Houthis attack American ship – US strikes back in Yemen – the night update For disruptive behavior: Judge threatens Trump with deportation

Following a new drone attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden, the US again attacked positions of the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi militia in Yemen on Thursday evening. The military attack targeted fourteen missiles prepared for launch, the responsible regional command of the US military announced on Wednesday evening (local time). The US military had previously announced that a combat drone launched in Yemen had hit a US cargo ship flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. There was some damage, but no injuries.

In response to repeated attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, the US and Britain, with the support of allies, launched a comprehensive military assault against the Houthis last week. The US also placed the Houthis back on the list of global terrorist organizations.

Since the start of the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, the militia has repeatedly attacked cargo ships with alleged Israeli connections. Major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea Route, through which approximately ten percent of world trade normally passes.

Israel’s military chief: war in the north more likely than before

Given the tense situation on the border with Lebanon, the Israeli military chief described the likelihood of war in the north as much greater than before. “I don’t know when the war in the north will start,” Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi said during a visit to soldiers in northern Israel. But he could say that war is much more likely to break out in the coming months than in the past.

Since the start of the Gaza war, there have been repeated clashes on the Israel-Lebanon border between the Israeli army and the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia. Both sides report rocket fire and firefights almost daily. Some deaths have already occurred. It is the worst escalation since the second Lebanon war in 2006.

Qatar: Medicines for hostages and civilians in Gaza

The drug, intended for hostages kidnapped by the Islamist Hamas, has arrived in the Gaza Strip, according to the Qatari Foreign Ministry. Medicines and relief supplies for the civilian population and hostages had been brought to the closed coastal strip, ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari said on X (formerly Twitter). Qatar previously mediated between Israel and Hamas to facilitate the delivery of medicines.

The terrorist attack by Islamist Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7, 2023, killed 1,200 people and kidnapped around 250 people as hostages in the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli information, there are still 132 hostages in the coastal area. A government spokesman also said that a third of the remaining hostages were chronically ill and required medication. It was initially unclear whether the hostages would actually receive medication and to what extent.

UN: Netanyahu and Guterres have not been in contact since the Hamas attack

According to the United Nations, UN Secretary General António Guterres and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have not had direct contact since the October 7 massacre by Islamist Hamas in Israel. Guterres left a request at the time to call Netanyahu’s office, a spokesman for the U.N. chief said. But Netanyahu never made contact. “The fact that they did not call did not stop the secretary general and his staff from contacting several Israeli officials,” the spokesperson said. The relationship between Israel and the United Nations is considered difficult. Many Israelis feel they are being treated unfairly by the UN.

Jordan: Field hospital in Gaza severely damaged by shelling

According to Jordanian information, the field hospital built by Jordan to treat injured people in the Gaza Strip was severely damaged by Israeli shelling. A worker and a man being treated in intensive care were injured, the Jordanian army said. Israel bears “full responsibility for the safety of hospital staff,” the report said. The Israeli army said that during an operation against Islamist Hamas in Khan Yunis, they encountered terrorists near the field hospital and a firefight broke out. However, the field hospital was not attacked, the army added. It is undamaged, functional and still provides medical care.

Military: Several armed Palestinians killed in the West Bank

Israel says several armed Palestinians have been killed during an Israeli army operation in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. The Health Ministry in Ramallah said four people were killed in a drone strike. Israeli forces carried out “a counter-terrorism operation” at a refugee camp in the northwestern Palestinian city, the army said. Shots were fired at security forces and explosives were hurled. They then opened fire and also attacked from the air. According to the army, several armed people were killed. It was initially unclear whether the dead belonged to an extremist group.

What will be important on Thursday

Given rising tensions between the Iranian-backed militias Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen, there is a risk that the Gaza war will spread to the entire region. Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues between Israeli forces and Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The humanitarian situation for the Palestinian civilian population continues to deteriorate. (sda/dpa)