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Global protests mark 100 days since Oct. 7

Organizers staged pro-Palestinian marches in London and D.C., while families of hostages delivered messages of hope for loved ones who have been held in captivity for almost 100 days.

What we know

  • The U.S. conducted another, unilateral strike in Yemen last night, according to two U.S. defense officials. The strike targeted a Houthi radar site.
  • The strike was on a much smaller scale than the coordinated strikes on Thursday, when the U.S. and British militaries targeted more than 60 sites in Yemen, after weeks of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea that the militants say are aimed at backing Hamas.
  • The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have vowed retaliation, raising concerns of a broader regional conflict. Biden said the U.S. will respond if the Houthis "continue this outrageous behavior."
  • Tomorrow will be the 100th day since hostages were taken by Hamas into Gaza, a grim milestone Israelis have begun to commemorate. Yesterday, family members gathered at the Israel-Gaza border, shouting words of support to the estimated 100 hostages still held in Gaza.
  • The International Court of Justice wrapped up hearings in The Hague yesterday, though a decision to halt the war will likely take weeks. South Africa claimed “genocidal intent” in Israel's assault on Gaza, a charge Israel rejected as "atrocious and preposterous."
  • In the last 24 hours, 135 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry, as the Israeli military continues its offensive across the enclave. Health and living conditions continue to deteriorate for Gaza's 2.2 million people, and access to food remain at crisis levels.
  • More than 23,800 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. More than 60,000 have been injured, and thousands more are missing and presumed dead.
  • Israeli military officials say at least 186 soldiers have been killed during the country's ground invasion of Gaza, which came after 1,200 people were killed and about 240 hostages were seized after Hamas launched multipronged attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.
  • NBC News’ Richard Engel, Keir Simmons, Raf Sanchez, Ali Arouzi, Chantal Da Silva and Josh Lederman are reporting from the region.

This live blog has ended. For the most recent updates, please click here.

Genocide case against Israel: Where does the rest of the world stand on the momentous allegations?

The Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa says more than 50 countries have expressed support for its case at the United Nations’ top court accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza.

Others, including the United States, have strongly rejected South Africa’s allegation that Israel is violating the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Many more have remained silent.

The world’s reaction to the landmark case that was heard Thursday and Friday at the International Court of Justice in The Hague shows a predictable global split when it comes to the inextricable, 75-year-old problem of Israel and the Palestinians. Sunday marks 100 days of their bloodiest ever conflict.

The majority of countries backing South Africa’s case are from the Arab world and Africa. In Europe, only the Muslim nation of Turkey has publicly stated its support.

No Western country has declared support for South Africa’s allegations against Israel. The U.S., a close Israel ally, has rejected them as unfounded, the U.K. has called them unjustified, and Germany said it “explicitly rejects” them.

China and Russia have said little about one of the most momentous cases to come before an international court. The European Union also hasn’t commented.

March on Washington protesters rally outside White House for cease-fire

Thousands of people converged near the White House today as part of a global day of action to decry the war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.

The protest was mostly peaceful, but anti-scale fencing erected for the protest sustained temporary damage, and some reporters and others were relocated to facilitate its repair, U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.

There was no damage to the White House, and the Secret Service did not make any arrests, he said.

Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said in a statement, "There were instances of illegal and destructive behavior in Lafayette Park, including items being thrown at our officers."

She said D.C. police and the U.S. Park Police were investigating and will hold lawbreakers accountable.

At the march, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein spoke and urged Israel and Hamas to institute another cease-fire. She said the crowd had the power to affect the war.

"I see power, I see justice, I see Democracy as far as the eye can see," she said. "We are unstoppable."

Families of Hamas hostages prepare to mark loved ones’ 100th day in captivity

The Associated Press

LONDON — It has become a daily ritual.

Every morning, before she’s even out of her pajamas, Rachel Goldberg-Polin tears a piece of masking tape off the roll, grabs a marking pen and in thick black strokes writes down the number of days her son, Hersh, has been held hostage by Hamas militants. Then she sticks the tape to her chest.

“I find it so remarkable how nauseating it is every single time,’’ she said. “And it’s good. I don’t want to get used to it. I don’t want anybody to get used to the fact that these people are missing.’’

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was last seen Oct. 7, when militants loaded him into the back of a pickup truck with other people who were abducted from a southern Israel music festival where over 300 attendees were killed. The native of Berkeley, California, lost part of an arm when the attackers tossed grenades into the shelter where a group of young people had taken refuge.

Sunday will mark 100 days since he and about 250 others were taken hostage by the militants who stormed across the border from Gaza, triggering the latest war between Israel and Hamas. While dozens of women, children and foreigners were released during a weeklong November cease-fire, and a number of hostages have been confirmed dead, 132 others remain in captivity. The Red Cross hasn’t been permitted to see them, and almost nothing is known about their conditions.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, 54, now spends her days trying to bring Hersh and the other hostages home.

The mother of three has spent the past three months in relentless motion, crisscrossing the globereminding anyone who will listen that her child is more than just an inconvenient statistic: He is her only son, a music lover, a young man who deserves the chance to fulfill his dream of traveling the world.

Goldberg-Polin and her family, who moved to Israel from the United States when Hersh was 7, have met with U.S. President Joe Biden, Pope Francis, Elon Musk and dozens of journalists. She’s spoken at the United Nations, gone to protests and carried placards.

The plight of the hostages has gripped Israel’s attention, and the tireless campaign by families has gained widespread support and sympathy, ratcheting up pressure on the Israeli government to make concessions to win their release.

The Goldberg-Polin family planned to attend the start of a 24-hour rally for the hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday and another Sunday on the Jerusalem Promenade, a collection of parks and walkways overlooking the city. Similar events are scheduled in cities outside Israel, including London, New York and Paris.

Hezbollah claims responsibility for 8 attacks on Israeli targets

Ammar Cheikh Omar

Hezbollah said it conducted eight attacks on Israeli targets today, including a settlement and disputed territory.

The Iran-backed militant group said its weapons damaged buildings in the Shtula settlement, as well as directly hit targets in the Shebaa Farms area. Additionally, Hezbollah said, the crew members of an Israeli tank were killed or wounded in the Israeli town of Metula after being attacked while they were bombing Lebanese villages across from the town.

Another attack saw missile weapons striking a gathering of Israeli soldiers, Hezbollah said. The group did not claim any more deaths or injuries in the other four attacks.

The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately issue a statement in response to the attacks.

ICJ case won't stop Israel from fighting in Gaza, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in remarks today that the case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice will not stop the nation from continuing to fight in Gaza.

"We are continuing the war to its conclusion — to total victory, until we have achieved all of our objectives: the elimination of Hamas, the return of all our hostages and the guarantee that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel," Netanyahu said. "We will restore security, both in the south and in the north. No one will stop us — not The Hague, not the Axis of Evil, nor anyone else."

South Africa brought the case accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. It could see the ICJ order Israel to stop the fighting.

In a later statement from Netanyahu's office, the prime minister accused Hamas of executing "attacks against targets in the Middle East, Africa and Europe," adding "considerable information has been uncovered that proves how the Hamas terrorist organization has acted to expand its violent activity abroad in order to attack innocents around the world."

The statement said an "in-depth picture of Hamas’s terrorist activities has been revealed" and added that Hamas "draws inspiration from the terrorist activity of the Iranian regime, and like it, aspires to attack Israeli, Jewish and Western targets at any price."

Israeli security, defense and intelligence forces will continue efforts to prevent Hamas' attacks worldwide, the statement said.

Marchers in Washington call for cease-fire in Gaza, say women, children and elderly are 'paying the price'

+4

Brie Jackson

Fiona Glisson

Van Barth

Megan Shannon

Brie Jackson, Rebecca Cohen, Fiona Glisson, Van Barth and Megan Shannon

WASHINGTON — One theme was common among Washington, D.C., protesters who spoke to NBC News today: They want a cease-fire in Gaza now and are calling on President Joe Biden to implement one.

"Nobody should be oppressed. Nobody should be killed indiscriminately," Hind Abi Akar said. "Be just. Be fair. Cease-fire now and start talking. That’s what we want them to do."

Nick Cream and Sara Azraq also called for an immediate cease-fire, with Azraq pleading to stop the killing of children in Gaza.

"A lot of innocent children are dying. A lot of kids are dying from starvation, injuries. They don’t even have medicine at the hospitals," said protester Hannah Abel. "There is no reason for any of this. There should have been a cease-fire a long time ago."

Mazen Badr said he lost 10 members of his family in the nearly 100 days since Oct. 7, including his mother, whose home in central Gaza was destroyed.

Women, children and the elderly are "paying the price" and "don't deserve this," he said, adding that children in Gaza should be afforded the same upbringing as kids in Washington.

Badr called on the Biden administration to "present the truth to your people."

"Very simple thing. Cease-fire now," said Alaa Hussein Ali, who said his brother was killed while trying to get water and that more than 100 members of his extended family have died in Gaza.

"We’re just begging President Biden and his administration. Stop the bloodshed. Their blood is in their hands," Ali said, referring to Biden and Congress. "They all can stop this and we all know that they can stop with the other hand."

Thousands gather in Tel Aviv for 24-hour rally marking 100 days of war

TEL AVIV — Thousands of people have crowded into "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv, with thousands more spilling out into the streets to join a 24-hour rally marking 100 days since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack — and for dozens of families, 100 days since their loved ones were taken hostage.

The words "bring them home now" echoed across the square as demonstrators called on the Israeli government and international community to do more to see the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza released.

Thousands of people gathered for a 24-hour rally in Tel Aviv today to mark the looming milestone of 100 days since Hamas' attack and dozens of people were taken hostage.
Thousands of people gathered for a 24-hour rally in Tel Aviv today to mark the looming milestone of 100 days since Hamas' attack and dozens of people were taken hostage.Chantal Da Silva / NBC News

"I feel awful. ... We don't see the end," said Shuki Benjamin, whose brother, Ron Benjamin, was taken hostage on Oct. 7 while on a cycling trip near Be'eri. He had been trying to return home after hearing sirens blaring when he was kidnapped, Benjamin said.

Speaking with NBC News at the rally, Benjamin said he struggles to imagine how his brother has survived 100 days possibly sitting “in tunnels without light, without food.”

Shuki Benjamin holds up a poster of his brother, Ron Benjamin, 53, who was taken hostage by Hamas while trying to return home from a cycling trip.
Shuki Benjamin holds up a poster of his brother, Ron Benjamin, 53, who was taken hostage by Hamas while trying to return home from a cycling trip.Chantal Da Silva

He said he also felt disappointed by the international community’s response, adding: "I expect from the world to shout out, you know, to do something. Nothing happened, so it’s very disappointing."

Those planning to stay for the full 24-hour rally face a long night ahead, with rain beginning to fall a few hours into the event and expected to continue into the morning.

Family members blast words of support for hostages over the Israel-Gaza border

Richard EngelNBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent, Host of MSNBC's "On Assignment with Richard Engel"

Marc Smith

Richard Engel and Marc Smith

RE’IM, Israel — Armed with just a microphone and loudspeakers, they delivered a message of hope for their loved ones held hostage by Hamas for almost 100 days.

“We’re turning the entire world upside down for you,” said Meirav Gonen, whose 23-year-old daughter Romi remains in captivity, as she stood on Israel’s border with Gaza on Thursday.

“We’re here. We’re here on the fence, we’re here for you and for the rest of the abductees. We’re bringing you home. We’re doing everything, turning the whole world upside down, bringing the entire world together just to ensure that you return,” she added.

Others took the microphone and delivered their own messages, hopeful that their relatives would hear them above the din of the ongoing war.

“It’s Mom and Dad. We’re here, we’re really close to you, we’re fighting for you every single day,” one said.

Some shed tears as they spoke at the event. Most held posters with pictures of their loved ones. Others stood silently, reflecting on the fact that they have not seen or heard from their relatives after they were taken captive on Oct. 7 — 100 days ago Sunday.

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‘They don’t deserve this’: Thousands rally in U.S. in support of Gaza

NBC News

Thousands of Americans are gathered in Washington, D.C., for a march in support of Gaza. The march includes a stop at the White House, where protesters are demanding a cease-fire.


A global day of protests draws thousands in London and other cities in pro-Palestinian marches

The Associated Press

LONDON — Children joined thousands of other demonstrators making their way through central London for a pro-Palestinian march on Saturday, part of a global day of action against the longest and deadliest war between Israel and Palestinians in 75 years.

The plight of children in the Gaza Strip after nearly 100 days of the Israel-Hamas war was the focus of the latest London march, symbolized by the appearance of Little Amal, a 11.5-foot puppet originally meant to highlight the suffering of Syrian refugees.

The puppet had become a human rights emblem during a 4,970-mile journey from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester in July 2021.


Nearly two-thirds of the 23,843 people killed during Israel’s campaign in Gaza have been women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Israel declared war in response to Hamas’ unprecedented cross-border attack on Oct. 7 in which the Islamic militant group killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. It was the deadliest attack in Israel’s history and the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust.

March organizers had said the Palestinian children would accompany Little Amal through the streets of central London.

“On Saturday Amal walks for those most vulnerable and for their bravery and resilience,” said Amir Nizar Zuabi, artistic director of The Walk Productions. “Amal is a child and a refugee and today in Gaza childhood is under attack, with an unfathomable number of children killed. Childhood itself is being targeted. That’s why we walk.”

London’s Metropolitan Police force said some 1,700 officers would be on duty for the march, including many from outside the capital.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said he had been briefed by police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on plans to “ensure order and safety” during the protest.

“I back them to use their powers to manage the protest and crack down on any criminality,” Cleverly said.

A number of conditions were placed for the march, including a directive that no participant in the protest shall venture near the Israeli Embassy.

A pro-Israel rally was set to take place in London on Sunday.

The London march was one of several others being held in European cities including Paris, Rome, Milan and Dublin, where thousands also marched along the Irish capital’s main thoroughfare to protest Israel’s military operations in the Palestinian enclave.

Protesters waved Palestinian flags, held placards critical of the Irish, U.S. and Israeli governments and chanted, “Free, free Palestine.″

In Rome, hundreds of demonstrators descended on a boulevard near the famous Colosseum, with some carrying signs reading, “Stop Genocide.” One demonstrator waved the flag of South Africa, the nation whose accusations of genocide against Israel prompted the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, to take up the case.

At one point during the protest, amid the din of sound effects mimicking exploding bombs, a number of demonstrators lay down in the street and pulled white sheets over themselves as if they were corpses, while others knelt beside them, their palms daubed in red paint.

Many hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Paris’ Republic Square to set off on a march calling for an immediate cease-fire, an end to the war, a lifting of the blockade on Gaza and to impose sanctions on Israel. Marching protesters waved the Palestinian flag and held aloft placards and banners reading, “From Gaza to Paris. Resistance.”

Another failed attempt to deliver fuel to Gaza City, municipality of Gaza says

Jay Marques

Jay Marques and Mirna Alsharif

There has been another failed attempt to deliver fuel to Gaza City, according to a statement on the municipality of Gaza's X account.

"Today, another attempt to deliver fuel to Gaza City failed after 74 days of promises that were not fulfilled due to the occupation preventing it," the municipality wrote. "We call on the Security Council UN to implement its resolution (2720) to intervene urgently to save the residents of Gaza and deliver fuel immediately to operate water wells."

U.N. Resolution 2720 "demands immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip," according to the U.N.

March for Gaza rally held in Washington as Israel-Hamas war nears 100 days

NBC News

Thousands of protesters are gathering in Washington, D.C., for the “March for Gaza” rally, marking nearly 100 days since the Israel-Hamas war began. The rally was organized by the American Muslim Task Force from Palestine, and others calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

10,000 cancer patients left without treatment in Gaza, according to Hamas

NBC News

Ten-thousand cancer patients have been left without treatment in Gaza due to the now-broken health care system, according to a statement from Hamas' English Telegram channel.

Around 150,000 patients with chronic illnesses are also not able to receive treatment in Gaza, the group said. There are more than 1,000 cases of hepatitis C in Gaza and the numbers are increasing.

"The health sector in Gaza is in a state of complete collapse under the continued Israeli aggression," Hamas said in a statement. "All hospitals in Gaza City and northern Gaza areas including Al-Shifa Hospital, Al-Quds Hospital and the Indonesian Hospital became out of service due to the Israeli occupation army attacks and lack of electricity."

Container shipping rates soar amid fears of prolonged Red Sea conflict

Reuters

Container shipping rates for key global trade routes have soared this week, with U.S. and U.K. airstrikes on Yemen stirring fears of a prolonged disruption to global trade in Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest routes, industry officials said on Friday.

U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines launched dozens of strikes across Yemen overnight, retaliating against Iran-backed Houthi forces for attacks on Red Sea shipping, widening regional conflict stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza.

Most container ships already were avoiding the nearby Suez Canal, a shortcut between Asia and Europe that handles 12% of global trade. Warnings from the U.S. and U.K. militaries for all ships to steer clear of the conflict zone stoked fears that rates for oil tankers and bulk carriers that ferry vital commodities could surge, raising the risk of a new round of global inflation.

Rates on the Shanghai-Europe route rose 8.1% to $3,103 per 20-foot container on Friday from a week earlier, while the rate for containers to the unaffected U.S. West Coast soared 43.2% to $3,974 per 40-foot containers week on week, leading ship broker Clarksons said on Friday.

Fencing goes up around White House in preparation for pro-Palestinian protests

Leila Sackur

Extensive fencing was erected outside the White House overnight, as the capital prepares for a March on Washington for Gaza later today, which 10,000 people are expected to attend.

Protesters are expected to assemble at Freedom Plaza at 1 p.m. and march northwest to Lafayette Square, according to the organizers.

President Joe Biden is expected to travel to Camp David this morning and will not be in the White House for protests.

Russia requests U.N. Security Council meeting over U.S.-U.K. strikes on Yemen

Reuters

Leila Sackur

Reuters and Leila Sackur

Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations said it has requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss military strikes on Yemen by the United States and Britain.

In a statement Friday, Russia, an ally of Iran and several Middle East powers, condemned the U.S.-allied strikes on Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen as “irresponsible,” saying the attacks could provoke further destabilization in the region.

Prior to the strikes on Thursday, the Security Council adopted a resolution calling for an end to attacks by the Houthis on shipping in the Red Sea, despite abstentions from both Russia and China.


Israel failed to disprove genocide case at ICJ, South Africa says

Leila Sackur

Israel has failed to disprove a "compelling" case for genocide, South Africa’s Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola said in a statement on Friday.

Standing outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Lamola said that South Africa would "stand by the facts, the law and all the evidence we have submitted" in continuing to find Israel in violation of the Genocide Convention.

Lamola said that Israel’s defense — that calls from senior political and military leaders that seemed to convey genocidal intent, including statements from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — were purely “rhetoric” was “astonishing.”

Israeli lawyers said in their defense yesterday that the accusations from South Africa painted a "partial and deeply flawed picture" of its actions in the Gaza Strip.

Civil defense forces recover bodies, wounded in central Gaza

Leila Sackur

Civil defense forces have recovered the bodies of at least 20 Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, the Palestinian Ministry of Information has said.

Footage uploaded to Telegram by the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza, the organization responsible for emergency and rescue services in the strip, showed crews combing through rubble and carrying injured children to ambulances.

NBC News was not able to independently verify this report. The strikes on Gaza City came alongside bombardments of Khan Younis in the south and the Nuseirat and al-Maghazi refugee camps, according to the Ministry of Information.

Health workers at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital warn babies at risk due to lack of fuel

TEL AVIV — Health workers at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza have warned that the lives of patients, including premature babies, are at risk after the main generator at the facility reportedly ran out of fuel.

"If the electricity doesn't come back ... these patients you see here will soon die," Taiseer Abu Sweirih, a health worker at the facility, said in an interview published online by Sky News, which is owned by Comcast, the parent company of NBC News.

Video showed part of the facility plunged into darkness, with staff keeping ventilators running using batteries charged by solar power during the day, according to Sky News. A health worker could be seen using the light from her phone to check in on a baby in a ventilator, while patients could be seen lying on hospital beds in an intensive care unit.

In a statement released last night, the director of the hospital warned that medical services at the facility would be forced to shut down due to dwindling fuel. The statement warned that children and other patients were at risk of dying if generators stopped running. "We call on the countries of the world to intervene immediately," it said.

NBC News was not immediately able to reach officials at the hospital on Saturday. The IDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.


Hostage families walk through 'tunnel' in Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV — Relatives of some of the dozens of people who remain held hostage by Hamas walked through a 30-meter "tunnel" set up in Tel Aviv today to highlight the conditions their loved ones have been held under in Gaza.

"The feeling when I was in the tunnel, it was a feeling that I just need to run away ... and it was only five minutes and I'm just thinking of the people there," said Ella Ben Ami, whose mother, Raz Ben Ami, was released by Hamas in November, while her father, Ohad Ben Ami, remains captive after they were kidnapped from their kibbutz, Be’eri.

Ella Ben Ami, 23, walks through a "tunnel" set up in Tel Aviv today to re-create the conditions hostages held by Hamas, including her father, have faced.
Ella Ben Ami, 23, walks through a "tunnel" set up in Tel Aviv today to re-create the conditions hostages held by Hamas, including her father, have faced.Chantal Da Silva

As hostage families prepare to mark 100 days since their loved ones were kidnapped, Ben Ami, 23, told NBC News it was "hard to keep the hope" for "so many days."

Ben Ami welcomed news of a deal that will allow medicine to reach Israeli hostages in Gaza, but she said she wanted to see “proof” of medicine being provided, along with evidence of the condition of those who remain held by Hamas, including her father, who is 55.

A "tunnel" was set up in "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv today to re-create the conditions that those who remain held captive by Hamas face.
A "tunnel" was set up in "Hostage Square" in Tel Aviv today to re-create the conditions that those who remain held captive by Hamas face.Chantal Da Silva

As the death toll in Gaza continued to rise to nearly 24,000, Ben Ami said that before Oct. 7, she had "always wanted peace" between Israelis and Palestinians. "I always wanted that everything will be alright," she said. "Now, I can't think about it."

Houthis vow 'strong and effective response' to U.S. strikes

Leila Sackur

U.S. strikes on Yemen have had "no significant impact" on Houthi capabilities to continue acting against Israeli vessels in the Red Sea, Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters.

Separately, a spokesperson also told Al Jazeera that the Houthis would have a "strong and effective" response to the U.S. strike on a military base in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa. There were “no injuries, no material nor human losses,” he said.

Yesterday's strike by the U.S. Navy came a day after a joint action by the U.S. and the U.K. against more than 60 Houthi targets across Yemen.


Oil prices rise in U.S. after strikes against Houthis

Lee Ying Shan, CNBC

Oil prices rose after the United States and Britain carried out military strikes against targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, as tensions in the Red Sea mount.

West Texas Intermediate and Brent futures spiked more than 4% Friday morning to hit their highest levels since Dec. 27. U.S. crude oil jumped to $75.25 a barrel while the global benchmark touched $80.75.

The benchmarks pulled back later in the session with U.S. crude settling at $72.68 a barrel and Brent settling at $78.29 a barrel.

Gaza death toll nears 24,000

Leila Sackur

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 135 Palestinians were killed in Gaza the last 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 23,843 on the 99th day of fighting.

Image:
Mourners tend to the dead in Rafah today.Fatima Shbair / AP

Telecom and communications cut in Gaza, operator says

Leila Sackur

“We regret to announce that all telecom services in Gaza Strip have been lost due to the ongoing aggression. Gaza is blacked out again,” Paltel, Gaza’s main internet operator, said on X yesterday.

The near-total blackout was confirmed by NetBlocks, which monitors global internet access. Blackouts hamper aid and rescue efforts, and cut off Gazans from communicating with the outside world.

Israel controls telecommunications and electricity access to Gaza. It has not claimed direct responsibility for communications blackouts, but previous drops in access have preceded escalations in bombardment.

Terror suspects arrested in Denmark in December have 'links to Hamas,' prosecutor says

Associated Press

Leila Sackur

Associated Press and Leila Sackur

A Danish prosecutor said yesterday that an investigation into the arrests of three suspects in Denmark last month on suspicion of plotting to carry out “an act of terror” was linked to Hamas, according to a local media report.

The case has been shrouded in secrecy and very few details have been revealed about it until now.

”The investigation has provided information that, according to the police, the case has links to Hamas,” prosecutor Anders Larsson said during a custody hearing before an appeals court according to broadcaster TV2. “That information is no longer necessary to keep secret.”

The case coincided with the arrests of several alleged Hamas members in Germany and one in the Netherlands, as terror alerts throughout European countries remain high as a result of Israel's war with Hamas.

Nearly 100 days since hostages taken in Hamas terror attack

Richard EngelNBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent, Host of MSNBC's "On Assignment with Richard Engel"

Richard Engel spoke with family members of people being held hostage in Gaza. Some of the families went to the border to shout messages of support to their loved ones nearly 100 days after the Oct. 7 attack.

“Don’t give up, stay resilient, we’re coming to get you soon,” one woman yelled into a microphone.

Missile strike on Houthi radar site was ‘follow-on action’ from earlier strikes, military says

A Tomahawk missile strike against a Houthi rebel radar site inside Yemen early Saturday local time was a “follow-on action” from the strikes a day earlier, the U.S. military said.

The new strike was launched at 3:45 a.m. Saturday local time using Tomahawk missiles launched from the USS Carney, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

It “was a follow-on action on a specific military target associated with strikes taken on Jan. 12 designed to degrade the Houthi’s ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial vessels,” it said.

U.S. carries out another strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen

The United States conducted another strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen tonight, according to two U.S. defense officials.

The strike was done by the U.S. and was carried out from a Navy ship, the officials said.

The target was a Houthi radar site, the officials said.

On Thursday, the U.S. and United Kingdom carried out strikes against Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and control much of Yemen, in retaliation for Houthi attacks against commercial and other vessels in the Red Sea, officials said.

Catch up on NBC News' latest coverage of the war

NBC News