US, UK launch enhanced attack on Yemen rebels; Israelis back American peace plan: Updates

The United States and Great Britain launched joint attacks on Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen on Monday, the latest in a series of strikes intended to limit their ability to disrupt international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

The strikes targeted eight sites in Yemen at about 4 p.m. Eastern Time, according to a joint statement from the U.S. and its allies and U.S. military officials. Monday’s attack was the most robust since the initial strikes by U.S. and British forces on Jan. 11.

U.S. Navy warplanes from the USS Eisenhower and Royal Air Force fighters took part in the strikes, a senior military official who was not authorized to speak publicly told reporters Monday night. Ships and submarines also fired Tomahawk land-attack missiles.

They struck an underground storage site that contained more sophisticated missiles than those destroyed in the initial strikes, the official said. The U.S.-led attacks have degraded the Houthis' ability to assault vessels in shipping lanes, the official said.

The Houthis have launched more than 30 such attacks since November, continuing them even after U.S. warnings and subsequent military action. The rebel group maintains it's responding to Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

The Biden administration has sought to contain the fighting to Gaza but increasingly has been drawn into conflicts with Iranian-backed militants such as the Houthis in Yemen and militias that have attacked U.S. and allied bases in Iraq and Syria.

Netanyahu says no to a Palestinian state, won't give in to 'Hamas monsters': Updates

Developments:

∎ A no-confidence vote on the government submitted by the Knesset's Labor faction gained only 18 of the required 61 votes. Many lawmakers dismissed the action as politically motivated and refused to vote.

∎ The Israeli military announced the death of three more soldiers, raising the total since the invasion began to 198.

Military: 21 Israeli soldiers killed in deadliest single-day attack on IDF

Twenty-one soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip in the deadliest attack on Israel’s forces since the Oct. 7 Hamas raid that triggered the war, the military said Tuesday, a major setback that could add to mounting calls for a cease-fire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the soldiers but vowed to press ahead with the offensive until “absolute victory” over Hamas. He has also promised to return over 100 hostages held captive in Gaza. But Israelis are increasingly divided on the question of whether it’s possible to do either, and large numbers of Israeli casualties have pressured Israel’s government to halt past military operations.

A senior Egyptian official meanwhile said Israel has proposed a two-month cease-fire in which the hostages would be freed in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and top Hamas leaders in Gaza would be allowed to relocate to other countries.

Israelis favor U.S. peace plan, poll says

A majority of Israelis support the U.S.-proposed peace plan calling for the release of all hostages and the eventual establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state, according to a poll released Monday.

The survey was conducted on behalf of the Geneva Initiative, an international organization that supports a two-state solution. More than 51% of respondents said they would back the deal while 29% said they would oppose it. About 20% of the 500 Israeli's surveyed said they didn’t know.

The plan would also provide for normalized relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which would be among a group of Arab nations aiding in the reconstruction of postwar Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has repeatedly pledged that Israel will retain security control over Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu has doubled down on the pledge repeatedly since Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border from Gaza, killing about 1,200 people and seizing over 240. More than 130 remain captive in Gaza. The attack ignited the war, which the Gaza Health Ministry says has killed 25,000 Palestinians.

"The survey shows a clear picture," the Geneva Initiative said in a statement. "In exchange for regional security and the return of the abductees, the Israeli public is ready to accept a demilitarized Palestinian state. Now, Israel must say yes to President Biden, and not to (conservative Israeli) ministers."

Protesters crash into Israeli Knesset, rally outside Netanyahu's home

Relatives and supporters of hostages in Gaza burst into the Israeli parliament and massed outside Netanyahu's home Monday to demand more action aimed at freeing their loved ones.

“You will not sit here while our children die,” the protesters chanted at a meeting of the Knesset Finance Committee. Security officers failed to prevent the room from being overrun, forcibly removing some angry family members waving photos of the captives.

Noa Rahamim, whose cousin Sgt. Matan Angrest is being held in Gaza, told The Times of Israel the protesters disrupted proceedings to ensure their voices were heard. Committee chairman MK Moshe Gafni pledged to relay the concerns to Netanyahu, adding that he would “do everything” to bring the captives homes.

“Every day we receive body bags," said Aviram Meir, the uncle of hostage Almog Meir Jan. "We have been forgotten among the country’s endless problems. And this is the most urgent problem, above all other problems.”

Israeli opposition leader calls for new election

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Netanyahu, whose popularity has tanked since the Oct. 7 attack, to negotiate a date for new elections. Lapid said Israel needs change, and that it can happen "without tearing the people apart."

"It's time for the leadership to set an example that it can be done differently," Lapid said. "Netanyahu, let's save all the politics for the people of Israel. ... We will set the rules of the game, we will set up how to manage it so that it does not harm the war effort."

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel Hamas war updates: US, UK strike Houthis in Yemen