U.S. & UK forces strike Houthis in Yemen; Al-Shifa hospital reopens

U.S. and British forces struck rebel-held Yemen early on Friday, resulting in the deaths of at least five people, after weeks of disruptive attacks on Red Sea shipping by the Iran-backed Houthis who say they act in solidarity with Gaza.

The pre-dawn air strikes add to escalating fears of wider conflict in the region, where violence involving Tehran-aligned groups in Yemen as well as Lebanon, Iraq and Syria has surged since the Israel-Hamas was began in early October.

Iran "strongly condemned" the strikes, which the United States, Britain and eight other allies said aimed to "de-escalate tensions." China said it was "concerned about the escalation of tensions in the Red Sea," and news of the strikes sent oil prices up more than two percent.

Friday's strikes targeted an airbase, airports and a military camp, the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV station said, with AFP correspondents and witnesses reporting they could hear heavy strikes in Hodeida and Sanaa.

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France says Houthis to blame for Red Sea retaliation

France said Iran-backed Houthis were responsible for an escalation in the Middle East after U.S. and British strikes targeted them in Yemen on Friday for attacking Red Sea shipping.

"Through these armed actions, the Houthis bear the extremely heavy responsibility for the regional escalation," the foreign ministry said, referring to weeks of attacks on perceived Israel-linked ships in what the Houthis say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

It urged the Houthis to "immediately end" these attacks.

"France will continue to assume its responsibilities and to contribute to maritime security in the area in link with its partners," it added.

France is part of a multi-nation coalition announced last month to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, which are endangering a transit route that carries up to 12 percent of global trade.

Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital treating patients again 

Gaza's largest hospital, which has been hard-hit by Israel's attack on Hamas, has partially re-established services, the World Health Organization said Friday after reaching the facility for the first time in over two weeks.

The UN health agency said it and partners had reached the Al-Shifa hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, delivering desperately-needed fuel and medical supplies.

"The team reported that Al-Shifa, previously Gaza's premier hospital, has (partially) re-established services," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, formerly Twitter.

The hospital, which WHO described as "a death zone" after it largely ceased operations following raids and occupation by Israeli troops in November, now has 60 medical staff, Tedros said.

It also has "a surgical and medical ward with 40 beds, an emergency department, four operating theaters, basic emergency obstetric and gynecologic services."

Israel to reject South Africa's genocide claim

Israel will respond on Friday to accusations brought by South Africa at the UN's top court that its military operation in Gaza is a state-led genocide campaign aimed at wiping out the Palestinian population.

South Africa, which filed the lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December, asked judges on Thursday to impose emergency measures ordering Israel to immediately halt the offensive.

It said Israel's aerial and ground offensive - which has laid waste to much of the narrow coastal enclave and killed more than 23,000 people according to Gaza health authorities - aimed to bring about "the destruction of the population" of Gaza.

Israel rejected the accusations of genocide as baseless and said South Africa was acting as a mouthpiece for Hamas, which it views as a terrorist organisation seeking to eliminate the Jewish state. Its military was targeting Hamas militants, not Palestinian civilians, it said.

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