Israel-Hamas Conflict: Iran Announces Maritime Militia Of 55,000 Troops, Thousands Of Rocket-Equipped Ships

IRGC announces maritime militia

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday announced the establishment of a maritime militia, the semi-official Mehr News Agency reported.

IRGC Navy Commander Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri said the naval Basij or "mobilization forces" will specifically focus on ocean missions and will include 55,000 voluntary forces.

The Basij militia will have 33,000 vessels and will have its first operative activities in the Persian Gulf. In the second phase of the militia's establishment, forces will be deployed to the Caspian Sea, Tangsiri said as per the report.

Tangsiri referred to the Basij forces as the "shadow navy," adding that the troops will utilize ships "furnished with weapons such as 107mm rockets, and fire them when necessary."

The IRGC Navy's announcement came amid tensions in the Middle East after Yemen's Houthi rebel army attacked multiple commercial ships in recent days and warned that Israeli ships and vessels sailing toward Israel will be targeted.

US informed that Hamas demands make striking new hostage deal difficult: Report

Qatari and Egyptian mediators have informed Washington that they were having a hard time reaching a new hostage deal similar to the previous truce agreement because of Hamas' ceasefire pre-requisite, the Qatari Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper reported, citing Egyptian sources, as per local media.

While Hamas has been requiring a ceasefire first before any hostage-related negotiations begin, Israel has reportedly offered the release of "prominent" Hamas detainees and "elderly leaders" being held in Israeli prisons.

Israeli army shells areas in Lebanon

Israeli forces attacked "several areas in Lebanon with artillery fire" Tuesday morning, the IDF said. They also attacked the sources of a rocket launch from Lebanese territory towards the Metula area in northern Israel.

'Suspicious approach' by 4 small boats toward vessel in the Red Sea: UKMTO

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Tuesday that it received a report of a "suspicious approach" initiated by four small boats on a vessel sailing in the Red Sea, around 80 nautical miles (approximately 92 miles) northeast of Djibouti.

One of the boats "paralleled the ship's course" by around 0.5 nautical miles before it broke away from the ship. No weapons were seen at the time of the report, as per UKMTO.

The report came only about an hour after the UKMTO announced an incident report around the same area of the Red Sea.

International naval task force unnecessary: Senior Houthi member

Mohammed Abdel Salam, a senior member of Yemen's Houthi rebel army said Tuesday that there was no need to establish a Red Sea naval coalition since the waters near Yemen are "safe for everyone," Israel's national broadcaster reported.

Salam, echoing earlier statements by a Houthi spokesman, said only Israeli ships and vessels sailing toward Israel will not be spared by Houthi attacks.

Top Hamas financier eliminated: IDF

Joint forces of the Israeli army and Israel's security agency Shin Bet eliminated Subhi Ferwana, whom the IDF said was "involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars" for Hamas' armed activities.

Proana was a "prominent financier" who transferred money to Hamas' military wing that was used to strengthen the terror group's fighting capabilities and operative salaries, the IDF said in a Google-translated statement Tuesday.

He was assassinated in a targeted operation in Rafah.

Nearly a dozen ships anchored amid Red Sea attacks

At least 11 container vessels that were approaching Yemen and were en route to various countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Singapore have been anchored in the Red Sea, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing data from LSEG shiptracking. The ships were anchored between Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

Other ships were finding ways to mask their current positions by pinging on other locations, as per the report, while others turned off their transponders – a strategy believed to also be for avoidance of being detected.

The latest shiptracking data also showed that some ships entering the Suez Canal have employed armed guards onboard.

The developments in the shipping industry, particularly among vessels sailing through the Red Sea, came amid succeeding attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in recent days.

Israeli army destroys tunnel shaft near Gaza beach

Israeli troops destroyed a tunnel shaft located "near a beach in southern Gaza City," the IDF said Tuesday. Following the shaft's destruction, a "large number of terrorists" fled into a building near the coastline. The facility was destroyed by an Israeli air strike.

Red Sea will be 'graveyard' of US-led task force: Houthi defense minister

Maj. Gen. Mohammad al-Atifi, Yemen's Houthi defense minister, criticized the formation of a maritime task force in the Red Sea, saying the Houthis will "turn the Red Sea into a graveyard of the U.S.-led coalition if the alliance decides to take any action against Yemen," Iranian state-owned Press TV reported.

Atifi's remarks came after Austin announced a 10-nation Red Sea shipping protection force that should deter Houthi-initiated attacks against commercial ships sailing in the area.

Iranian gas stations up and running, but payment system issues remain: Report

Gas stations in Iran finally started working Tuesday morning following a suspected cyberattack that paralyzed 70% of the country's gas pumps, local media reported, citing the semi-official ISNA news agency.

Jafar Salari Nesab, National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company CEO, told ISNA that while the gas stations are working, only 60% are able to process fuel cards.

Hacking group Gonjeshke Darande, which is believed to have links to Israel, claimed responsibility for the cyberattack, telling Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that aggression by Iran and its proxies in the Middle East will have consequences.

Incident report northeast of Djibouti: UKMTO

The UKMTO said Tuesday morning local time that it received an incident report northeast of Djibouti. Authorities are investigating the incident.

Vessels sailing through the area have been advised to move with caution amid continuing attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

IDF signals renewed focus on Khan Yunis

The Israeli army has once again prohibited civilian movements in the Salah al-Din axis, specifically in the northern and eastern sides of Khan Yunis, the second-largest city in the Gaza Strip, IDF spokesperson for Arab media Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee announced Tuesday morning local time.

He said civilians will only be allowed to move through the bypass axis west of Khan Yunis.

The announcement comes after fierce battles in the northern Gaza Strip that saw the IDF suffer major personnel losses. Israeli ground troops focused operations on southern Gaza's main city of Khan Yunis two weeks earlier, when Netanyahu said IDF forces were surrounding the house of Hamas' most senior official in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.

Shipping companies avoid Red Sea route

Multiple shipping companies have made announcements regarding their vessels that were originally sailing through the Red Sea amid rising fears of more Houthi attacks.

• Yang Ming Marine Transport (Taiwan)
• Hapag-Lloyd (Germany)
• Frontline (Norway)
• Evergreen (Taiwan)
• Equinor (Norway)
• Euronav (Belgium)

Fighting continues in Shuja'iyya neighborhood: Local media

"Shuja'iyya is still being fought for," local i24 News reported Tuesday, even as the Israeli army already announced the seizure of Hamas' Shuja'iyya Battalion headquarters.

There are also some "pockets" of resistance around the Jabalia refugee camp as IDF ground troops continue to hunt down Hamas members in the area. There is "fierce fighting" west of the Jabalia camp, the outlet reported, citing Hamas-affiliated Palestinian media.

Netanyahu slams 'Iranian axis of terror' threats in the Red Sea

During a meeting with Austin Monday, Netanyahu said the U.S. and Israel are fighting against "the Iranian axis of terror, which is now threatening to close the maritime strait of Bab el-Mandeb." He said the recent targeting of commercial vessels "threatens the freedom of navigation of the entire world.

"I appreciate the fact that you're taking action to open the strait," Netanyahu said, after Yemeni Houthis attacked multiple commercial ships sailing around the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in recent days.

He added that protecting shipping activities in the Red Sea was not only at the interest of Israel but of the "entire civilized community."

BP halts all Red Sea shipments amid Houthi attacks

Oil giant BP announced Monday that it is pausing all shipments of oil through the Red Sea, blaming the "deteriorating security situation" in the region in the wake of continuing attacks by Houthis, multiple outlets reported.

The company said it will keep its "precautionary pause under ongoing review" as it monitors the situation in the region that has seen tensions rise since the war between Israel and Hamas started.

BP has joined a growing list of companies halting shipping activities in the Red Sea since the Houthi attacks, including the Mediterranean Shipping Company, Denmark's Maersk, and Hong Kong-based OOCL.

UNIFIL Lebanon chief warns of 'dangerous' and 'tense' situation at border

Aroldo Lazaro, head of the UN's peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) in Lebanon said Monday that the border situation with Israel was tense. "It is difficult, it is dangerous," he said, as per local media.

He is expected to meet with officials who are seeking to ease tensions between Israel and terror group Hezbollah, which has been shelling communities near Israel's northern border with Lebanon since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.

191 aid trucks enter Gaza

A total of 191 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip Monday, the Israeli government said. Of the said number, 64 trucks were inspected and allowed entry into the enclave through the recently opened Kerem Shalom crossing. The majority of the trucks entered through the Nitzana crossing.

4 more Israeli soldiers fall in Gaza, including 3 officers

The Israeli army has lost four more soldiers in fierce battles in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced early Tuesday on its tribute page for fallen soldiers.

• Capt. Nathaniel Silberg, 33 – team commander in the Yahalom unit of the Combat Engineering Corps
• Capt. Yarin Gahli, 22 – team commander in the Givati Brigade
• Capt. Rotem Yosef Levy, 24 – platoon deputy commander in the Yahalom unit of the Combat Engineering Corps
• Sgt. Daniel Yaajov Ben Harosh, 31 – fighter in the 6551^st Battalion of the 551^st Brigade

Missiles fired into Israel from Syria: IDF

Several missiles were fired toward Israel from Syrian territory late Monday, the IDF said. The missiles fell in open areas, and Israeli forces attacked the source of fire with artillery. Israeli tanks also attacked a military post of the Syrian army.

'Don't let us grow old here,' elderly hostage says in Hamas-published video

One of the hostages abducted by Hamas during the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel pled with the Israeli government to get him and over a hundred others out of captivity "with no conditions," as seen in a video released by Hamas late Monday.

The hostage, who can be seen seated in between two other elderly hostages, identified himself as Haiem Bery and said he was with a group of other old people who "all have chronic illnesses and are living in very harsh conditions."

"Don't let us grow old here," he said.

It is unclear when the video of Bery and the other hostages was taken, but Israel has identified the abductees as Chaim Peri, 79, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 84.

Peri's son told Reuters that his father tried to repel Hamas gunmen who raided Kibbutz Nir Oz but eventually gave himself up so his wife, who was hiding behind a sofa, wouldn't be seen by the militants.

The wives of Cooper and Metzger were taken hostage with them but were among more than a hundred freed by Hamas during the seven-day truce that collapsed after the terror group refused to release more women and children.

US announces expanded Red Sea force amid Houthi attacks

Austin announced on Monday, during his visit to Israel, a larger Red Sea maritime force that will help protect shipping in the Red Sea amid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebel army against commercial vessels in the area in recent days.

The coalition includes the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy, Seychelles, Spain, Norway, Netherlands and Bahrain, Austin revealed.

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UN Security Council postpones vote due to US objection of some wording: Reports

The United Nations Security Council has pushed back to Tuesday a vote calling for a sustainable cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip after the U.S. objected to some of the draft resolution's language, multiple outlets reported.

In particular, the U.S. – one of only five permanent members of the council – said it might accept a call for a "suspension" of hostilities but couldn't support wording that refers to a "cessation" of the war.

The council was supposed to vote on the draft resolution Monday.

129 hostages remain in Gaza: IDF spox

Conricus said late Monday that there are still 129 hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip after three Israelis abducted by the militant group on Oct.7 were mistakenly shot and killed by Israeli soldiers Saturday.

The IDF spokesperson reiterated that there will be "no changes" in how the Israeli army handles surrendering civilians since the soldiers who fired at the hostages "operated contrary to our rules of engagement, and they shouldn't have fired."

Gallant suggests Israel will shift to new phase of war 'soon'

The Israeli army will "soon" be able to "distinguish between different areas in Gaza," the Israeli defense minister said during a joint briefing in Tel Aviv after he spoke with the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

"In every are where we achieve our mission we will be able to transition gradually to the next phase and start working on bringing back the local population. That means that it can be achieved maybe sooner in the north rather than in the south," Gallant noted.

Gallant's remarks came amid increasing pressure from the international community for Israel to build on a strategy that considers the plight of Gaza civilians who were displaced due to the dragging war.

Israeli troops demolish Shuja'iyya 'victory' square

During operations in northern Gaza, soldiers with the IDF's Golani Brigade took control of and demolished the "Palestine Square" in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City, the IDF said late Monday.

The Israeli fighters also destroyed a monument that Hamas erected to commemorate its attack against and Israeli tank in 2014, during Operation Protective Edge. The IDF lost seven soldiers in the said attack.

Houthis claim responsibility for attacks on 2 commercial ships

Yahya Sare'e, spokesman of the Yemeni Houthi rebel army, said on Monday that Houthis attacked oil carrier Swan Atlantic and container ship "MSC Clara," which he said were "linked" to Israel.

In a series of posts on X, Sare'e said the two commercial vessels were attacked by Houthi sea drones due to the "refusal" of the ships' crews to "respond to calls" from the rebel group.

"The Yemeni armed forces reassure all ships heading to all ports across the world, except for Israeli ports, would be safe and must keep the identifying devices open," he warned.

The confirmation came a few hours before the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said attacks were carried out from "Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen" against the M/V Swan Atlantic and M/V Clara Monday.

While the M/V Clara reported an explosion "in the water near their location" and did not request for support or damage, the M/V Swan Atlantic reported an "impact on the vessel," CENTCOM said. The USS Carney responded to the mayday call.

Israel tells US it wants Hezbollah removed at least 6 miles from border: Report

Netanyahu and Gallant told Austin during a meeting Monday that Israel wants combatants of Iran-backed Hezbollah to be removed at least 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Israel's northern border with Lebanon as part of a diplomatic agreement that will end escalating tensions with Lebanon, Axios reported, citing three Israeli and American officials.

The news comes after IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said more than 80,000 residents of northern Israel have been displaced due to Hezbollah's continuing attacks targeting Lebanon border communities.

The Israeli prime minister and defense minister specifically told Austin that Israel wants a diplomatic deal that will include pushing Hezbollah forces far enough to ensure that they can't fire at Israeli communities or implement a raid similar to Hamas' Oct. 7 carnage, the officials said.

Austin reportedly said the Biden administration understands Israel's concerns but asked for time and space for diplomatic talks. He also reportedly requested that Israel refrain from taking steps that could further escalate tensions, as the Biden government was concerned that an all-out war may be triggered at the Israel-Lebanon border.