Our live coverage of Israel's war against Hamas has moved here.
January 17, 2024 Israel-Hamas war
By Kathleen Magramo, Sophie Tanno, Antoinette Radford, Adrienne Vogt and Elise Hammond, CNN
Updated 12:01 a.m. ET, January 18, 2024
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Houthis confirm latest round of US strikes in Yemen
From CNN's Jonny Hallam
The Houthis confirmed the latest round of US airstrikes in Yemen, according to a statement on the Houthis-run Saba news agency on late Wednesday night in to Thursday morning (local time).
"The American-British aggression renewed its targeting of a number of Yemeni governorates," the statement read. "The American-British aggression aircraft targeted the governorates of Hodeidah, Taiz, Dhamar, Al-Bayda and Saada."
This latest round of strikes marks the fourth time the US has struck the Houthis in less than a week, as US and Britain began to take action against Houthis' attacks of commercial vessels at the Red Sea.
Medicine and aid for Palestinians and hostages arrives in Gaza, Qatar foreign ministry says
From CNN's Jennifer Hauser
Medicine and aid for Palestinians and the Israeli hostages have entered the Gaza Strip, according to Dr. Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry.
"Over the past few hours, medicine & aid entered the Gaza Strip, in implementation of the agreement announced yesterday for the benefit of civilians in the Strip, including hostages. Qatar, along with its regional and international partners, continues mediation efforts at the political and humanitarian levels," Al-Ansari wrote on X, formerly Twitter, late Wednesday.
Two Qatari Armed Forces aircraft carrying 61 tons of aid — including food and medicine —arrived in El Arish, Egypt, earlier Wednesday. The aid was provided by Qatar and France, according to Qatar's Foreign Ministry. Ansari said Wednesday Qatar and its regional and international partners are continuing mediation efforts at the political and humanitarian levels after the aid arrived in Gaza.
The aid arrives after Qatar announced on Tuesday it brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas to allow medication into Gaza for Palestinians and Israeli hostages. France also took part in helping with the Qatari-led mediation, Qatar's foreign ministry has said.
Houthis say they will continue attacks in the Red Sea as tensions rise in Middle East. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
As tensions rise in the Middle East, Iran's top diplomat said attacks by its allies won't stop until Israel's war in Gaza ends. Iran recently has carried out strikes in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan while the Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea and Hezbollah continued to be involved in confrontations on the Lebanon-Israel border.
Inside Gaza, more than 160 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza. A deal was brokered by Qatar to allow medication into Gaza for Palestinian and Israeli hostages.
Here's what else to know:
- The latest in the Red Sea: The US carried out another round of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, according to two US officials, marking the fourth time the US has struck the Iran-backed rebel group in less than a week. This comes after the US re-designated the Houthis as a specially designated global terrorist entity amid continued attacks by the Yemen-based militia. A Houthi drone struck a US-owned and operated vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, according to US Central Command. It's the second time this week the group has succeeded in targeting a US ship. On Tuesday, the group claimed responsibility for an attack on a Greek-owned vessel it said was headed toward Israel. Hours earlier, the US military launched new strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
- Medication to the enclave: Qatar said it has brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas that will see medicines delivered to Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for the delivery of medicine and humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. Relatives of the more than 100 remaining hostages believed to be alive in Gaza have been calling for medications to be passed on to their loved ones. Israel said it will work with Qatar but can't guarantee the medicine will reach Israeli hostages.
- Inside Gaza: More than 24,400 people have been killed in Gaza, with more than 163 people killed by Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours alone, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza said. People in Gaza are living through what is now the longest sustained telecoms internet disruption in the enclave since the start of the war with Israel, according to Netblocks, a monitoring site reports. The site reported the blackout has passed 120 hours.
- Tensions in the region: Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that an end to the war in Gaza may put an end to other attacks in the region, he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The US has been working to prevent "a full-blown conflagration" and State Department spokesperson Matt Miller asserted that effort has been successful so far.
- Meantime at Lebanon border: Israel's Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi said the likelihood of war on Israel's northern front is now "much higher" than in recent times. He said his country is increasing its readiness for "fighting in Lebanon." At the same time, the United Nations secretary-general warned "we cannot have in Lebanon another Gaza," saying it is crucial to avoid a confrontation there.
US carries out another round of strikes against Houthis in Yemen, 2 US officials say
From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky
The United States carried out another round of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, according to two US officials, marking the fourth time the US has struck the Iran-backed rebel group in less than a week.
The US used Tomahawk missiles to target approximately 14 Houthi missile launchers used to attack international shipping lanes, one of the officials said. The Tomahawk missiles were launched from US Navy surface vessels and the USS Florida, a guided missile submarine, another official said.
Hours earlier, the Houthis struck a US-owned and operated vessel for the second time this week. On Monday, the Houthis struck another US-owned and operated vessel with an anti-ship ballistic missile in what appeared to be the first such successful attack against a US asset since the group began attacking international shipping lanes in mid-November.
The US strikes come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and fears that the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza could further spill out into the region. The US has been seeking to avoid major escalation in the region as fears rise over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza spilling out into the region. The Pentagon insisted Wednesday that the Israel-Hamas conflict has not spread.
"We currently assess that the fight between Israel and Hamas continues to remain contained in Gaza,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a news briefing.
The post was updated with more details on the US assault.
Houthi drone strikes US-owned and operated vessel, US Central Command says
From CNN's Oren Liebermann
A Houthi drone struck a US-owned and operated vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, according to US Central Command, marking the second time this week the Iran-backed rebel group has succeeded in targeting a US vessel.
No one was injured aboard the vessel, CENTCOM said, which suffered “some” damage. The ship, which is flagged in the Marshall Islands, remains seaworthy and continued on its way, the statement said.
Earlier Wednesday, a spokesman for the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they had launched a series of direct missiles at the American ship.
On Monday, a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile struck another US-owned and operated vessel in the Gulf of Aden. It appeared to be the first time since the Houthis began attacking international shipping lanes in mid-November that they had succeeded in hitting a US-owned and operated commercial ship.
Earlier this week, the US Transportation Department issued an alert to US merchant ships, advising them to steer clear of the southern part of the Red Sea until further notice.
Officials advised that although the decision is ultimately up to companies and individual vessels, “it is recommended” US-flag and US-owned commercial vessels avoid the area “until further notice.”
UK foreign secretary urges Iranian counterpart to withdraw support for Houthis
From CNN's Jorge Engels in London
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Wednesday, in a post on X, that he "made clear" to his Iranian counterpart Britain's position about Iran's support for Yemen's Houthis and Tehran's actions in the region.
Both Cameron and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian are at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
IDF will work with Qatar, but can't guarantee medicine reaches Israeli hostages, military spokesperson says
From CNN Staff
The Israeli military said it does "not have the ability to guarantee" medicine will reach hostages being held in Gaza, said Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces.
When asked about how the medicine would reach the hostages, Hagari said Israel would work with Qatar to ensure the medicine reaches those being held captive.
“What is important is that this effort happens, and currently the trucks are being checked. They will finish the checks, they will get in (to Gaza) and we need to do everything we can to ensure that the medications will indeed reach where they need to go,” Hagari explained.
Qatar announced on Tuesday it brokered a deal between Israel and Hamas to allow medication into Gaza for Palestinians and Israeli hostages.
Earlier Wednesday, the Hamas terms of the agreement included a stipulation that for every one box of medication given to Israeli hostages, 1,000 boxes of medication are also provided for Palestinians in Gaza.
Israeli military chief says likelihood of war on Israel's border with Lebanon much higher than in the past
From CNN's Amir Tal and Jen Deaton
The head of Israel's military said the likelihood of war on Israel's northern front is now "much higher" than in recent times.
Israel's Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi said on Wednesday said his country is increasing its readiness for "fighting in Lebanon." He made the comments while visiting a reservists' exercise near the border with Lebanon.
"I don't know when the war in the north is, I can tell you that the likelihood of it happening in the coming months is much higher than it was in the past," Halevi said.
He also said attaining Israel's goal of returning residents who have fled amid Israel-Hezbollah clashes "must come through a very significant change."
He also said that much had been learned from the war underway with Hamas in Gaza.
"We have a lot of lessons from the fighting in Gaza, many of which are very relevant to fighting in Lebanon, and there are some that must be adapted," the military chief said.
