Houthis attack two ships in Red Sea off coast of Yemen

UKMTO said that in one of the incidents, the ship’s master saw an explosion near the ship at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday, while it was about 63NM southwest of Hodeidah. (@UK_MTO)
UKMTO said that in one of the incidents, the ship’s master saw an explosion near the ship at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday, while it was about 63NM southwest of Hodeidah. (@UK_MTO)
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Updated 14 August 2024
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Houthis attack two ships in Red Sea off coast of Yemen

UKMTO said that in one of the incidents, the ship’s master saw an explosion near the ship at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
  • Both vessels report boats acting suspiciously followed by explosions nearby; neither ship was damaged and their crews are safe

AL-MUKALLA: The Houthi militia in Yemen attacked two ships in the Red Sea, one of them several times, using explosive-laden drone boats and other weapons.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, an agency that tracks assaults on ships, said both of the ships and their crews were safe.

The agency said that in one of the incidents, the ship’s master saw an explosion near the ship at about 7 a.m. on Tuesday, while it was about 63 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. Hours later, the master reported a small boat close to his vessel was “acting suspiciously and flashing lights towards the ship,” and that his ship had been attacked by a drone boat that was “successfully disabled.”

UKMTO said that in the other attack, which took place 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, the ship’s master similarly reported an explosion in the vicinity of the vessel. The agency urged other traffic in the Red Sea to exercise caution and notify it of any suspicious incidents.

The Joint Maritime Information Center identified the ship involved in the first incident, which was attacked several times, as the Delta Atlantica, a Liberia-flagged crude oil tanker. The center provided a different timeline to the events than UKMTO, reporting that the first attack on the vessel occurred on Monday night, when the ship’s master saw a boat flashing lights followed by “two simultaneous explosions (about 550 meters) off the port” side of the vessel. The ship was not hit and no damage was caused.

At 1:47 a.m. on Tuesday, a boat once again approached the ship and flashed lights toward it. Almost two hours later, the master reported an explosion near the ship. Less than an hour after that, a remotely operated boat hit the vessel but did not explode and security staff destroyed it.

According to the website Marine Traffic, which tracks ships and provides information about them, the Delta Atlantica was traveling from Basra in Iraq to Agioi Theodoroi in Greece.

The JMIC identified the ship involved in the second incident as the On Phoenix, a crude oil tanker flying a Panamanian flag. The center said that at about 1 a.m. GMT on Tuesday “the Master reported an explosion (about 180 meters) off the port” side. It was sailing from Kuwait to the Netherlands, according to data from Marine Traffic.

The attacks were the latest in a string of assaults on international shipping by the Houthis. Since November, they have seized one commercial vessel, sunk two others, and used hundreds of ballistic missiles, armed drones and drone boats to target commercial and naval shipping in the Red Sea and other waters off the coast of Yemen. They claim to be acting in support of the Palestinian people and the attacks are intended to put pressure on Israeli authorities to end the war in Gaza.

In an effort to halt the Houthi attacks on international shipping, the US has formed a coalition of marine task forces to protect vessels, redesignated the Houthis as a terrorist organization, and launched strikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen.


Israel army says dismantled Hezbollah tunnel that crossed into Israel

Israel army says dismantled Hezbollah tunnel that crossed into Israel
Updated 18 sec ago
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Israel army says dismantled Hezbollah tunnel that crossed into Israel

Israel army says dismantled Hezbollah tunnel that crossed into Israel
“Tonight, we reported that we located and dismantled a tunnel of about 25 meters long,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said
“We detected this a few months ago, we identified and investigated it using technological means”

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said its forces dismantled a Hezbollah tunnel that crossed into the country’s territory, as its troops continued to carry out ground operations in southern Lebanon.
“Tonight, we reported that we located and dismantled a tunnel of about 25 meters long, which crossed the border fence about 10 meters ... into Israeli territory,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing.
“We detected this a few months ago, we identified and investigated it using technological means, we did not let Hezbollah know that we knew about it and now we can confirm that we are also dismantling it.”
In a separate statement, the military said the tunnel crossed from the Marwahin area in Lebanon into Israeli territory near the Zarit community.
During the operation, the army located weapons, explosive devices and anti-tank missiles in the tunnel, it said.
Hagari said Israeli troops continue to search for other tunnels along the “entire” border and in villages in southern Lebanon.
“The tunnel was under full operational control until the arrival of the soldiers in the area to prevent its use for terrorist activities,” the army said.
“For years, Hezbollah’s southern front has built an extensive network of underground infrastructure and command centers in southern Lebanon, aimed at attacking IDF (army) soldiers during combat and executing attack plans against communities in northern Israel,” it said.
Israel has intensified its campaign against Hezbollah since late September, launching continuous air strikes against the group’s strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon and in Beirut.
Its troops have meanwhile pressed a ground offensive in southern Lebanon.

Hamas ‘still recruiting’ young men, says Meshaal

Hamas ‘still recruiting’ young men, says Meshaal
Updated 3 min 14 sec ago
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Hamas ‘still recruiting’ young men, says Meshaal

Hamas ‘still recruiting’ young men, says Meshaal
  • Palestinian group is ‘alive and kicking and continues to manufacture weapons’

DOHA: Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Meshaal said the Palestinian group would rise “like a phoenix” from the ashes despite heavy losses during a year of war with Israel, and that it continues to recruit fighters and manufacture weapons.

One year after the Hamas attack that triggered the war, Meshaal framed the conflict with Israel as part of a broader narrative spanning 76 years, dating back to what Palestinians call the “Nakba” or “catastrophe,” when many were displaced during the 1948 war that accompanied the creation of Israel.

“Palestinian history is made of cycles,” Meshaal, 68, a senior Hamas figure under overall leader Yahya Sinwar, told Reuters in an interview.

“We go through phases where we lose martyrs (victims) and we lose part of our military capabilities, but then the Palestinian spirit rises again, like the phoenix, thanks to God.”

Meshaal, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 1997 after he was injected with poison and was overall Hamas leader from 1996-2017, said the Islamist militant group was still able to mount ambushes against Israeli troops.

Hamas also fired four missiles from Gaza on Monday morning, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered the war. All were intercepted.

“We lost part of our ammunition and weapons, but Hamas is still recruiting young men and continues to manufacture a significant portion of its ammunition and weapons,” said Meshaal, without providing details.

Meshaal remains influential in Hamas because he has played a crucial role in its leadership for almost three decades, and is widely seen now as its diplomatic face. His comments appear intended as a signal that the group will fight on whatever its losses, Middle East analysts said.

“Overall I would say (Hamas is) alive and kicking still and ... will probably come back at some point in Gaza,” said Joost R. Hiltermann, Middle East and North Africa Program Director of the International Crisis Group.

He said Israel had not spelled out a plan for Gaza when the war ends, and this could allow Hamas to re-establish itself although perhaps not with such strength or in the same form. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined comment on Meshaal’s remarks. Israel says Hamas no longer exists as an organized military structure and has been reduced to guerrilla tactics. At least a third of the Palestinian fatalities in Gaza, around 17,000 people, are Hamas fighters, according to Israeli officials. About 350 Israeli soldiers have been killed in combat in Gaza.

Meshaal said he saw no prospects for peace while Netanyahu’s government is in power. Israel blames Hamas, whose founding charter calls for Israel’s destruction, for the failure to secure peace. 

“As long as the (Israeli) occupation exists, the region remains a ticking time bomb,” Meshaal said.


More airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise

More airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise
Updated 2 min 14 sec ago
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More airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise

More airlines suspend flights as Middle East tensions rise
  • Concerns over wider conflict prompt major carriers to avoid affected airspace

BEIRUT: Concerns over a wider conflict in the Middle East have prompted international airlines to suspend flights to the region or to avoid affected air space.

Greece’s Aegean Airlines canceled flights to and from Beirut until Oct. 31 and to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 13.

Algeria’s Air Algerie suspended flights to and from Lebanon until further notice.

Latvia’s airBaltic canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 31.

The Spanish airline Air Europa canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 14.

Air France extended its suspension of Paris-Tel Aviv flights until Oct. 15 and Paris-Beirut flights until Oct. 26. 

KLM extended the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv until the end of this year at least. 

The Franco-Dutch group’s low-cost unit Transavia canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until March 31, 2025, and flights to Amman and Beirut until Nov. 3.

Air India, the Indian flag carrier, suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.

Bulgaria Air canceled flights to and from Israel until Oct. 31.

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific canceled all flights to Tel Aviv until March 27, 2025.

The US carrier Delta Air Lines paused flights between New York and Tel Aviv through Dec. 31.

The UK budget airline Easy Jet stopped flying to and from Tel Aviv in April and will resume flights on March 30, 2025.

Emirates canceled flights to Beirut through Oct. 15 and flights to and from Iran on Oct. 8. It resumed flights to Amman from Oct. 6 and to Iraq from Oct. 8.

flydubai suspended flights between Dubai and Beirut until Oct. 31.

British Airways canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Oct. 26.

Iberia Express canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 31.

Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling canceled operations to Tel Aviv until Jan. 12, 2025, while flights to Amman were canceled until further notice.

Iran Air canceled all flights to and from Beirut until further notice.

Iraqi Airways suspended flights to Beirut until further notice.

Italy’s ITA Airways extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights through Oct. 31.

The Polish flag carrier LOT canceled flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 26, while its first scheduled flight to Beirut is planned for April 1, 2025.

Germany’s Lufthansa suspended flights to Tel Aviv until Oct. 31 while flights to Tehran were suspended through Oct. 26. Flights to Beirut were suspended until Nov. 30.

It will not use Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice, aside from a corridor used for flights to and from Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan. Israeli airspace will not be used until Oct. 31.

SunExpress, a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, suspended flights to Beirut through Dec. 17.

The Turkish airline Pegasus canceled flights to Beirut until Oct. 28.

Europe’s biggest budget airline Ryanair canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Oct. 26.

Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to and from Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.

The German airline Sundair canceled Berlin-Beirut and Bremen-Beirut flights until Oct. 31.

The Chicago-based United Airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv for the foreseeable future.

The UK carrier Virgin Atlantic extended its suspension of Tel Aviv flights until the end of March 2025.

The Hungary-based airline Wizz Air suspended flights to and from Israel through Oct. 8.


War monitor says four dead in Israel strike on Damascus

War monitor says four dead in Israel strike on Damascus
Updated 08 October 2024
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War monitor says four dead in Israel strike on Damascus

War monitor says four dead in Israel strike on Damascus
  • “Israel targeted a building frequented by senior Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah operatives,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said

BEIRUT: A war monitor said four people were killed in an Israeli air strike Tuesday targeting a building in the Syrian capital used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards for meetings with Hezbollah.
“Israel targeted a building frequented by senior Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah operatives, as well as a car parked in front of the building... killing four people,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Earlier, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported an Israeli strike on a residential building in the Mazzeh neighborhood of Damascus, which is home to security headquarters and embassies.


Netanyahu threatens Lebanon with destruction ‘like Gaza’

Netanyahu threatens Lebanon with destruction ‘like Gaza’
Updated 08 October 2024
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Netanyahu threatens Lebanon with destruction ‘like Gaza’

Netanyahu threatens Lebanon with destruction ‘like Gaza’
  • “You have an opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza,” Netanyahu said
  • “I say to you, the people of Lebanon: Free your country from Hezbollah so that this war can end“

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Lebanon Tuesday it could face destruction “like Gaza” as Israel ramps up its ground offensive against Hezbollah along the southern section of the Lebanese coast.
Netanyahu’s stark warning came as the Israeli military deployed more troops and urged civilians in coastal areas to evacuate.
“You have an opportunity to save Lebanon before it falls into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza,” Netanyahu said in a video address directed to the people of Lebanon.
“I say to you, the people of Lebanon: Free your country from Hezbollah so that this war can end.”
Hezbollah earlier said it fired rockets at the Israeli port city of Haifa, after the Israeli military reported 85 projectiles crossing from Lebanon.
Israel expanded operations in Lebanon nearly a year after Hezbollah began exchanging fire in support of its ally, Hamas, following the Palestinian group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
While battling Hamas in Gaza, Israel has vowed to secure its northern border with Lebanon to allow tens of thousands of Israelis displaced by Hezbollah’s cross-border fire to return home.
Both Hamas and Hezbollah have pledged no let-up against Israel, and on Tuesday Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem said the group would make it impossible for Israelis to return to the north.
Israel launched a wave of strikes against Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon on September 23, leaving at least 1,150 people dead since then and forcing more than a million people to flee.
Israeli attacks have mainly targeted Hezbollah strongholds in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as south Beirut.
While the coast has not been spared, Israel’s latest evacuation warning suggests it is extending its offensive northwards.
On its Telegram channel, the Israeli military said its 146th Division began “limited, localized, targeted operational activities” against Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in southwestern Lebanon.
A day earlier, the military had warned people to stay away from the the southern part of Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast, with a spokesman saying Israel would “soon operate in the maritime area against Hezbollah’s terrorist activities” south of the Awali river.
In Sidon, fishermen stayed ashore and the seafood market was unusually quiet.
“Fishing was the way we supported our children. If we don’t go out to sea, we won’t be able to feed ourselves,” said fisherman Issam Haboush.
The Israeli military said it hit Hezbollah’s south Beirut bastion, where a strike last month killed the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah later said it repelled Israeli troops who “infiltrated from behind” a UN peacekeepers’ position in the southern border village of Labboune.
Hezbollah’s deputy leader said despite Israel’s “painful” strikes, the group’s leadership structure was in order and its military capabilities were “fine.”
“Netanyahu says he wants to bring back” the displaced to their homes in northern Israel, Qassem said.
But “we say that many more residents will be forced to flee” their homes, he warned.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant later said Hezbollah “is a battered and broken organization, without significant command and fire capabilities, with a disintegrated leadership following the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah.”
Netanyahu on Tuesday said Israeli forces “took out thousands of terrorists, including Nasrallah himself and Nasrallah’s replacement and the replacement of his replacement.”
The expansion in the fighting came a day after Israelis and people around the world marked the first anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
For families of the bereaved, as well as relatives of 251 people taken hostage into Gaza, the pain was especially acute.
Of the total number, 97 hostages are still being held, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Hamas’s October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures, which include hostages killed in captivity.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed 41,965 people in Gaza, most them civilians, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry that the United Nations has described as reliable.
Weakened but not crushed after a year of war, Hamas was defiant, with Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, saying the group would “keep up the fight in a long war of attrition, one that is painful and costly for the enemy.”
He said scores of people taken hostage into Gaza last year were enduring a “very difficult” situation.
A senior Hamas official has acknowledged “several thousand fighters from the movement and other resistance groups died in combat.”
A year since the start of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, swathes of the territory have been reduced to rubble, and nearly all its 2.4 million residents have been displaced at least once.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said that after a year of war, civilians in Gaza were still living in ramshackle shelters and struggling to find food, even as the Israeli military shifted its focus to its Lebanon offensive.
“They still can’t return to their homes. They still don’t know whether their homes are standing,” ICRC spokeswoman Sarah Davies told AFP in an online interview from Gaza.
On Tuesday, the territory’s civil defense agency said an Israeli strike on a refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said the war had turned Gaza into a “graveyard.”
Many in Gaza just want the war to end.
“I have grown old while watching my children hungry, scared, having nightmares and screaming day and night from the sound of the bombing and shells,” said Israa Abu Matar, a 26-year-old displaced woman.