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Israeli troops have destroyed a massive underground weapons centre used by Hamas to manufacture and distribute rockets.
The 36th division uncovered dozens of tunnels divided into workshops to build missiles beneath Salah a-Din road in central Gaza, according to the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).
Footage released by the Israeli military shows dozens of missiles mounted on workbenches and lined up along the walls of a tunnel, surrounded by what appears to be manufacturing equipment and trolleys.
Hamas were said to have used the hub to distribute weapons to fighters across the Gaza Strip.
One of the tunnels uncovered led into the home of a senior Hamas official responsible for weapons production, the IDF said.
The IDF said that in addition to “hundreds of long-range rockets”, troops seized chemical containers, Hamas propaganda, and other equipment during their raid on the underground network, which is thought to stretch for hundreds of miles in its entirety.
04:37 PM GMT
That’s all for now
Thanks for following our coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and tensions in the Middle East. We’ll be back tomorrow with the latest updates.
04:35 PM GMT
Hamas ‘rebuilding northern battalions’ as Israel moves south
Hamas is quietly attempting to rebuild battalions that were shattered by Israel earlier in the war as attention shifts to the southern part of the Gaza Strip, according to reports.
The terrorist group has been reappointing officials to senior positions in its northern division as the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) reduces the size of its reserve forces.
Dismantling the a-Shati, Shujaiyeh and Jabalya battalions was a key objective at the start of the war. Security sources told Haaretz, the Israeli newspaper, that Hamas has begun appointing commanders to replace those killed in the fighting.
Herzl Halevi, the IDF’s chief of staff, has apparently warned political leaders that its military successes will be eroded because of a lack of strategy after hostilities conclude.
“We may have to operate again in areas where we have already completed the fighting,” he added.
04:26 PM GMT
‘Hezbollah is ready to listen’
Iran-backed Hezbollah has rebuffed Washington’s proposals to avert an escalating conflict with Israel, according to Lebanese officials.
The group is said to regard ideas presented to Beirut last week, such as pulling its troops back from the border, as unrealistic. However, a senior figure said: “Hezbollah is ready to listen.”
04:19 PM GMT
Pictures: Israeli Defence Forces active across Gaza and Lebanon
04:12 PM GMT
EU calls for permanent Gaza ceasefire
The European Parliament has passed a motion calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Its resolution, which is non-binding and passed by 312 to 131 votes, also appeals for renewed efforts towards a political solution provided that all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled.
04:00 PM GMT
US vessel hit travelling through Gulf of Aden
The first images have emerged of the damage inflicted on a merchant vessel by Houthi attacks near the Red Sea.
Photos released by the Indian navy show the charred stern of the MV Genco Picardy, a US-owned bulk carrier struck by a drone launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Wednesday.
A section of railing has been destroyed and a metal grille is shown hanging loose.
Read the full story here.
03:27 PM GMT
Suez wheat shipments plunge amid Red Sea attacks
Houthi attacks around the Red Sea have caused wheat shipments going through the Suez Canal to collapse by 40 per cent, the World Trade Organisation estimates (WTO).
Cargo ships have been targeted by drones and missiles launched from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, meaning just 0.5 million tonnes of wheat passed through the vital trade route in the first half of January.
03:17 PM GMT
First images released of Houthi damage to US ship
India’s navy has released images of a Houthi drone strike on a US-owned ship near the Red Sea.
MV Genco Picardy, a bulk carrier passing through the Gulf of Aden, sent out a distress call after the fire broke out onboard yesterday evening.
Photos from the Indian navy, which scrambled a warship in response, show the stern of the vessel is charred, a section of railing destroyed and a metal grille hanging loose.
A navy spokesperson said: “After a thorough inspection [commandos] have rendered the area safe for further transit. The vessel is proceeding to the next port of call.”
The Houthi strike is the latest in a series of attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea and nearby region, which has thrown shipping into chaos on the crucial trade route.
02:43 PM GMT
EU to clamp down on Hamas with new sanctions
The European Union is to bring in sanctions against Hamas next week in response to the group’s massacre of Israeli civilians in October.
Christophe Lemoine, French foreign ministry spokesman, said Brussels will adopt “a regime of sanctions against Hamas” that will target “individuals and transfers of funds”.
02:24 PM GMT
Pictured: Activists protest Germany’s support for Israel with Swastika poster
02:15 PM GMT
US reassigns Houthis as terror group three years after militia was delisted
The United States has designated the Houthis as a terrorist group nearly three years after the Iran-backed militia was taken off its list of proscribed organisations.
Announcing the move, which comes into force in 30 days, the State Department said Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping had “endangered mariners, disrupted the free flow of commerce, and interfered with navigational rights and freedoms”.
It added: “The Houthis must be held accountable for their actions, but it should not be at the expense of Yemeni civilians.”
Read David Millward’s full article on the Biden administration’s about-turn here.
01:55 PM GMT
Watch: US hits Houthi-controlled Yemen in latest round of airstrikes
01:40 PM GMT
‘Stopping putting people’s lives at risk’, Sunak tells Houthis
Rishi Sunak has called on Houthi rebels to end their “illegal” attacks on cargo ship after a US-owned vessel was attacked by a drone.
Speaking during a press conference in Downing Street, the Prime Minister said the disruption to the vital trade route – which has continued despite the intervention of a US-led coalition – is concerning”.
He told reporters: “The rise in attacks on commercial shipping is both illegal and causing enormous disruption to the global economy and putting innocent lives at risk.
“It was right that we took action to protect both interests and lives. And together with allies, we have been very clear in our condemnation of their behaviour.
“We will continue to urge them to desist from carrying out what are illegal attacks, putting people’s lives at risk.”
01:05 PM GMT
Dead hostage’s family accuses government of removing critical gravestone
The family of a dead Israel Defense Forces soldier who was kidnapped on Oct 7 have accused the Israeli government of removing a gravestone which called them a “failure”.
The stone on the grave of the late Ron Sherman had read: “Kidnapped, abandoned and sacrificed in Gaza, by the government of failure.”
Ma’ayan Sherman, his mother, has accused the defence ministry of removing the stone from his resting place in a military cemetery.
She replaced it on Thursday with one reading: “I’m asking forgiveness for the abandonment, your brutal kidnapping, the fact that you were sacrificed for political gain after the biggest failure in the history of the State of Israel which you loved so much.”
The Israeli government is yet to comment.
12:20 PM GMT
Report: Hamas rebuilding northern battalions
Hamas is working to quietly rebuild battalions that were shattered by Israel earlier in the war as attention shifts to the southern part of the Gaza Strip, according to reports.
The terrorist group has been reappointing officials to senior positions in its northern division as the IDF reduces the size of its reserve forces, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports. Dismantling the Hamas battalions was a key objective at the start of the war.
12:05 PM GMT
‘Aerial target’ heading for Israel intercepted near Eilat
Israel said it had intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” that was approaching the southern city of Eilat.
The IDF said in a statement: “An interceptor was launched in the area of the Red Sea toward a suspicious aerial target that was approaching Israeli territory.
“Sirens were sounded in the area of Eilat following the launch of the interceptor. The incident has concluded and there is no risk of a security incident.”
Eilat, on the Red Sea, has been a frequent target of attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis, in response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
11:53 AM GMT
‘Hot Houthi pirate’ tells followers to focus on ‘a free Palestine’
A Yemeni social media influencer dubbed the “hot Houthi pirate” has told his admirers to stop gushing over his good looks.
Rashid Al Haddad has gone viral on social media after sharing footage of himself aboard hijacked container ships. Online commenters have nicknamed him “Timhouthi Chalamet”, because of his resemblance to Timothée Chalamet, the American actor.
But he has now asked his tens of thousands of followers to focus their attention on the war in Gaza – not the way he looks.
Read the full article from Tim Sigsworth here.
11:27 AM GMT
Israel strikes Hezbollah positions in Lebanon
IDF fighter jets carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah in the village of Odaisseh in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli media.
Troops also struck Kafr Kila and Marjaayoun in the same region.
The IDF said two projectiles were fired from Lebanon at the Arab al-Aramshe area earlier today, which both landed in open areas without causing damage.
11:23 AM GMT
Pictured: US-owned ship continues journey after Houthi attack
11:08 AM GMT
Israel must let Gazans return home, Jordan minister says
Israel should allow displaced Palestinians in Gaza to return to their homes, Jordan’s Foreign Minister has said.
Ayman Safadi added that it the war in Gaza needed to be brought to a close and avert escalating violence across the wider Middle East region.
He said: “With regard to the current priorities, they are clear: ending the aggression in Gaza, letting in sufficient permanent humanitarian aid to all parts of the Strip, south and north, stopping the destruction, and working immediately for the return of displaced Gazans to their areas and homes.”
10:48 AM GMT
Israel ‘has lost trust in the peace process’
Iran’s “empire of evil” is to blame for the instability gripping the Middle East, the Israeli president has said.
In comments reported by The Times of Israel, Isaac Herzog stressed that “the war is not only between Israel and Hamas”, adding: “The world has to face it point blank: There is an empire of evil emanating from Iran.”
Mr Herzog also said that Israel had “lost trust in the peace processes because they see that terror is glorified by our neighbours”.
“Nobody is in his right mind is willing now to think about what will be the right solution of the peace agreements,” he continued. “Everyone wants to know that he will not be attacked in the same way from north or south or east.”
10:20 AM GMT
Israel ‘praying’ for medicine to reach hostages
Isaac Herzog, the Israeli President, is “praying” that emergency medicine will reach hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“We are praying that all the medication …. will reach them, but that’s only the beginning,” he told the World Economic Forum in Davos, sitting next to a picture of the youngest of the 132 hostages, one-year-old Kfir Bibas.
10:05 AM GMT
Israel is more likely to face two-front war, says IDF chief
Israel is increasingly likely to be drawn into a war in Lebanon, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) chief of staff has said.
Lt Gen Herzi Halevi told troops in northern Israel that the IDF is “increasing readiness for fighting in Lebanon, we have a lot of lessons from the fighting in Gaza, many of them are very relevant to fighting in Lebanon.”
According to The Times of Israel, he added: “I don’t know when the war in the north [will happen]. I can tell you that the likelihood of it happening in the coming months is much higher than it was in the past.
“I can tell you that I think we are starting it with many more advantages.”
09:42 AM GMT
Cameron: Iran must stop supplying Houthis
09:38 AM GMT
‘It’s celebrating for someone who isn’t here’
Family members have marked the first birthday of Kfir Bibas, the youngest Israeli held by Hamas militants in Gaza, in a sombre ceremony in Tel Aviv.
On Tuesday, they gathered at the Bibas’ home in Kibbutz Nir Oz near Gaza, blowing up orange balloons to hang on the walls to cover bullet holes and filling his former classroom with birthday decorations.
Yossi Schneider, a cousin of Kfir’s mother, Shiri, told Israel’s Channel 12 TV: “It’s celebrating for someone who isn’t here.
“He’s supposed to be out here on the grass of the kibbutz, with balloons on the trees, with family and high-fives and presents and love and hugs, and none of those things will be there.”
09:18 AM GMT
US launches fourth round of air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen
US forces launched a wave of strikes on Houthis in Yemen on Wednesday, the fourth time in less than a week that it has targeted the rebel group.
Officials said the US targeted 14 Houthi missiles that were loaded to be fired from Yemen.
In a statement, US Central Command said the Houthi missiles presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and American Navy ships in the region.
Read the full story on the latest US strike on the Houthis here.
08:55 AM GMT
Pakistan’s military on ‘high alert’ as tensions rise
Pakistan’s armed forces are on “extremely high alert” and will respond to any further Iranian attacks with force, a security official has told Reuters.
08:52 AM GMT
Pakistan launches retaliatory missile strike at Iran
Pakistan has launched missiles at Iran’s “terrorist hideouts” in response to an Iranian strike late on Tuesday.
Iranian state television said three women and four children had been killed in the attack, which took place in the Sistan-Baluchestan province.
Pakistan said it respected Iran’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity”, but had taken the action to “protect and defend its national security against all threats”.
08:48 AM GMT
Pictures: Ambulance arrives at Gaza refugee camp as war drags on
08:42 AM GMT
US-owned bulk carrier hit by Houthi drone
Houthi rebels struck a US-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden with a drone launched from Yemen, according to a statement from the US military.
The attack did not cause any injuries and the ship is still seaworthy, despite “some damage”. Other reports indicate that the gangway was hit in the strike.
08:24 AM GMT
Morning
Hello and welcome to the live blog. We’ll be bringing you all the coverage from developments as the Israel-Hamas war enters its 104th day and tensions rise in the Middle East.
