Houthis claim latest US-UK Yemen strikes won’t go unanswered as Israel says 21 soldiers killed in Gaza - live

US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk is in Cairo on Tuesday for “active” discussions on ensuring the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and securing a humanitarian pause, the White House said on Tuesday.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said the Biden administration would absolutely support a longer humanitarian pause.

He said McGurk was also discussing other issues, including getting an assessment of Israel‘s military operations and its efforts to protect civilians, as well as continuing to explore the idea of a normalization of Israel-Saudi ties.

RAF Typhoon and voyagers take off from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to conduct precision strike operations against Houthi military targets in response to further attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

The strikes on Monday (22 January) were launched against the Iranian-backed group after they started targeting ships in the Red Sea, a key international trade route, and follow bombings on Houthi sites on January 11.

Four Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a pair of Voyager tankers, joined US forces in a strike against Houthi sites. The aircraft used Paveway IV precision-guided bombs to strike multiple targets at two military sites in the vicinity of Sanaa airfield.

Britain plans to announce new sanctions in the coming days targeting Houthi financing of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday.

US and British forces carried out a fresh round of strikes on Monday in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group.

“We’re going to use the most effective means at our disposal to cut off the Houthi‘s financial resources, where they are used to fund these attacks,” Sunak told parliament.

“We are working closely with the United States on this and plan to announce new sanctions measures in the coming days.”

Sunak also said British Foreign Secretary David Cameron would visit the Middle East this week.

Downing Street and the White House cannot let attacks on the key Red Sea shipping route continue at this rate, but they will be wary of such action spiralling, writes Chris Stevenson

The European Union may struggle to reach agreement on a push by some member states to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers responsible for violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said.

In an interview with Reuters in Brussels, Bettel recalled that the European Union leaders argued for hours about even small differences in language when it came to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“So having sanctions against settlers might be difficult,” he said, while making clear he favoured such measures.

“It is important that impunity cannot be accepted and violent settlers have to be punished and if they (Israeli authorities) don’t do it, we need to do it.”

Six displaced Palestinian were killed when one of the United Nations-run shelters was hit in Khan Younis, the focus of Israel‘s ground offensive, in the southern Gaza Strip, a day ago, the head of the UN aid agency for Palestinians said.

“Terrified staff, patients, and displaced people are now trapped inside the few remaining hospitals in Khan Younis as heavy fighting continues,” Philippe Lazzarine, UNRWA’s general commissioner said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Lazzarine said at least six of the displaced were killed and more others were wounded in the incident.

“I call on all parties to take every precaution to minimize harm and protect civilians, medical facilities and personnel and @UN premises in accordance with international law,” he added.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sir Keir Starmer was not told in advance of Monday night’s strikes against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

The Labour leader was given a heads up before the first round of UK strikes against the Iran-backed group attacking cargo ships in the region.

But, despite initial confusion over whether he was this time, Downing Street confirmed Sir Keir was told “at the time of the strikes”, not before they were launched.

Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said: “Our preference will always be to inform the Leader of the Opposition and Speaker in advance where operational security and strike timelines allow.

“That wasn’t a possibility in this instance.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has told the Commons his party supports the latest strikes on Rishi Houthi rebels in Yemen.

He told MPs: “We back this targeted action.”

He also said he “totally” rejected the idea the attacks were linked to Gaza.

But he called on ministers to again release their legal justification for their action.