US strikes Houthis in Yemen, hostage deal 90% complete

The US is striking Houthi military targets in Yemen's Sana'a, multiple arab news and media sources reported on Saturday.

Reports state that military aircraft can be seen in the sky of Sana'a.

Initially, reports attributed the attack to Israel but then shifted to the US.

This is a developing story.

A figure close to the anti-Houthi government told KAN on Saturday that Israel should go further than retaliatory strikes and should target the Houthi leadership as they did Hezbollah's.

Israel struck several Houthi-held parts of Yemen after the Houthis fired a drone at Tel Aviv earlier in the week. The Houthis fired a missile at Tel Aviv early on Saturday morning.

The figure is close to the anti-Houthi government in southern Yemen and said, "It seems that the recent Israeli attacks against the Houthis are not enough." 

After two Iranian ballistic missile attacks were intercepted in April and October, Israel’s defense establishment expressed confidence in the multi-billion-dollar air defense system, claiming it had successfully established a protective barrier against Iran.

Despite hundreds of missiles launched toward Israel, the resulting damage was minimal. The sole fatality was a Bedouin resident in an unprotected area.

However, the recent missile strike in Ramat Efal on Thursday and the Saturday morning hit in Jaffa have raised significant concerns. Iran appears to have been refining its strategies, leveraging both direct launches and the steady supply of missiles to Yemen's Houthis to test Israel’s systems.

“The possibility of reaching a deal is closer than ever if Israel stops imposing new conditions," Hamas said in a statement on Saturday.

The statement comes following a Friday meeting between a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, head of the negotiating team for a hostage deal and ceasefire, and representatives of the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

In the statement, Hamas also declared that the three organizations are unified in their demand for an immediate end to the war as part of an agreement that includes the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

A substantial 74% of Israelis believe that Israel should pursue a comprehensive deal to secure the return of all hostages, even if it requires halting the fighting in Gaza, according to a new Ma’ariv poll published on Friday. The poll was conducted by Lazar Research, headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar, in partnership with Panel4All.

Among opposition voters, support reaches 84%, while 57% of coalition voters agree. In contrast, only 16% favor a partial deal, and 10% remain undecided.

Following an initial investigation by the Air Force and the Home Front Command into the missile fired from Yemen early this morning, the incident is still under thorough review, the military announced on Saturday evening.

"Some of the lessons learned have already been implemented, both in the interception system and in the warning system," the statement noted.

Further details about the air defense and alert systems cannot be disclosed in order to protect sensitive information.

The statement emphasized: "Air defense is not impenetrable, and it is crucial to continue following the instructions of the Home Front Command."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, while visiting Gaza border communities on Thursday, said that "the hostages should be returned by settling the entire Gaza Strip."

Around 20 Palestinians attempted to infiltrate Israel in the northern West Bank, Israeli media reported on Saturday.

According to reports, security forces in the area responded by shooting, resulting in one Palestinian killed. 

The Palestinians then fled back into the West Bank, Ynet said. 

This is a developing story.

"Palestinian armed actors" took over UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA's Jenin health center in the West Bank, and agency staff have been unable to access the site, UNRWA announced on Saturday.

Without naming the "Palestinian armed actors," the UN agency noted that international grants and donations had allowed UNRWA to repeatedly restore the center from the "destruction incurred in the context of Israeli Security Forces operations since mid-2023."

"This forced entry and presence of Palestinian armed actors is a new blatant disregard of UN premises. It has occurred while the Palestinian Security Forces are conducting an operation in and around the camp, ongoing since 14 December," UNRWA's statement read. "UNRWA’s service provision in the camp has been severely undermined by the volatile security situation since the beginning of December, with residents unable to consistently access basic services."