JERUSALEM—U.S. forces continue to face attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Between 3:35 p.m. and 4:55 p.m. Thursday, U.S. warships conducted self-defense strikes against four mobile Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) and one Houthi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.
Additionally, during this timeframe CENTCOM forces shot down three UAVs launched from Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Gulf of Aden.
These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.
Meanwhile, efforts ramped up on Friday to deliver more desperately needed aid to war-ravaged Gaza, with the United States and Europe focused on opening a sea route, underscoring the West's growing frustration with Israel’s conduct in the war.
A top European Union official said a charity ship will head to Gaza as a pilot operation for a new humanitarian sea corridor. Ursula von der Leyen spoke in Cyprus, where she came to inspect preparations to send more aid to Gaza by sea.
Just hours earlier, President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. military will set up a temporary pier on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. He unveiled the plan during his State of the Union address to Congress after last week approving the U.S. military airdropping aid into Gaza.
The plans follow an announcement Thursday by Hamas that negotiations over a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of more Israeli hostages will resume next week, dimming hopes that mediators could broker a truce before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin at sundown Sunday.
After more than five months of war, much of Gaza is in ruins, and international pressure is growing for Israel and Hamas to reach a deal that would halt the fighting and release the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Israel’s near-total blockade of Gaza and the fighting have made it nearly impossible to deliver aid in most of Gaza, aid groups say. Many of the estimated 300,000 people still living in northern Gaza have been reduced to eating animal fodder to survive.
Israel launched its offensive after Hamas-led militants stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Over 100 hostages were released during a temporary cease-fire in November in exchange for 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The number of Palestinians killed has climbed above 30,800. That's according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures but says women and children make up around two-thirds of all casualties.