More than 100 Gazans were killed in just 24 hours as the Israeli PM jets into Washington to discuss shaky ceasefire proposals – while his warplanes batter Yemeni ports in a major attack against Houthi rebels
Israeli forces killed at least 100 Palestinians in 24 hours even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew into Washington to discuss a Gaza ceasefire. His warplanes were also pounding Yemeni Houthi targets overnight after warning residents to flee for their lives as large-scale air-strikes had been ordered.
US President Donald Trump has suggested a ceasefire – supposedly lasting 60 days in exchange for half of the hostages – could happen as soon as this week. At least 82 Gazans were killed on Sunday and on Monday the death toll shot up over 100 as Israeli troops drove on with their assaults, despite the Hamas-Israel talks. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are also thought to be taking place in Doha, Qatar today, possibly hammering out plans to release more Palestinian prisoners.
Israel’s military launched airstrikes early Monday targeting ports and facilities held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with the rebels responding with missile fire targeting Israel. The attacks came after a Sunday assault which targeted a Liberian-flagged ship in the Red Sea that caught fire and took on water, forcing its crew to abandon it.
A security firm said bomb-carrying drone boats appeared to hit the ship after it was targeted by small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. A renewed Iran-backed Houthi campaign against shipping could again draw in US and Western forces to the area.
The ship attack comes at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, as a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war hangs in the balance. Iran is also weighing up whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program following American airstrikes targeting its most sensitive atomic sites.
The Israeli military said it struck Houthi-held ports at Hodeida, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as the Ras Kanatib power plant. It released footage showing an F-16 launching from Israel for the strike, which came after the Israeli military issued a warning for the area.
The Israel Defence Force said: “These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies.” The Israeli military also said it struck the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle-carrying vessel that the Houthis seized back in November 2023 when they began their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.
The IDF added: “Houthi forces installed a radar system on the ship and have been using it to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities.” The Houthis’s military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed its air defense forces “effectively confronted” the Israelis.
Israel has repeatedly attacked Houthi areas in Yemen, including a naval strike in June. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened: “What’s true for Iran is true for Yemen.”
Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have it cut off. The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions.” The Houthis responded with an apparent missile attack on Israel. The Israeli military said it attempted to intercept the two missiles launched by the Houthis, but they appeared to make impact, though no injuries have been reported. Sirens sounded in the West Bank.
Saree on Monday claimed launching missiles and drones targeting Israel in its attack. He said: “We are fully prepared for a sustained and prolonged confrontation, to confront hostile warplanes and to counter attempts to break the naval blockade imposed by our armed forces on the enemy.”
The Houthi rebels have been launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group’s leadership has described as an effort to end Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors.