will begin inspections and allow churches that meet the standards to reopen.”
Dr. Mbanda admitted that it is not easy for all churches to meet the requirements at once, but noted that the situation is improving gradually.
“Some churches struggle to raise funds, while others have pastors who do not yet meet the required educational qualifications. However, many denominations have started addressing this. For example, ADEPR has sent more than 1,000 pastors to pursue diplomas so they can meet the standard,” he explained.
He urged church leaders to fulfill the requirements, stressing that doing so benefits both the leaders themselves and their congregations.
According to RGB, a nationwide inspection in 2024 found that out of more than 13,000 churches, about 59.3% were closed for failing to meet standards. In February 2025, a follow-up inspection led to more than 20 denominations losing their licenses to operate in Rwanda.
Speaking on August 24, the coalition’s deputy coordinator, Bertrand Bisimwa, stated that Kinshasa must account for the charges brought against Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019.
Kabila is currently being tried before the country’s High Military Court on accusations of treason, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The trial opened on July 25, 2025.
Prosecutors allege that Kabila committed these crimes in connection with his supposed leadership role within the AFC/M23 movement, despite his earlier public denial in March that he had no involvement with the group.
During court proceedings on August 22, 2025, prosecutors requested the death penalty for Kabila. They also demanded the confiscation of assets valued at approximately $32 billion and sought an additional $21 billion in damages.
Bisimwa has pointed out that the trial contradicts commitments recently signed between the government and AFC/M23 under a Qatar-brokered agreement.
The deal included a provision for the release of more than 700 detainees, comprising suspected members and affiliates of the coalition.
“The Kinshasa regime owes us explanations regarding this media-judicial lynching of President Joseph Kabila, who is being prosecuted and sentenced to death for his alleged support to the AFC/M23, at a time when we had agreed that detainees prosecuted for the same charges should be released,” Bisimwa said.
The funding of 2 billion Canadian dollars (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) was committed at the June G7 Summit held in Canada’s Kananaskis.
About 835 million Canadian dollars (603 million dollars) of the total are planned to procure a range of critical equipment for Ukraine, including armored vehicles, medical equipment, spare parts, small arms, ammunition, and explosives, as well as additional drone capabilities and other urgently needed equipment and supplies for Ukraine, the release said.
About 680 million Canadian dollars (491 million dollars) are for the purchase of military equipment sourced from the United States to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and provide other urgently needed military assistance, the release said.
About 220 million Canadian dollars (159 million dollars) will be used to purchase drone, counter-drone, and electronic warfare capabilities, including investments in joint ventures between Ukrainian and Canadian industry, it said.
According to Reuters, the six-year contract grants Meta access to Google Cloud’s servers, storage, and networking services.
The partnership comes at a critical moment as Meta intensifies its investment in AI and rapidly expands its data infrastructure on a global scale.
For Google, the agreement is a significant achievement in the fiercely competitive cloud market, traditionally dominated by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Google Cloud recently reported 32% revenue growth in the second quarter of 2025, and bringing Meta on board further consolidates its position as a leading provider of large-scale computing power.
Meta has made no secret of its commitment to artificial intelligence as the core of its future strategy. In July, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on new data centres and AI systems.
The company also raised its 2025 capital expenditure forecast to between $66 billion and $72 billion, an increase of $2 billion compared to earlier projections. To support this growth, Meta has been selling off roughly $2 billion worth of data center assets, a move designed to balance costs while maintaining the pace of expansion.
Partnering with Google Cloud offers Meta the flexibility to scale quickly without being constrained by its own facilities.
The deal also reflects broader trends across the technology industry. Google Cloud has secured similar partnerships with other AI companies, including OpenAI, underscoring how even rival firms are turning to its infrastructure to power their most advanced projects.
News of the agreement was well received by investors. Meta’s stock rose 2% to $754.55 on Thursday, recovering some ground after a week of steep declines.
Analysts view the deal as a clear signal that Meta is consolidating its role in the AI race while making strategic infrastructure choices that could shape the future of the industry.
This warning follows complaints from some residents of Cyanzarwe Sector, Rwangara Cell, in Buramazi Village, Rubavu District, who have for several days been demanding that one of their neighbors accused of bewitching children leave the area and return to his place of origin.
In May 2025, some residents of Cyanzarwe told IGIHE that their neighbor was bewitching children. They claimed that even the Executive Secretary of the cell had signed a document ordering the suspect to return home.
According to them, the accused lived in hiding during the day and only came back at night. Residents warned that unless action was taken, they would stone him to death.
Earlier, in December 2023, Rwanda Police reported the arrest of five people suspected of stoning a neighbor to death after accusing him of witchcraft. The incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, December 2, 2023, in Cyanzarwe Sector, Makurizo Cell, Makurizo Village.
In a recent community meeting with residents of Rubavu and Cyanzarwe sectors, the Western Province Police Commander, CP Emmanuel Hatari, reminded citizens to refrain from mob justice.
“We are concerned about cases of mob justice driven by ignorance and harmful beliefs. Some people claim a child has been bewitched but instead of taking the child to the hospital for treatment, or reporting the matter to local authorities, they choose to take justice into their own hands,” he said.
“We have already registered two such cases in Cyanzarwe. This is unacceptable, because once you engage in mob justice, the law holds you accountable. We have leadership structures and a functioning justice system. There is no reason for anyone to resort to mob justice. Always approach the authorities so that your problems are resolved lawfully,” CP Hatari added.
His remarks come days after French investigative judges dismissed a long-running case against her, citing insufficient evidence.
Speaking to France Inter on Saturday, Duclert said, “The archival documents we are collecting show the very strong involvement of Agathe Habyarimana in the Genocide against the Tutsi, being, like her brother, the mastermind of the Zero Network, the secret command center tasked with exterminating the Tutsi.”
French judges ruled on August 20 that there were no grounds to prosecute Kanziga for complicity in genocide or crimes against humanity, noting she was herself affected by the April 6, 1994 plane attack that killed her husband.
However, Duclert stressed that historical records tell a different story, pointing to her alleged role in coordinating the extremist “Zero Network” and her continued activism after being evacuated to France by French forces on April 9, 1994.
“The most numerous and converging analyses confirm that the attack on her husband’s plane was the work of the Zero Network, either directly or as the instigator,” Duclert said, adding that Kanziga was also heavily involved in the killings that immediately followed.
He argued that further investigation into her role “clearly seems necessary.”
{{Appeals against dismissal
}}
The ruling has already sparked appeals. On Thursday, France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) announced it would contest the decision, alongside the Civil Parties Collective for Rwanda (CPCR), which represents genocide survivors.
Lawyer Richard Gisagara, who represents survivor organisations, confirmed that the decision to halt the probe will not stand unchallenged.
“Do not be discouraged by the celebrations of génocidaires, deniers, hatemongers, and their supporters. This is only one step in the case. The next steps are appeal and annulment. The case cannot be declared closed until it has gone through all these stages,” he said on August 22.
{{A contested legal history
}}
The case against Kanziga dates back to 2008, when survivors’ groups filed a complaint in France over her alleged role in the genocide. Judges previously attempted to close the case in 2022, citing lack of evidence, but PNAT pushed for a broader inquiry covering her activities in the weeks leading up to April 6, 1994. Despite these requests, investigative judges in May 2025 again dismissed the case, a decision reaffirmed last week.
The ruling has been welcomed by the Habyarimana family, including Kanziga’s son Jean-Luc, who claimed the case was permanently closed. But survivor groups and prosecutors argue that both the scope and evidence considered by the judges were too limited.
Kanziga, now 82, has lived in France since her evacuation during the genocide, reportedly surviving on state support. Analysts argue that her protection reflects enduring political sensitivities in France over its role in Rwanda.
Political analyst Tite Gatabazi told IGIHE that remnants of the Mitterrand era continue to shield her.
“She holds secrets about France’s role in the genocide. She was evacuated by a French plane. To this day, she lives on support from the French state. Even though governments have changed, she still has powerful protectors,” he said.
