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Yemen’s Houthis launch drones and missiles at US warships near the Red Sea but do no damage

Yemen’s Houthis launch drones and missiles at US warships near the Red Sea but do no damage
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder takes part in a press briefing at the Pentagon on Nov. 12, 2024 in Washington. (AP)
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Updated 13 November 2024

Yemen’s Houthis launch drones and missiles at US warships near the Red Sea but do no damage

Yemen’s Houthis launch drones and missiles at US warships near the Red Sea but do no damage
  • Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the Iranian-backed Houthis launched at least eight drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles
  • No one was wounded on board in the blasts, and the ship was continuing on its journey, the UKMTO added

DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthi militants targeted two US Navy warships with multiple drones and missiles as they were traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but the attacks were not successful, the Defense Department said Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said the Iranian-backed Houthis launched at least eight drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and three anti-ship cruise missiles at the USS Stockdale and the USS Spruance, both Navy destroyers, on Monday. He said there was no damage and no one was injured.
The strait is a narrow waterway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which typically sees $1 trillion in goods pass through it a year. The militants have been targeting shipping through the strait for months over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon.
The Houthis have insisted that the attacks will continue as long as the wars go on, and the assaults already have halved shipping through the region. Meanwhile, a UN panel of experts now allege that the Houthis may be shaking down some shippers for about $180 million a month for safe passage through the area.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree in a prerecorded statement earlier Tuesday had claimed the militants attacked two American destroyers in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles and drones.
There were also reports of a commercial ship being attacked. A vessel in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida, reported the attack, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.
No one was wounded on board in the blasts, and the ship was continuing on its journey, the UKMTO added.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the UKMTO report was directly linked to the attacks on the US destroyers, but similar incidents of Houthi fire coming near other ships have happened before.
The Houthis have targeted more than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October 2023. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign, which also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well.
The militants maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
The Houthis have shot down multiple American MQ-9 Reaper drones as well.
The last Houthi maritime attack came Oct. 28 and targeted the Liberian-flagged bulk tanker Motaro. Before that, an Oct. 10 attack targeted the Liberian-flagged chemical tanker Olympic Spirit.
It’s unclear why the Houthis’ attacks have dropped, though they have launched multiple missiles toward Israel as well. On Oct. 17, the US military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by the militants. US airstrikes also have been targeting Houthi positions in recent days as well.
Meanwhile, a report by UN experts from October says “the Houthis allegedly collected illegal fees from a few shipping agencies to allow their ships to sail through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden without being attacked.” It put the money generated a month at around $180 million, though it stressed it hadn’t been able to corroborate the information provided by sources to the panel.
The Houthis haven’t directly responded to the allegation. However, the report did include two threatening emails the Houthis sent to shippers, with one of those vessels later coming under attack by the militants.


How two families crossed the rubble of Gaza, fleeing war and hunger

How two families crossed the rubble of Gaza, fleeing war and hunger
Updated 6 sec ago

How two families crossed the rubble of Gaza, fleeing war and hunger

How two families crossed the rubble of Gaza, fleeing war and hunger
  • UN reports 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are displaced
  • Families face displacement, loss, and hunger amid Gaza conflict

GAZA/CAIRO: The Bakrons and Al-Bareems, two families from opposite ends of Gaza, have criss-crossed the rubble-strewn territory many times during 21 months of war, in search of food and shelter from Israeli attacks.
They’ve sought refuge in the homes of friends and relatives, in school classrooms and in tents, moving frequently as the Israeli military has ordered civilians from one zone to another.
The Bareems, from southern Gaza, have a disabled child who they have pushed in his wheelchair. The Bakrons, from the north, stopped wandering in May after two children of their children were killed in an airstrike.
“Our story is one of displacement, loss of loved ones, hunger, humiliation and loss of hope,” said Nizar Bakron, 38, who lost his daughter Olina, 10, and son Rebhi, eight.
The families’ experiences illustrate the plight of the 1.9 million Gaza residents — 90 percent of the population — that the United Nations says have been displaced during the conflict.
Israel’s war in Gaza has left much of the enclave in ruins and its people desperate from hunger. It was triggered by an attack by Islamist group Hamas — which governs the Strip — on Israeli border communities on October 7, 2023 that killed some 1,200 people and took 250 hostage. Before the war, Nizar and his wife Amal, four years his junior, had a happy life in Shejaia, a teeming district in the east of Gaza City. Their eldest Adam is 12; the youngest, Youssef, a baby.
Photographs, seen by Reuters, show family parties at home and days at the beach.
“When the October 7 attack happened, I knew it wouldn’t be something good for us,” Nizar said. They left home the next day for Amal’s mother’s house further south in Zahra, he said.
Five days later Israel began ordering civilians in northern Gaza to move south and, on October 27, it launched a ground invasion.
Throughout the war Israel has issued evacuation orders in areas where it plans to conduct operations — though it has also struck elsewhere during those periods.
Israel says the orders protect civilians but it strikes wherever it locates Hamas fighters, who hide among the population. Hamas denies using civilians as shields.
Palestinians accuse Israel of using the evacuation orders to uproot the population, which it denies.
The family left for Nuseirat, an old refugee camp in central Gaza, where they crammed into an apartment owned by Amal’s relatives for five months.
Israel’s bombardment was heaviest in the first months of the war. The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, said the death toll reached 32,845 by the end of March 2024. It has now passed 59,000 people, the ministry says.
Food and fuel were becoming very expensive, with little aid arriving. In April, Israel issued an evacuation order and the Bakrons went further south to Rafah on the border with Egypt where there was more to eat.
They loaded the car and a trailer with mattresses, clothes, kitchen equipment and a solar panel and drove 15 miles along roads lined with ruins.
In Rafah, they squeezed into a classroom of a UN school which they shared with Nizar’s two brothers and their families — about 20 people. Their savings were quickly disappearing.
Weeks later, a new Israeli evacuation order moved them to Khan Younis, a few kilometers away, and another crowded classroom.
In January, a ceasefire allowed them to move back north to Nuseirat, where the family had land. They cleared a room in a damaged building to live in.
“We thought things would get better,” Nizar said.
But, after less than two months, the ceasefire collapsed on March 18. Two days later, Bakron’s sister, her husband and two daughters were killed in an airstrike in Khan Younis, he said.
As Israeli operations escalated, the family fled to Gaza City. They pitched a tent — the first time they had to live in one — against a building on Wehda Street, a central district. On May 25, as most of the family slept, Nizar was sitting outside, talking on the phone, when an airstrike hit and the building collapsed.
He pulled away the debris but Olina and Rebhi were dead. His wife Amal and eldest Adam were injured, and the baby Youssef’s leg was broken.
Nizar does not know how they can move again. The family is in mourning and their car was damaged in the strike, he said.
The UN estimates nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s territory is covered by Israeli evacuation orders or within Israeli militarized zones, leaving the population squeezed into two swathes of land where food is increasingly scarce. Israel says restrictions on aid are needed to prevent it being diverted to Hamas.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday Gaza is
suffering from man-made starvation
.
Amal, who still has bruising on her face and wears a brace upon her arm after the attack, grieves for her two children: “My life changed, from having everything to having nothing, after being displaced.”

“We fear for our lives“
Majed Al-Bareem, 32, was a teacher before the war in Bani Suheila, a town east of Khan Younis. He and his wife Samia, 27, have a two-year-old son, Samir. They lived in a pretty two-story house with an external staircase that had plants in pots running up the steps.
During Israel’s initial offensive, which was focused on northern Gaza, the family stayed put. But early in 2024, Israeli forces pushed into Khan Younis and the Bareems fled their home.
They learned afterwards it had been destroyed.
“I had a beautiful house which we built with our sweat and effort,” Majed said. He showed Reuters photos of the ruins.
They went to Rafah with Majed’s mother, Alyah, 62 and his three sisters. The youngest, Rafah, 19, has Down Syndrome.
Days before they left Khan Younis, his eldest sister’s husband was shot dead. Her son, Joud, nine, is in a wheelchair.
At first, the family stayed in a tent provided by UN aid agencies in a district called Nasr in northern Rafah.
Three months later, Israel ordered civilians to evacuate and the family left for Mawasi, a rural area nearby where displacement camps were growing, he said. Although Israel’s military had designated Mawasi a safe zone, it struck it throughout the summer, killing scores of people, according to local health authorities. Israel said it was targeting militants hiding in the area.
Since the two-month ceasefire ended in March the family has moved repeatedly — so often that Majed said he lost count — between Bani Suheila, Khan Younis and Mawasi.
“We fear for our lives so, as soon as they order us to leave, we do so,” he said.
Crossing Gaza’s ruined streets with a wheelchair has added to the difficulty. During one journey in May, he and Joud were separated from the family. It took them four hours to travel the five miles to Mawasi along roads littered with debris.
“It was exhausting and scary because we could hear gunfire and bombing,” he said.
The family is currently in a tent in Mawasi. Their savings are nearly gone and they can only rarely afford extra rations to supplement the little they get from charitable kitchens.
“We are tired of displacement. We are tired of lack of food,” said Majed’s mother, Alyah.
Last week, Majed went to Bani Suheila hoping to buy some flour. A shell landed nearby, wounding him in the torso with a shrapnel fragment, he said. It was removed in hospital but left him weak. With Israel and Hamas conducting ceasefire negotiations, the United States has voiced optimism about a deal. Majed says the renewed talks have given him some hope, but he fears they will fall apart, like previous attempts.
“I don’t think anyone can bear what we are bearing,” he said. “It has been two years of the war, hunger, killing, destruction and displacement.” 


France will recognize State of Palestine: Macron

France will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this upcoming September.
France will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this upcoming September.
Updated 14 min 52 sec ago

France will recognize State of Palestine: Macron

France will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this upcoming September.
  • France would be the most significant European power to recognize a Palestinian state
  • “The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and rescue the civilian population,” Macron wrote

PARIS: France will recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.
“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September,” the French head of state wrote on X and Instagram.
Including France, Palestinian statehood is now recognized by 142 countries, according to an AFP tally, though Israel and the United States strongly oppose recognition.
France would be the most significant European power to recognize a Palestinian state.
“The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and rescue the civilian population,” Macron wrote.
“We must finally build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East.”

Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas’s deputy Hussein Al-Sheikh welcomed France’s intent to recognize a State of Palestine, thanking President Emmanuel Macron.
“This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state,” Sheikh said.


Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at civilians at aid sites

Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at civilians at aid sites
Updated 24 July 2025

Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at civilians at aid sites

Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at civilians at aid sites
  • Ex-soldier reveals he saw colleagues using pepper spray, throwing stun grenades at people collecting aid
  • Gunfire, explosions heard in footage from GHF aid center amid reports death toll has passed 1,000

LONDON: Security personnel hired by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation fired at unarmed Palestinian civilians trying to get aid, a former US soldier who worked for the group has said.

The soldier told Israeli TV station Channel 12 there was “no fixing” the GHF system, and that it “needs to be put to an end.”

About 1,000 people are thought to have died trying to obtain aid at four GHF distribution points in Gaza since it took over operations from several UN-backed and affiliated groups in May.

The UN has said that famine threatens hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the enclave, with numerous reports of people unable to get enough food from the GHF.

The unnamed former soldier told Channel 12 via video that he saw security personnel shooting at people in an attempt to move them from a distribution center, “shooting in their direction, shooting at them, shooting at their feet … to get them to leave.”

He also said he had seen a contractor spray “an entire can of pepper spray” into the face of a man on his hands and knees picking up needles, which he said was “lethal.”

In another incident, he saw another contractor throw a stun grenade at a woman waiting for aid.

“This thing hit her and she just drops, just lifeless, collapsed to the ground. It looked like she had been killed,” he added.

The Associated Press previously interviewed two GHF contractors who confirmed stun grenades and pepper spray were regularly used against crowds at aid sites.

In video footage provided by the contractors to the AP of civilians trying to collect aid at a GHF center, the sound of bullets and stun grenades can be heard.
They said that many contractors were often heavily armed while on site, but were frequently unvetted and unqualified for the job. 

The former soldier, who served 25 years with the US military, said the four GHF sites were hard for civilians to reach.

“The sites were not set up in locations, nor were they set up in a way that was conducive to distributing or delivering humanitarian aid to a needy population,” he said. “Most of them don’t have shoes, no water, going through active warzone areas.”

The GHF, backed by the US and Israel, uses private US companies to exclude UN employees from its operations. Israel claims UN-led aid convoys were frequently hijacked by Hamas and other groups in Gaza.

GHF aid centers are based in areas controlled directly by the Israeli military, with international journalists unable to access the sites.

The UN agency for Gaza, UNRWA, has criticized the GHF’s methods, with its chief, Philippe Lazzarini, saying: “The so-called ‘GHF’ distribution scheme is a sadistic death trap. Snipers open fire randomly on crowds as if they are given a license to kill.”

In a statement the GHF told Sky News: “This is a disgruntled former contractor who was terminated for misconduct a month ago. GHF launched an immediate investigation as soon as these allegations were brought to our attention. Based on time-stamped video footage and witness statements, we have concluded that the claims made are categorically false.

“At no point were civilians under fire at a GHF distribution site. The gunfire heard in the video was confirmed to have originated from the IDF, which was outside the immediate vicinity of the GHF site.

“The gunfire was not directed at individuals, and no one was shot or injured. We take the safety and security of our operational sites extremely seriously. When behaviour falls short of our standards, we take action. The contractor seen shouting in the video is no longer part of our operations.

“We remain focused on our core mission — delivering food to the people of Gaza in a safe, direct, and uninterrupted manner, as we have done since launching operations on 27 May. Since then, we have distributed nearly 85 million meals to residents of the Gaza Strip.”


Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars

Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars
Updated 24 July 2025

Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars

Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars
  • Grand mufti urges implementation of UN Resolution 1701, opposes new agreements
  • Joseph Aoun commended the collaboration between Mufti Derian and the Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Aql Sami Abi Al-Mona, during Syria’s Sweida clashes

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday warned that his country cannot endure another war, stressing that national unity and Arab cooperation are key to Lebanon’s recovery.

“The Lebanese can no longer withstand any additional war,” Aoun said, as he urged leaders to reject divisions and foreign meddling, and instead harness growing regional support to rebuild the nation.

He was speaking to a delegation of prominent Sunni religious leaders headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian at the Republican Palace.

The president condemned what he termed Lebanon’s historical “fatal error” —seeking foreign backing against domestic opponents. “We all saw the devastating consequences of this approach,” Aoun said. “Instead, I want to strengthen partnerships with my brothers and allies domestically to counter external threats, regardless of their source.”

Aoun cited Israel as exemplifying the divide-and-conquer strategy that, he said, Lebanon must resist through internal unity. “Our cohesion confronts this approach and addresses all challenges,” he said.

The president gave reassurances about the country’s future, saying that “Lebanon is secure, and we will not return to warfare rhetoric. Our framework is Lebanon itself, destined only for stability and prosperity.”

Fresh from diplomatic talks in Manama, where Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa on Wednesday announced plans for a permanent diplomatic mission in Beirut, Aoun praised recent interfaith coordination that prevented regional tensions from destabilizing Lebanon.

Highlighting the emerging opportunities for Lebanon’s recovery, his call was to seize the support offered by Lebanon’s regional neighbors.

 “We have tremendous prospects ahead of us. You witness how our Arab brothers are extending their hands and approaching us. We must capitalize on these chances and transform our nation’s circumstances.”

He commended the collaboration between Mufti Derian and the Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Aql Sami Abi Al-Mona, during Syria’s Sweida clashes, calling it evidence of “elevated national consciousness and profound responsibility.”

The president criticized those “spreading rumors to intimidate citizens against one another,” while celebrating the dual contributions of Lebanon’s Sunni community: internal moderation and affirming Lebanon’s Arab identity.

Aoun praised the community’s sacrifices, noting religious and political leaders who died serving Lebanon, from clerics Sheikh Ahmed Assaf, Mufti Hassan Khaled, and Mufti Subhi Al-Saleh, to prime ministers Riad Al-Solh, Rashid Karami, and Rafic Hariri.

“No individual possesses the power to eliminate another in Lebanon, nor does anyone hold superior merit,” Aoun said. “United, we all serve Lebanon’s interests. Divided, we destroy the entire nation, leaving no protection for anyone.”

Aoun reported significant progress in government reform, claiming achievements unseen in nearly 15 years — recognition he attributed to international observers. While acknowledging the absence of quick fixes, he emphasized making the most of available opportunities.

Addressing corruption — which he identified as Lebanon’s core problem alongside impunity — Aoun vowed continued action. “Corruption recognizes no boundaries of color, sect, or denomination,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Mufti Derian expressed deep concern over the prevailing “fear and anxiety among the Lebanese,” warning that the country is entering a precarious phase during continued Israeli aggression.

He emphasized that UN Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 war, has been implemented solely by the Lebanese side, while Israel has consistently failed to respect its obligations under the resolution.

The November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was intended to revive the terms of UN Resolution 1701, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, a halt to Hezbollah’s military operations near the southern border, and full control of arms by the Lebanese state. But little progress has been made.

“Even the ceasefire that followed was unilateral, respected and implemented only by Lebanon. According to what we are witnessing, new agreements are now being proposed. Let Resolution 1701, which encompasses all relevant matters, be implemented in full, and let new agreements be dispensed with,” Mufti Derian said in a call for international accountability.

He added: “The Lebanese people have endured immense hardship in recent years, facing one crisis after another, and yet they have remained resilient. Today, more than ever, they need to feel the presence of a state that stands to protect them.”

He reaffirmed support for Aoun in upholding the oath of office, “which we regard as a vital gateway to rescuing both Lebanon and its people. In this critical moment, we look to you to help steer the country through uncertainty, as citizens grow increasingly anxious over the prospect of renewed Israeli aggression. We stand behind the Arab consensus, whatever all Arabs agree upon, we support,” Mufti Derian told Aoun.

He praised Aoun’s efforts to restore Lebanon’s influential position in the region, citing his regional visits and the trust he enjoys among Arab and international partners. He also commended the president’s commitment to preserve stability among Lebanon’s diverse communities.

“The voice of moderation and centrism must prevail among all Lebanese,” Derian said, calling for cooperation.

Lebanon is facing mounting international pressure to implement the US plan, which calls for setting a timetable for the process of restricting arms to the state in implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack highlighted the issue on Wednesday upon his departure from Lebanon after a three-day visit filled with meetings with Lebanese officials. Barrack confirmed from Beirut airport that “there is no deadline for this, and your neighbors are the ones who set the timetable, not the United States,” referring to Israel.

On the security front, the Central Internal Security Council convened a high-level meeting, bringing together senior military, security, and judicial officials.

Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar emphasized the importance of sustained field operations, calling for intensified patrols and a reinforced security presence in Lebanese regions to uphold internal stability. He also highlighted the need to strengthen existing measures along the Syrian border to ensure tighter control and enhanced national security.

The Lebanese Army Command announced that army units arrested 78 Syrians at the Assi-Hermel and Chadra-Akkar checkpoints for illegally entering Lebanese territory.

The army also said that an Intelligence Directorate patrol raided the homes of wanted individuals in Beirut’s southern suburbs, specifically in the Bir al-Abed area, and arrested four citizens.


Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties

Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties
Updated 24 July 2025

Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties

Greece invites Libya to maritime zone talks to ease strained ties
  • The move is aimed at mending relations between the two neighbors
  • Therefore, any communication with Libya was not easy, Mitsotakis said

ATHENS: Greece has invited Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tripoli to start talks on demarcating exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean Sea, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said late on Wednesday.

The move is aimed at mending relations between the two neighbors, strained by a controversial maritime deal signed in 2019 between the Libyan government and Turkiye, Greece’s long-standing foe, which mapped out a sea area close to the Greek island of Crete.

“We invite — and I think you may soon see progress in this area — we invite the Tripoli government to discuss with Greece the delimitation of a continental shelf and an exclusive economic zone,” Mitsotakis told local Skai television.

Greece this year launched a new tender to develop its hydrocarbon resources off Crete, a move that Libya has objected to, saying some of the blocks infringed its own maritime zones.

Law and order has been weak in Libya since a 2011 uprising that toppled dictator Muammar Qaddafi, with the country divided by factional conflict into eastern and western sections for over a decade.

Therefore, any communication with Libya was not easy, Mitsotakis said. He indicated that Greece was determined to continue talking to both the Tripoli-based government and a parallel administration based in Benghazi.

In recent months, Athens has sought closer cooperation with Libya to help stem a surge in migrant arrivals from the North African country to Greece’s southern islands of Gavdos and Crete and passed legislation banning migrants arriving from Libya by sea from requesting asylum.

In an incident earlier this month, the European Union migration commissioner and ministers from Italy, Malta and Greece were denied entry to the eastern part of divided Libya, shortly after meeting the internationally recognized government that controls the west of Libya.