DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) 鈥 Israel鈥檚 military said Friday it struck two ports in Yemen that were controlled by the Houthi militant group.
It claimed that the Hodeida and Salif ports were used by the Houthis to transfer weapons.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP鈥檚 earlier story follows below.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) 鈥 Israel launched dozens of airstrikes across northern and southern Gaza on Friday, killing more than 93 people and wounding hundreds — attacks that Israeli officials described as a prelude to a larger military campaign in the territory aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages.
The strikes followed days of similar attacks that killed more than 130 people, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry, and came as 鈥 but not Israel.
There had been widespread hopes that his trip to the region could increase the chances of a ceasefire deal, or the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has prevented for more than two months.
Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi on the final day of his trip, Trump said he was looking to resolve a range of global crises, including Gaza. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at Gaza,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd we鈥檝e got to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving. A lot of people are 鈥 there鈥檚 a lot of bad things going on.鈥
In southern Gaza, Israel struck the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis. It said it hit anti-tank missile posts and military structures.
In northern Gaza, the attacks sent people fleeing from the Jabaliya refugee camp and the town of Beit Lahiya. Israel said it eliminated several militants who were operating in an observation compound.
Dark smoke was seen rising over Jabaliya as people grabbed what they could of their belongings and fled on donkey carts, by car and foot.
鈥淲e got out of the house with difficulty, killing and death, we did not take anything,鈥 said Feisal Al-Attar, who was displaced from Beit Lahiya.
Netanyahu vows to step up war
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed earlier in the week to push ahead with a promised escalation of force in Israel鈥檚 war in the Gaza Strip to pursue his aim of destroying the Hamas militant group, which governs Gaza.
In the prime minister said Israeli forces were days away from entering Gaza 鈥渨ith great strength to complete the mission ... It means destroying Hamas.鈥
An Israeli official said the strikes on Friday were preparatory actions in the lead-up to a larger operation and to send a message to Hamas that it will begin soon if there isn鈥檛 an agreement to release the 58 hostages still in Gaza since Hamas’ October 2023 attack that launched the war. The official was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity
The same official said that Cabinet members were meeting Friday to assess negotiations in Qatar, where ceasefire talks are taking place, and to decide on next steps.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told The Associated Press on Friday that Israel鈥檚 military is intensifying its operations as it has done since Hamas stopped releasing hostages. 鈥淥ur objective is to get them home and get Hamas to relinquish power,鈥 he said.
鈥楬istoric opportunity鈥
In Israel, families of hostages said they awoke Friday with 鈥渉eavy hearts鈥 to reports of increased attacks and called on Netanyahu to 鈥渏oin hands鈥 with Trump鈥檚 efforts to release hostages.
Edan Alexander, the Israeli-American hostage released Monday after backdoor U.S.-Hamas diplomacy, left the hospital Friday, according to a statement released by his parents, who said his recovery was far from over.
鈥淢issing this historic opportunity for a deal to bring the hostages home would be a resounding failure that will be remembered in infamy forever,鈥 the families said in a statement released by the hostage forum, which supports them.
The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 others during an attack on southern Israel. Israel鈥檚 retaliatory offensive has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children, according to Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants.
Almost 3,000 have been killed since the ministry said.
Of the hostages that remain in Gaza, Israel believes as many as 23 are still alive, although Israeli authorities have expressed concern for the status of three of those.
Gaza blockade enters third month
Dozens of Palestinians in Khan Younis lined up at a charity kitchen to obtain food Friday in a scene that quickly turned chaotic as the enclave entered its third month of Israel鈥檚 aid blockade.
Several children behind a metal partition screamed and cried out for food. At one point, the scene descended into chaos as charity kitchen workers struggled to push people back into line.
Some workers were attacked as the crowd surged forward, pressing against the partition and lunging toward the large pots of rice to grab whatever they could. One child used his hand to scoop the last bits of rice from the nearly empty pot, while holding his food container with the other hand.
Israel’s blockade is preventing food, fuel medicine and all other supplies from entering, worsening a humanitarian crisis. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release the hostages it still holds.
鈥淥ur only hope was that Donald Trump鈥檚 visit to the Middle East would result in solutions and somehow open crossings to bring in humanitarian assistance as soon as possible into the Gaza Strip, but the visit is almost over and not a drop of water or bread entered Gaza,鈥 said Saqer Jamal, a displaced man from Rafah who was at the kitchen.
Earlier this week, a new that has U.S. backing to take over aid delivery said it expects to begin operations before the end of the month 鈥 after what it describes as key agreements from Israeli officials.
A statement from the group, called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, identified several U.S. military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors that it said would lead the delivery effort.
Many in the humanitarian community, including the U.N., said the system does not align with humanitarian principles and won’t be able to meet the needs of Palestinians in Gaza and won’t participate it.
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Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
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