Ship Off Yemen Reports Missile Strike Nearby, Vessel and Crew Are Safe

Houthi soldiers march during a parade, in Sanaa, Yemen, 22 May 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi soldiers march during a parade, in Sanaa, Yemen, 22 May 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
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Ship Off Yemen Reports Missile Strike Nearby, Vessel and Crew Are Safe

Houthi soldiers march during a parade, in Sanaa, Yemen, 22 May 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi soldiers march during a parade, in Sanaa, Yemen, 22 May 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB

A merchant ship off the coast of Yemen reported a missile hitting the water nearby, Britain's sea trade monitoring agency reported on Thursday, adding that vessel and all crew are safe and are proceeding to the next port of call.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had received a report of the incident 98 nautical miles south of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah. The master of the merchant vessel had reported the missile impacting the water near the ship's port side.
British security firm Ambrey said it received a report that a merchant vessel was suspiciously approached 68 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah and had undergone what it described as "missile attack."
"No injuries or damages were reported," Ambrey said.

On Wednesday, US Central Command forces successfully engaged four uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in an Iranian-backed Houthi controlled area of Yemen, USCENTCOM said in a statement.

“It was determined these systems presented an imminent threat to US, coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” it said.

“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition, and merchant vessels,” the statement added.



Group Reports ‘Unprecedented Surge’ in Approvals for West Bank Israeli Settler Homes

An Israeli army soldier hangs a wooden beam carrying an Israeli flag banner atop the Ayoub Abdel-Basit al-Tamimi family home, which was allegedly taken over by Israeli settlers overnight, in Hebron city near the Israeli settlement area of Tel Rumeida in the occupied West Bank on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
An Israeli army soldier hangs a wooden beam carrying an Israeli flag banner atop the Ayoub Abdel-Basit al-Tamimi family home, which was allegedly taken over by Israeli settlers overnight, in Hebron city near the Israeli settlement area of Tel Rumeida in the occupied West Bank on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
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Group Reports ‘Unprecedented Surge’ in Approvals for West Bank Israeli Settler Homes

An Israeli army soldier hangs a wooden beam carrying an Israeli flag banner atop the Ayoub Abdel-Basit al-Tamimi family home, which was allegedly taken over by Israeli settlers overnight, in Hebron city near the Israeli settlement area of Tel Rumeida in the occupied West Bank on March 24, 2025. (AFP)
An Israeli army soldier hangs a wooden beam carrying an Israeli flag banner atop the Ayoub Abdel-Basit al-Tamimi family home, which was allegedly taken over by Israeli settlers overnight, in Hebron city near the Israeli settlement area of Tel Rumeida in the occupied West Bank on March 24, 2025. (AFP)

An Israeli anti-settlement group says there has been an “unprecedented surge” in approvals for new settler homes in the occupied West Bank since US President Donald Trump returned to office.

During his first term, Trump strongly backed Israel’s claims to territories seized in war, at times upending decades of American foreign policy. Previous administrations have admonished Israel over settlement expansion while taking little action to curb it.

The Peace Now group, which closely tracks settlement growth, said Monday that plans for 10,503 housing units in the West Bank have been advanced since the start of the year, compared to just 9,971 in all of 2024. It says another 1,344 homes are set to be approved on Wednesday.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians want all three for their future state and view settlement growth as a major obstacle to a two-state solution.

Israel has built well over 100 settlements that are now home to over 500,000 settlers with Israeli citizenship. The 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank live under Israeli military rule, with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority administering population centers.