Khaled Meshaal, leader of Palestinian militant organisation Hamas, was seen on Thursday at an Islamic conference in Khartoum. Meshaal was sitting in the front row with thousands of delegates, including the supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a short statement, Meshaal addressed the current ferocious violence in the Gaza Strip and condemned Israel. In addition, he applauded Egyptian President Morsi's decision to recall the country’s ambassador to Israel.

Meshaal said the move proves how much has changed in Egypt since the January 25 Revolution which forced out close Israeli ally Hosni Mubarak.

The Islamic conference is to last three days and is being attended by 170 foreign Islamists who are expected to stay for the full duration, including Meshaal, according to AFP.

'Israel cannot vanquish Gaza'

Israel will never defeat Gaza, Khaled Meshaal, the exiled chief of the Hamas movement which rules the Palestinian territory, said in a defiant speech in Sudan on Thursday.

"This enemy is weak and cannot vanquish Gaza," Meshaal told a major conference of Sudanese Islamists.

His visit to Sudan came as warplanes from the Jewish state pounded Gaza for a second day on Thursday, in Israel's toughest assault on the Palestinian territory in four years.

Fighting began with Israel's targeted killing of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jaabari on Wednesday. Since then, militants have fired around 250 rockets over the border, an Israeli official said.

"The Palestinian men and women will continue their resistance," Meshaal vowed, describing Israel as "not a legitimate entity."