U.S. strikes hit Houthi targets in Yemen, Centcom says
Four strikes were launched against targets in parts of Yemen, U.S. Central Command said on X today.
Centcom said it hit anti-ship cruise missiles, drones and one explosive unmanned surface vessel “that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea,” in seven strikes yesterday.
It added that they posed “an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels.”
The strikes “will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels,” the post added.
IDF says it ‘apprehended’ a number of people in Nasser Hospital raid
Israeli forces have “apprehended” a number of suspects in their raid on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the country’s military said in a statement.
Calling the assault a “precise and limited” operation, the Israel Defense Forces said its goal was to reach Hamas operatives, including individuals suspected of involvement in the Oct. 7 attacks.
The IDF said it had contacted the director the hospital on Tuesday calling for the “immediate cessation of all Hamas terrorist activity from within the hospital and the immediate evacuation of all Hamas terrorists” from the medical center.
NBC News was not immediately able to independently verify the IDF’s account.
Earlier today, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told NBC News that the military was acting on “credible intelligence from a number of sources, including from released hostages” indicating that Hamas held hostages at the Nasser Hospital.
The IDF said the operation was still ongoing as of this moment. It said it could not provide further details on the people apprehended during the raid.
Israeli special forces enter Nasser Hospital
Israeli special forces entered the main hospital in southern Gaza, the country’s military said today, raiding a site where thousands of Palestinians had sought shelter.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, told NBC News that it had “credible intelligence from a number of sources, including from released hostages, indicating that Hamas held hostages at the Nasser Hospital,” in Khan Younis.
He added that the “sensitive operation was prepared with precision and is being conducted by IDF special forces who underwent specified training.”
Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for Gaza’s health ministry said in a separate statement on Telegram that Israeli forces had targeted the facility’s ambulance headquarters and tents housing displaced people on the site. He added that intensive care patients were being kept without medical staff inside the hospital.
U.S. allies warn Israel against ‘catastrophic’ Rafah operation
The prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, saying Israel’s planned military offensive in the city of Rafah would be “catastrophic.”
“We urge the Israeli government not to go down this path. There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go,” the three leaders said today in a joint statement, noting that the 1.5 million Palestinians taking refuge in the area include many of their own citizens.
Israel is obligated to protect civilians, ensure the delivery of basic services and provide essential humanitarian assistance, they said, citing a ruling last month by the International Court of Justice in a genocide case brought by South Africa.
They added that any cease-fire “cannot be one-sided,” and that Hamas must also lay down its arms and immediately release all remaining hostages.
Doctor in Rafah says hospital sees ‘hundreds of patients’ after each attack
A doctor in Rafah told NBC News that she works 24/7 taking care of patients injured by the ongoing attacks from Israel and that the toll is “more than catastrophic.”
“The situation is getting worse day after day because of the Israeli attacks,” Dr. Noor Alwhidi at Kuwait Hospital told NBC News.
Alwhidi said that the hospital deals with “hundreds of patients” after every Israeli attack and that most injuries are critical.
“Most of the patients are children, babies, women. They are bombing them and killing them,” she said, adding there are more than 1 million people displaced in the area.
Buildings searched as IDF operations continue in Gaza
Israeli soldiers search a building at an undisclosed location in the Gaza Strip during ongoing ground operations by IDF forces today.
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