US Strikes at Houthi Targets in Yemen

FILED - 29 January 2024, Yemen, Sanaa: Armed men of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Photo: Osamah Yahya/dpa
FILED - 29 January 2024, Yemen, Sanaa: Armed men of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Photo: Osamah Yahya/dpa
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US Strikes at Houthi Targets in Yemen

FILED - 29 January 2024, Yemen, Sanaa: Armed men of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Photo: Osamah Yahya/dpa
FILED - 29 January 2024, Yemen, Sanaa: Armed men of the Iran-backed Houthi militia take part in a demonstration. Photo: Osamah Yahya/dpa

US military forces have struck at targets in Houthi-controlled Yemen in the past 24 hours, destroying two drones, a Houthi ground control station, and three anti-ship cruise missiles, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Earlier, the Iran-aligned Houthis said they had attacked a container ship in the Red Sea and two US destroyers in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday.

"These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to US and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM said in a statement on the US strikes.

It said this "reckless and dangerous behavior" by the Houthis threatened regional stability, but it gave no further details and did not confirm that any US vessels had been attacked.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said earlier that the Houthi air force had launched drones against the US destroyer Cole and fired a number of ballistic missiles at the US destroyer Laboon on Wednesday.

The Liberia-flagged container ship Contship Ono was also targeted with ballistic missiles and drones, he said.

Contships Management in Athens told Reuters the vessel had not been hit and its crew were safe.

A US official said there was no data or information to corroborate the Houthis' claim that the two warships had been attacked.



White House Urges Hamas to Sign on to New Deal to Ensure Hostage Release

Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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White House Urges Hamas to Sign on to New Deal to Ensure Hostage Release

Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian boys examine a car targeted in an Israeli army strike that killed several of its occupants in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

The Biden administration is urging Hamas to sign on to a new ceasefire deal that would ensure the release of hostages, White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday.

Kirby said the White House welcomed Israel's decision to send another team to Doha to continue negotiations.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to mediate a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release for a year with no success and are making another push this month before Donald Trump's inauguration.
Ceasefire efforts have continually stumbled on a fundamental disagreement over how to end the conflict. Hamas says it will accept an agreement and release the hostages only if Israel commits to ending the war. Israel says it will agree to stop fighting only once Hamas is destroyed.

On Friday, Hamas said it wanted "a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip" and the return of displaced people to their homes in all areas of the enclave.

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly called for a ceasefire agreement. Trump has said that if there is not a deal to release the hostages before his inauguration, "all hell is going to break out.”