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A view shows Barbados-flagged bulk carrier vessel True Confidence, in Italy in 2022. (Dario Bonazza/Dario Bonazza via REUTERS)

Houthi strike kills 3 civilian mariners, U.S. officials say, the first fatalities in militants’ campaign

2 min

A missile launched by Houthi militants in Yemen struck a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command said. The missile killed three people and injured four others, it said, marking the first known fatalities in the Houthis’ months-long campaign of violence against maritime traffic. Earlier Wednesday, Hamas said it will continue to negotiate through mediators toward a cease-fire deal, with talks underway in Egypt, a day after an Israeli government spokesman expressed hope that an agreement could be reached.

Key updates
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Both Israel and Hamas face pressure to come to a deal as Ramadan, the holiest period in the Islamic calendar, approaches and as Gaza’s Health Ministry says that “famine” in the north has reached “lethal levels,” with 18 people reported dead of malnutrition and dehydration.
The babies of 5,500 women who are due to give birth in the next month in Gaza are at risk of dying, the U.N. agency for children, UNICEF, reported. Mothers do not have access to prenatal or postnatal checkups because of bombings, it said. Anxiety is also leading to premature births, it said, citing the U.N. Population Fund.
A convoy of 14 trucks carrying food earmarked for northern Gaza was turned away at a checkpoint by the Israel Defense Forces, the World Food Program said Tuesday, as fears grow that the besieged enclave is on the brink of famine.
South Africa filed an urgent request to the United Nations’ top court that it take more action against Israel and secure the safety of Gazans, citing “widespread starvation” in the enclave. The International Court of Justice said the country asked for these measures to be taken, even without holding another court hearing, in light of the “extreme urgency of the situation.”
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet and a political rival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer during a U.S. visit Tuesday. Austin requested Gantz’s support for increasing humanitarian shipments to Gaza, according to a Pentagon readout. Gantz is due to visit the United Kingdom on Wednesday.
At least 30,717 people have been killed and 72,156 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and says 246 soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.
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Both Israel and Hamas face pressure to come to a deal as Ramadan, the holiest period in the Islamic calendar, approaches and as Gaza’s Health Ministry says that “famine” in the north has reached “lethal levels,” with 18 people reported dead of malnutrition and dehydration.
The babies of 5,500 women who are due to give birth in the next month in Gaza are at risk of dying, the U.N. agency for children, UNICEF, reported. Mothers do not have access to prenatal or postnatal checkups because of bombings, it said. Anxiety is also leading to premature births, it said, citing the U.N. Population Fund.
A convoy of 14 trucks carrying food earmarked for northern Gaza was turned away at a checkpoint by the Israel Defense Forces, the World Food Program said Tuesday, as fears grow that the besieged enclave is on the brink of famine.
South Africa filed an urgent request to the United Nations’ top court that it take more action against Israel and secure the safety of Gazans, citing “widespread starvation” in the enclave. The International Court of Justice said the country asked for these measures to be taken, even without holding another court hearing, in light of the “extreme urgency of the situation.”
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet and a political rival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer during a U.S. visit Tuesday. Austin requested Gantz’s support for increasing humanitarian shipments to Gaza, according to a Pentagon readout. Gantz is due to visit the United Kingdom on Wednesday.
At least 30,717 people have been killed and 72,156 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and says 246 soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operation in Gaza.
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Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region.

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival. (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948.

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip.