Middle East Conflict: French Navy Downs Drones In Red Sea; Houthis Claim Israeli Ships 'Ban'

Houthis hold meeting to discuss Red Sea attacks expansion: Arab media

The Houthis met with Iranian and Lebanese experts in Yemen Thursday to talk about expanding attacks in the Red Sea, Sky News Arabia reported, citing Yemeni sources.

The Yemeni rebel militia has been on a rampage in the Red Sea since November, after they seized a cargo ship. The said vessel and its crew remain in Houthi captivity, three months since its hijacking.

4 permanent UNSC members ready to unilaterally recognize Palestinian state: Arab report

Four permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are prepared to unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood, Sky News in Arabic reported Thursday, citing two unidentified sources, as per a Google translation.

There are only five permanent members of the Council: the United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom. The U.S. was the only permanent UNSC member that refused a unilateral process, a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity reportedly said.

International Business Times cannot independently verify the report.

This comes as Netanyahu continues to reject the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, saying it will only "reward" terrorism.

Israel proposes plan for Palestinian-run areas of Gaza: Report

The Israeli government is in search of "the right people to step up to the plate," those not affiliated with Hamas, to oversee "humanitarian pockets" in areas of the Gaza Strip from which the terror group has been expelled, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a senior Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It is clear that this will take time, as no one will come forward if they think Hamas will put a bullet in their head," the official said, adding that the proposed plan "may be achieved once Hamas is destroyed and doesn't pose a threat to Israel or to Gazans.

This comes after Israeli Channel 12 TV reported that the Zeitoun neighborhood in northern Gaza was a candidate to test the plan's feasibility. Civil society leaders and local merchants will distribute humanitarian aid to residents while the Israeli army will provide peripheral security for the area.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, told the outlet that such a plan would only lead to Israel's reoccupation of Gaza. "We are confident this project is pointless and is a sign of confusion and it will never succeed," he said.

Violence reported at Kerem Shalom crossing

Violence has erupted among protesters blocking humanitarian aid trucks and security forces at the Kerem Shalom border crossing, The Times of Israel reported, citing Hebrew media.

Activists calling on a halt to humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza until hostages are freed alleged that soldiers punched or kicked several members of the demonstrating group.

There have been multiple protests at the Kerem Shalom crossing and the Nitzana border crossing in recent weeks amid rising desperation for the release of abductees in Hamas captivity.

French Navy downs 2 drones over Red Sea

The French Navy's Languedoc frigate on Thursday shot down two drones over the Red Sea, AFP reported, citing France's defense ministry.

France deployed two frigates in the Red Sea as part of the European Union's naval mission in the area amid increasing attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels against commercial ships.

Ship attack off Yemen results in fire: UKMTO

A ship transiting around 70 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen, was targeted by two missiles Thursday, resulting in a fire onboard, UKMTO said. The U.S.-led maritime forces are responding to the scene.

Hezbollah publishes footage of supposed attack on IDF site

Hezbollah on Thursday published a video of what it said was documentation of an attack targeting "a gathering" of Israeli soldiers at an IDF site near Israel's border with Lebanon.

Missile from Lebanon hits residential home in northern Israel: Local media

One of two anti-tank missiles fired from Lebanese territory toward northern Israeli communities on Thursday hit a "residential home in Kfar Yuval, causing damage to the structure," local i24 News correspondent Ariel Oseran posted on X.

The second missile fell in Kiryat Shmona, near the Israel-Lebanon border. No casualties were reported in the said missile attacks.

Houthis claim 'ban' on Israeli-linked ships

The Yemeni Houthi rebel militia on Thursday said it has "banned" Israeli-linked and Israeli-flagged vessels from the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea, Reuters reported, citing statements to shipping insurers and companies from the terror group's humanitarian operations coordination center.

In the statements viewed by the outlet, the Houthis also said US and UK-owned ships, or any vessel sailing under the said countries flags are also "banned" from the mentioned global waters.

This comes following what appears to have been a mistaken attack by the rebel militia on a ship that carried humanitarian supplies for the Yemeni public.

Israeli group says Hamas carried out 'systematic, targeted' sexual assaults and rape on Oct. 7

The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI) on Wednesday submitted a report to United Nations "decision-makers" that alleged Hamas carried out "systematic, targeted sexual abuse" and rape when its militants raided Israel on Oct. 7, the Israeli government said in a press release.

"The report finds that the Hamas attack included brutal acts of violent rape, often involving threats with weapons, specifically directed towards injured women. Many rape incidents occurred collectively, with collaboration among the perpetrating terrorists," the ARCCI said.

There were also testimonies, interviews and other sources that indicated Hamas used "sadistic practices" that were aimed at "intensifying the humiliation and fear of sexual abuse," the association added.

This is not the first time Hamas has been accused of sexual abuse as a doctor who worked with former hostages freed during the seven-day truce late in November, revealed that the abductees were not only drugged to keep them silent during their time in captivity. They were also psychologically and sexually abused.

Photos and live footage from the Oct. 7 massacre also pointed to the sexual crimes that Hamas operatives committed when they launched their shock attack in Israel.

"We expect international organizations to take a clear stance; we cannot stand on the sidelines. Silence will be remembered as a historical stain on those who chose to remain silent and deny the sexual crimes committed by Hamas," said Orit Sulitzeanu, CEO of ARCCI.

Netanyahu hails Knesset vote against unilateral Palestinian state recognition

Netanyahu late on Wednesday took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate what he said was a "historic decision" by the Knesset who overwhelmingly voted in support of the Israeli prime minister's proposal to reject "unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state."

A total of 99 out of 120 members voted in favor of the proposal, marking what Netanyahu says is a message to the world that Israel's peace and security will only be achieved through negotiations, "not through unilateral actions."

Egyptian officials reportedly told Israel there won't be another opportunity to rescue hostages: Lebanese report

Senior Egyptian officials have stressed to the Israeli government that it won't get another opportunity to rescue hostages in a military operation since the abductees have been moved to areas that the Israeli army has yet to reach, Israel's national broadcaster Kan reported Thursday, citing a Lebanese report.

The Israeli government has yet to deny or confirm the report.

Two elderly Israeli hostages were rescued from Rafah earlier this month in a ground operation in the overcrowded southern Gaza city.

Read the full story here.

'Promising' signs of progress in hostage deal talks: Gantz

The Israeli war cabinet member said in a Wednesday televised media briefing that there were "promising early signs of progress" in efforts to reach a new truce agreement to free the remaining hostages in Gaza.

"We will not stop looking for a way and we will not miss any opportunity to bring our girls and boys home," he said.

His comments come after Netanyahu said Israel was not ready to "pay any price" in releasing its hostages due to Hamas' "delusional" demands.

Hezbollah pressured Hamas to soften ceasefire demands: Report

Hezbollah's chief Nasrallah, has reportedly, in recent weeks, been asking Hamas to "consolidate" and told its Palestinian ally that its demand to release hundreds of prisoners was "unrealistic," local media reported Thursday, citing Arab affairs commentator Jacky Hugi in an interview with Army Radio.

Hugi said that four months into the war, Nasrallah "has exhausted" Hezbollah's fight against Israel in the northern border. After killing some people in attacks toward northern Israel and driving out multiple communities from their homes, Hezbollah is now "satisfied" with what it has done so it supposedly informed Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh that Hamas needs "to be flexible," as per Hugi.

International Business Times cannot independently verify the information Hugi dispersed.

Hezbollah claims 13 operations against Israel in the last day

Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has been launching a barrage of rockets on a near-daily basis toward Israel since the war in Gaza started, on Thursday claimed that it had "a very busy day" Thursday, carrying out 13 paramilitary operations against Israel.

The Lebanon-based terror group has repeatedly vowed that it will continue targeting northern Israel until the Gaza war ends.

Israel intercepts aerial target from Red Sea

Israel's defense forces on Thursday intercepted an aerial target launched from the Red Sea toward Israel, the IDF announced on X.

This comes following siren alerts earlier in the day in the area of Eilat, a southern Israeli port city that was subject to a drone attack from Syrian territory in November. A school was struck in the said attack, triggering a retaliatory strike from the Israeli army.

Explosion reported west of Houthi-held area in Yemen

The UKMTO said there were reports of "an explosion and a flash sighted in the southern Red Sea" around 40 nautical miles to the west of Houthi-controlled Al Hudaydah in Yemen.

This comes amid continuing attacks by Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels toward merchant shipping lanes in the area.

Switzerland to ban Hamas, other groups acting on its behalf

Switzerland on Wednesday announced action to ban Hamas under a draft legislation following the Oct. 7 massacre wherein Hamas operatives raided Israel and killed more than 1,200 individuals, including two Swiss nationals.

The Swiss government said Hamas, "cover or successor" groups under the Palestinian militant organization, and groups or other organizations acting on its behalf "or in is name" will be banned.

The law to ban Hamas will be limited to five years. It has since entered consultation phase.