Middle East updates: Israel hits Yemen port city of Hodeida

Six air strikes targeted the port city of Hodeida on Yemen's western coast, the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported, blaming the strikes on Israel and the United States.

In addition to the apparent bombing of the port, the media outlet also reported "US-Israeli aggression on the Bajil district" in the same province.

Israel later confirmed it had carried out strikes against Houthi rebels in Hodeida.

US-based news website Axios cited a senior US official as saying that Israel had attacked Yemen in coordination with Washington.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to retaliate against both Yemen's Houthi rebels and Iran following a missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel's most populous city.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a new offensive in Gaza will be an intensive military operation aimed at defeating Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the German government, the EU, the US and some Arab states.

"Population will be moved, for its own protection," Netanyahu said in a video posted on X.

He also said Israeli soldiers won't go into Gaza, launch raids and then retreat. "The intention is the opposite of that," he said.

However, Netanyahu did not give any precise details about how much of Gaza's territory would be seized.

Israeli and international media had earlier reported that Israel's security Cabinet "unanimously approved" a plan to escalate Israel's military campaign in Gaza to defeat Hamas and secure the return of hostages.

Both Berlin and the entire European Union expressed concerns over reports suggesting that Israel was preparing to take over the Palestinian Gaza Strip indefinitely.

"Gaza belongs to the Palestinians," a spokesman said in Berlin, calling the reports of the Israeli decision "worrying."

The spokesperson reiterated the 2023 rejection of the G7 economic group, of which Germany is a member, of the "occupation, colonization and reduction of the territory of Gaza."

The EU also said it was "concerned" by the reports.

"The EU urges for Israel to hold back," said an EU spokesman in Brussels, repeating the bloc's position "that negotiation is the only method, the only way forward for the return of hostages and the ceasing of all hostilities."

The bloc's spokesman also called on Israel to lift its blockade on Gaza, which the UN has warned is triggering the worst humanitarian crisis since the war started in October 2023.

"The Palestinian population has suffered enough in recent years," the EU statement read, adding it was "time to put an end to the violence and suffering."

Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan, which includes seizing the entire territory of Gaza and promoting what it called "emigration" from the region, political sources confirmed to AFP and Reuters news agencies on Monday.

"The plan will include, among other things, the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories, moving the Gaza population south for their protection," an official said.

The security cabinet, which includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior ministers, "unanimously approved" a plan to escalate Israel's military campaign in Gaza to defeat Hamas and secure the return of hostages.

The latest development comes after army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir announced the calling up of "tens of thousands" of reservists on Sunday.

The official also added that Netanyahu "continues to promote" US President Donald Trump's plan for the displacement of Gazans to neighboring countries such as Jordan or Egypt "for their protection."

An Israeli campaign group, Hostages and Missing Families Forum, decried the plan saying expanding military operations in Gaza would be akin to "sacrificing" the hostages held in the Palestinian territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuvowed on Sunday to retaliate against both Yemen's Houthi rebels and Iran following a missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu, expressing agreement with a post by US President Donald Trump, which called for the reining in of Iran, said Israel will target the Houthi militia and its "Iranian terror masters."

On Sunday, a ballistic missile, fired by the Iran-backed Houthis, injured eight people and briefly disrupted air traffic.

Houthi spokesperson Yehya Saree warned airlines to avoid Israeli airports and pledged continued attacks in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza war.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened severe retaliation, saying, "Whoever attacks us, we will hit back sevenfold."

The United Nations on Sunday rejected an Israeli proposal to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza under military-controlled conditions, warning it would violate international humanitarian principles.

In a statement, the UN humanitarian team in Gaza said the plan appeared designed to exert control over essential supplies as part of a broader military strategy, labelling it a "pressure tactic."

Under the Israeli proposal, aid would pass through its checkpoints and be distributed by the UN, but under terms dictated by the Israeli military.

The UN warned this could endanger civilians by forcing them into militarized zones to collect rations, while leaving vulnerable populations unreachable thereby causing forced displacement.

Israel has blocked aid deliveries since early March, leading to extreme food, water, and medicine shortages.

Israel says the blockade is meant to pressure Palestinian militant group Hamas to release remaining hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack. 

Yemen's Houthi rebels accused the United States of launching around 10 airstrikes in and around the capital Sanaa on Monday.

The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported that US forces targeted key areas including Arbaeen street and the road to the airport. Fourteen people were wounded in the Sawan neighborhood, Saba reported.

According to French news agency AFP, loud explosions were heard throughout the city.

The latest escalation comes after the Houthis on Sunday claimed a missile strike on Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv.

The missile strike hit directly inside the airport perimeter, according to an Israeli military spokesperson, and left eight people injured. 

The Houthis,  who control large parts of Yemen, have been targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.

The US has conducted over 1,000 strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since March.

One of Pope Francis' former touring vehicles, or popemobiles, is being converted into a mobile health clinic for children in Gaza, the Vatican's official media outlet reported on Sunday, fulfilling what it said was one of his final wishes.

The Vatican News reported that the vehicle is being outfitted with emergency medical and diagnostic equipment to serve young patients in the war-torn region.

The project was entrusted to Caritas Jerusalem, a Catholic nonprofit organization, before his death.

Pope Francis died on April 21 at the age of 88.

Peter Brune, Secretary General of Caritas Sweden, called the effort "a concrete, life-saving intervention at a time when the health system in Gaza has almost completely collapsed."

The clinic will carry vaccines, rapid tests, and basic medical tools, and will be deployed to areas without access to care once humanitarian access is possible.

"It's not just a vehicle," Brune said. "It's a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza."

The late pontiff regularly voiced his concern about humanitarian violations over Israeli policy in Gaza, and called the Catholic parish there regularly before his death.

Israel plans to escalate its military campaign in Gaza after a unanimous decision was made by the country's security cabinet, Israeli media reports said on Monday.

According to the Times of Israel, the plan will be implemented only after US President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to the region.

The report said that Israel will meanwhile continue efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

At the same time, the military said it would be calling up reservists to expand its campaign in the enclave.

The cabinet also approved a plan to resume allowing international aid deliveries to Gaza, saying it plans to reform the distribution process to prevent diversion by Hamas for its operatives.

Israel has been heavily criticized for the three-month blockade of humanitarian aid to the region, which has resulted in widespread famine and disease.

Welcome to our coverage of the ongoing conflict in Gaza where Israel has said it is planning to expand its operations by calling up more reservists and intensifying attacks.

Israel's offensive has so far killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, the majority of which are civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also vowed to retaliate against the Houthis in Yemen after they were able to hit Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with a missile over the weekend.

The current conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, when militants led by Hamas — designated a terror group by Germany, Israel and the US among others — launched a major assault on Israel resulting in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians.