Israel-Gaza war live updates: Houthis target tanker in third attack on commercial shipping in three days

Israel-Gaza war live updates: Houthis target tanker in third attack on commercial shipping in three days

Iran-backed Houthi militants attempted to strike a tanker ship in the third such attack on commercial shipping in three days, U.S. Central Command said. The attempt late Thursday local time followed another round of U.S. strikes targeting Houthi anti-ship missiles that the United States determined “were an imminent threat” to commercial vessels and U.S. Navy ships. For months, the Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea in what they say is a protest of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, upending shipping routes and drawing international condemnation.

Here’s what to know

• President Biden said Thursday that the U.S. strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen are not working. “Are they stopping the Houthis? No,” he said in response to questions at the White House. “Are they going to continue? Yes.” Shortly after, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the strikes will continue for as long as they need to, “to disrupt and degrade the Houthis’ ability to continue to conduct these attacks.”
• Mexico and Chile referred the situation in Gaza to the International Criminal Court for investigation over “the latest escalation of violence, particularly against civilian targets, and the alleged continued commission of crimes.” Last week, Israel defended itself at the International Court of Justice against South Africa’s allegations it is committing genocide in Gaza.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday reiterated his rejection of Palestinian statehood in a postwar scenario, in comments that were rebuked by the White House. “We obviously see it differently,” Kirby said, noting that “we’re not going to stop working” toward a two-state solution.
• At least 24,620 people have been killed in Gaza and 61,830 wounded since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

1:30 AM: U.S. launches new round of strikes against Yemen’s Houthis; Houthis attack another ship

The United States fired another round of strikes Thursday morning against Houthi militants in Yemen, targeting “a couple of anti-ship missiles that we had reason to believe were being prepared for imminent fire into the southern Red Sea,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Later in the day, the Houthis attacked another U.S.-owned ship — the third attack on commercial shipping vessels in three days, the United States said.

The U.S. strikes, which the Pentagon said were carried out by Navy fighter jets, were the second in less than 24 hours. The U.S. Navy on Wednesday night struck 14 missiles it said the Houthis had “loaded to be fired” against merchant vessels and American warships, according to U.S. Central Command.

Kirby said President Biden authorized the strikes as commander in chief under Article II authorities in the Constitution, and under Article 51 of the U.N. charter authorizing self-defense.

Houthi militants have been undeterred by U.S. strikes, continuing to attack commercial vessels. On Thursday night local time in Yemen, Houthi militants launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at M/V Chem Ranger, a U.S.-owned, Greek-operated, Marshall Island-flagged tanker ship, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement. Though the crew watched the missiles impact nearby water, the ship and its crew were not hurt or damaged, the statement continued.

The Houthis have connected their wave of attacks to the war on Gaza, saying they will continue to launch in protest of Israel’s campaign against Hamas.

Dan Lamothe and Alex Horton contributed to this report.

By: Karen DeYoung and Sammy Westfall

1:30 AM: Netanyahu says Israel won’t end war until ‘complete victory’ is achieved

In an evening address to the nation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back on growing international calls for an end to the conflict: “We strive to achieve total victory,” he said. “This is not just a matter of hitting Hamas, this is not another round with Hamas — this is a complete victory.”

He said that ending the war without achieving Israel’s goals “will damage Israel’s security for generations” and “will send a message of weakness and encourage our enemies to think that they can defeat us, and then the next massacre will be only a matter of time.” So, Israel will continue to “fight with full force” until it achieves its goals.

Israel, he said, “must maintain security control over all territory west of the Jordan river.”

Later in the day, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller offered a different vision, saying there was “no way” to solve Israel’s long-term challenges and ensure lasting security “without the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

Total victory to Netanyahu also meant, the prime minister said, the elimination of “terrorist leaders,” destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, returning hostages, and ensuring Gaza is demilitarized and “under Israel’s full security control, with Israeli control over everything that enters Gaza.”

“We will not stop. We will not finish the war before returning our loved ones home; we will not finish the war before total victory,” Netanyahu said.

“The US supports a two-state solution. It’s the only way to ensure security, dignity, and peace for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) later said in a post on X. “Netanyahu’s saying the quiet part out loud — it’s dangerous and directly contradicts US policy. Aid must be conditioned on working toward peace.”

By: Sammy Westfall