Live – Israel-Hamas war: An armed group announces the death of a hostage

Strikes south of the Gaza Strip: Early Friday morning, witnesses reported shelling and airstrikes in Khan Yunis, the main city south of the Gaza Strip. According to Israel, many members of the local Hamas leadership are hiding in the area. The Palestinian Red Crescent thus condemned the “intense” artillery fire in areas surrounding the local Al-Amal hospital. “Soldiers supported by artillery and aircraft eliminated dozens of terrorists (in hand-to-hand combat) in Khan Younes”, the Israeli army said.

Israel/United States Diversion on a Future Palestinian State: The two countries have once again aired their differences over whether or not to establish a future Palestinian state after the war. “Israel must have security control over the entire region west of Jordan,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is a necessary condition, which conflicts with the idea of ​​(Palestinian) sovereignty.”

John Kirby, the American spokesman for the National Security Council, responded, “We obviously see things differently.” Washington defends the possibility of a Palestinian state, which according to Washington is the only guarantor of Israel’s security in the long term. Again on Wednesday, at the Davos Economic Forum, US diplomatic chief Anthony Blinken reiterated his call to find “a path to a Palestinian state”, arguing that “without this it will be impossible to achieve real security”.

Houthis attack US ship: Yemen’s Houthis, supporters of Hamas in Gaza, claimed responsibility early this Friday for an attack on an American merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden. However, this new attack did not cause any damage, the US Army said. Two missiles targeted the American oil tanker “Cam Ranger” boat flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and which had been off the coast of Yemen in recent days. On Thursday, Washington struck Houthi sites for the fifth time, in response to earlier attacks in the Red Sea.