Middle East crisis live: Second ship attacked by Houthi missiles
The Houthis have attacked a second ship today after firing a missile at a vessel in the Red Sea.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said an explosion had been reported at a distance off the unnamed ship’s starboard side as it travelled to the west of Hodeidah, a port on Yemen’s western coast.
It said the vessel was undamaged and the crew are safe, with the missile having landed in the sea.
Residents in Ibb, a Houthi-controlled city in central Yemen, said a missile was fired from the city towards the sea.
The Houthis earlier struck a British-operated ship south of the port of Aden.
It comes after the United States carried out strikes in Yemen against 10 attack drones reportedly ready to launch and a ground control station.
A US warship also shot down an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis and later downed three Iranian drones, the US military said.
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03:59 PM GMT
Today's live coverage has ended
Today’s live coverage has ended. Here is a roundup of the day’s main events:
Palestinian media is reporting that “dozens of Palestinian civilians were killed and others were injured” in a round of recent Israeli attacks in Gaza.
Ongoing disruption in the Red Sea threatens to destabilise Italy’s economy and marginalise ports in southern Europe, Italy’s defence minister said on Thursday.
At least 27,019 Palestinians have been killed and 66,139 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct 7, the health ministry in Gaza said on Thursday.
A Houthi strike has hit a British-operated ship in the Red Sea in the latest targeted attack against commercial shipping, according to reports.
Rishi Sunak, the UK Prime Minister, on Thursday said an MP who represents a mainly Jewish area had effectively been hounded out of office after he announced he would not seek re-election.
President Joe Biden is expected to issue an executive order targeting Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been attacking Palestinians in the occupied territory, according to four people familiar with the matter.
03:38 PM GMT
Biden to issue executive order targeting Israel settlers who attack Palestinians in West Bank
US President Joe Biden is expected to issue an executive order targeting Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been attacking Palestinians in the occupied territory, according to four people familiar with the matter.
A senior administration official, who like the others was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the White House was expected to announce the order later Thursday.
The executive order is expected to set the ground for imposing sanctions on individuals who have engaged in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Attacks by Israeli settlers have intensified since the war started, and some Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian authorities. Rights groups say settlers have torched cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, forcing evacuations to other areas.
Mr Biden’s expected order was first reported by Politico.
03:18 PM GMT
Armed attacker takes hostages at P&G plant in Turkey
An armed assailant on Thursday raided a plant owned by the US consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble near Istanbul and took an undisclosed number of people hostage, Turkish media reported.
The assailant appeared to be acting in protest at US support for Israel’s military assault in Gaza, the private DHA news agency reported.
Turkish officials and police issued no immediate comment.
It was not clear how many people were being held at the plant, which lies on the eastern outskirts of Istanbul.
Images from the scenes showed police setting up a cordon around the sprawling plant, which primarily manufactures cosmetics.
Special operation forces and medical personnel were dispatched to the scene, DHA reported.
02:58 PM GMT
Norway 'reasonably optimistic' funding to UNRWA can resume
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Reuters on Thursday he was “reasonably optimistic” some countries that had paused funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) would resume payments.
UNRWA on Thursday said its entire operations in the Middle East, not only in Gaza, will most likely be forced to shut down by the end of February if its funding remains suspended.
“I am reasonably optimistic that we will get funding back on track,” Barth Eide said in an interview.
He said “many countries” were realising that the current situation could not last very long. He declined to name specific countries.
“They’re looking for a way out. And maybe if now UNRWA comes up quickly with a good response, which is accepted as serious, they will then happily restart,” said the minister.
“Because I think we hear from several governments, and also governments, who have been vocal publicly about the need to suspend, that they understand the very, very serious consequences.”
02:30 PM GMT
Watch: IDF reveal system for flooding Hamas tunnels
02:11 PM GMT
Hamas 'unlikely to accept' ceasefire proposals in current form
Palestinian sources said that they do not expect Hamas to reject ceasefire proposals, but that it is unlikely they will accept them in their present form.
The official told Reuters:
I expect that Hamas will not reject the paper, but it might not give a decisive agreement either. Instead, I expect them to send a positive response, and reaffirm their demands: for the agreement to be signed, it must ensure Israel will commit to ending the war in Gaza and pull out from the enclave completely.
It is thought that the proposal would include assurances that Hamas would release women, children and those over the age of 60 who are currently being held hostage.
This exchange would result in a pause in the fighting.
Hamas officials are reported to currently be studying the proposals in Cairo.
01:52 PM GMT
Cameron urges calm on Lebanon-Israel border
Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, appealed for a return to calm on the Lebanon-Israel border Thursday in Beirut talks with Najib Mikati, the Lebanese prime minister, Mr Mikati’s office said.
Since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on Oct 7, the border has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.
Lord Cameron and Mr Mikati discussed “ways to restore calm in southern Lebanon, as well as the political and diplomatic solutions that are needed,” the premier’s office said.
Lord Cameron is the latest in a succession of Western ministers to visit Beirut amid concern that the Gaza war could spark a wider conflict involving Iranian allies around the Middle East.
01:27 PM GMT
Sunak calls hounding of MP 'an attack on British democracy'
Rishi Sunak, the UK Prime Minister, on Thursday said an MP who represents a mainly Jewish area had effectively been hounded out of office after he announced he would not seek re-election.
Mike Freer’s decision not to stand again in an election expected this year comes amid a surge in anti-Semitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Mr Freer, 63, is not Jewish but his Finchley and Golders Green constituency in north London has one of the country’s biggest Jewish communities.
In a letter to his local constituency group, published online late on Wednesday, Mr Freer said he has had “several serious threats” to his personal safety, including an arson attack on his office.
Mr Sunak’s spokesman told reporters: “No elected representative deserves to be abused or intimidated and the attacks and abuse that Mike Freer references are clearly deeply distressing.
“They’re not just an attack on him but an attack on British democracy ... people are free to debate issues passionately and have robust debate. Intimidation and abuse is simply unacceptable.”
01:17 PM GMT
UN experts decry killing of journalists in Gaza
UN rights experts voiced alarm Thursday at soaring numbers of journalists killed in the Gaza war, decrying an apparent “deliberate” Israeli strategy to silence critical reporting.
“Rarely have journalists paid such a heavy price for just doing their job as those in Gaza now,” the five experts said in a statement.
United Nations reports indicate that at least 122 journalists and other media workers have been killed and many others injured in the Gaza Strip since war erupted there.
“We are alarmed at the extraordinarily high numbers of journalists and media workers who have been killed, attacked, injured and detained in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in Gaza, in recent months,” the experts said.
12:54 PM GMT
US congress passes bill banning Hamas from country
The American Congress has passed a bill which if passed by the Senate would bar all members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) from entering the United States.
Only two representatives voted against it: Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib and Missouri Democrat Cori Bush.
12:36 PM GMT
Houthi attacks British ship as US launches fresh air strikes in Yemen
A Houthi strike has hit a British operated ship in the Red Sea in the latest targeted attack against commercial shipping, according to reports.
The vessel, named as KOI, was operating south of Yemen’s port of Aden and reported an explosion earlier this morning.
Reuters have reported that the KOI is a Liberian-flagged container ship operated by UK-based Oceonix Services.
It comes as the United States carried out strikes in Yemen against 10 attack drones reportedly ready to launch and a ground control station.
A US warship also shot down an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis and later downed three Iranian drones, the US military said.
While the US has recently launched strikes on the Houthis and other Tehran-supported groups in the region, both it and Iran have sought to avoid a direct confrontation, and the downing of three Iranian drones could heighten tensions.
The Houthis regard all Israeli, US and British ships as legitimate targets following Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.
12:15 PM GMT
Iran 'not pulling officers out of Syria'
Iran is not pulling senior officers in its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) out of Syria, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen news channel has said.
It cited “reliable sources” who said the Iranian “advisers” will remain in Syria but their families will be sent home.
Reuters reported earlier on Thursday that the senior officers had been pulled out after a number of Israeli strikes against IRGC positions in Syria, where they are advising Bashar Al Assad’s armed forces.
11:54 AM GMT
UK reports incident in Red Sea
A warning of a reported incident in the Red Sea near Yemen has been issued by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
According to Reuters the crew and vessel are safe, but an explosion was reported a “distance off” of its starboard side.
The UKMTO said that authorities are investigating.
UKMTO Warning Incident 026
ATTACK
UKMTO has received a report of an incident 57NM West of Al Hudaydah, Yemen.
Authorities are investigating.#Maritimesecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/7g9dUkU6NE— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) February 1, 2024
11:29 AM GMT
Doctor warns of 'devastating' scenes in Khan Younis
A doctor has warned about the situation in Khan Younis, calling it “one of the most devastating things” he has seen in his career.
Dr Chris Hook, of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) told Al Jazeera that large numbers of casualties, including women and children, were arriving in masses at the Nasser hospital.
The facility already houses thousands of displaced people.
He said that if the children are “fortunate enough to survive”, they will suffer from “terrible injuries, huge burns covering 50-70 per cent of their body and massively broken limbs”.
“They’re going to need long-term care, lots of them will never walk properly, if at all,” he added.
11:08 AM GMT
27,019 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza
At least 27,019 Palestinians have been killed and 66,139 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct 7, the health ministry in Gaza said on Thursday.
In the past 24 hours, 118 Palestinians were killed and 190 injured, the ministry added.
10:51 AM GMT
Israelis block Gaza aid convoy
Trucks heading towards Gaza have been blocked by Israeli protests.
It is thought that the trucks were departing from Ashdod port carrying humanitarian aid.
They have demanded that humanitarian aid be contingent on Hamas releasing the 136 hostages it is holding.
10:30 AM GMT
Red Sea disruption 'threatens Italy's economic stability'
Ongoing disruption in the Red Sea threatens to destabilise Italy’s economy and marginalise ports in southern Europe, Italy’s defence minister said on Thursday.
Attacks since mid-November on commercial vessels by Iran-aligned Houthi militants, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have disrupted international shipping, forcing some companies to suspend transit through the Red Sea and instead take a much longer, costlier journey around South Africa.
“From a geopolitical perspective, the continuing of this situation could lead to the marginalisation of ports on the Mediterranean Sea,” Guido Crosetto, the defence minister, told lawmakers from parliament’s defence committees.
“Not only does it threaten the security of navigation but also (Italy’s) economic stability.”
The minister said that commercial traffic through the Suez Canal – which he estimated to represent some 40 per cent of Italy’s total maritime trade – had dropped by 38 per cent by the last week of 2023. Navigation times increased by 10-12 days and costs increased almost five-fold, he added.
10:07 AM GMT
Israeli forces leave hospital in Khan Younis
Israeli forces have left the al Amal hospital in Khan Younis days after entering the complex.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that Israeli forces had entered its headquarters nearby for a third time.
At least 7,000 displaced people, 100 patients, 100 doctors and crew are at the hospital, spokesman Raes Al Nims said.
Israel has previously accused Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian infrastructure to cover its operations.
09:49 AM GMT
In pictures: Gaza attacks continue
Here is a roundup of the latest photos from Gaza.
09:40 AM GMT
114 Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel
Over 100 Palestinian prisoners have been handed over to Gaza by Israel this morning, the Gaza Crossings Authority said.
A total of 114 prisoners, who had been held in Israel, were released through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
The prisoners included four women, Hisham Adwan, a spokesman, said.
09:21 AM GMT
Israeli strikes kill 'dozens of Palestinians'
Palestinian media is reporting that “dozens of Palestinian civilians were killed and others were injured” in a round of recent Israeli attacks in Gaza.
The news agency Wafa wrote: “A number of people were killed and dozens were injured in Israeli missile and artillery shelling and gunfire in the western region of Gaza City. Ambulances were not able to reach them to transport them to al-Shifa hospital.”
It added: “Israeli artillery shelling continues on the al-Amal neighbourhood and the vicinity of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, west of the city of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, for the 11th day in a row.”
The claims have not been independently verified.
08:59 AM GMT
Hamas head in Cairo for truce discussions
The leader of Hamas is expected to have been in Cairo on Thursday for talks on a proposed truce in Gaza, as Israel keeps up its offensive.
Hamas was reviewing a proposal for a six-week truce in its war with Israel, a source told AFP, after mediators gathered in Paris, with international efforts towards a new pause in the devastating war gathering pace.
A Hamas source said the three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the fighting that would see more aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip.
Only “women, children and sick men over 60” held by Gaza militants would be freed during that stage in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, the source said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.
There would also be “negotiations around the withdrawal of Israeli forces”, with possible additional phases involving more hostage-prisoner exchanges, said the source, adding the territory’s rebuilding was also among issues addressed by the deal.
08:41 AM GMT
Israeli troops killed dozens of Gaza militants in past day
Israel’s military said on Thursday that its troops killed “dozens of terrorists” over the past day in battles that raged across the Gaza Strip.
In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, where Israel has been focusing its offensive in recent weeks against the Hamas Islamist group, the military said its troops engaged in close-quarter combat and directed air strikes.
It also reported fighting in central and north Gaza.
