Middle East: Houthis claim deadly Red Sea attack on ship

The United States imposed sanctions on UN official Francesca Albanese, who monitors the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio linked the move to her support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying in a statement that she was "unfit" for service.

"Albanese has spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West," the statement said.

Rubio said that Albanese had sent "threatening letters" to entities worldwide, including several US companies, accusing them of wrongdoing and recommending that the ICC prosecute them.

Albanese, an Italian legal and human rights academic, was appointed UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories in 2022.

Earlier this month, she accused Israel of using companies to pursue a "settler-colonial" displacement project aimed at apartheid and genocide.

It comes after the US sanctioned ICC judges last month over what it called "illegitimate actions targeting the United States and Israel."

The ICC issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last year over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Neither Israel nor the US are signatories of the Rome Statute that established the ICC.

Hamas said it has agreed to release 10 hostages under ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

However, the militant group said that talks for a truce remained difficult due to Israeli "intransigence."

In its statement, Hamas said multiple core issues remain under negotiation, including theflow of aid into the territory, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the groups demand for "genuine guarantees" for a permanent ceasefire.

Teams from the Israeli government and Hamas are currently present in Qatar for indirect talks over a possible ceasefire and hostage deal.

Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the Israel, Germany, the US and others

Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, said the number of issues preventing Israel and Hamas from reaching an agreement had decreased from four to one, expressing optimism for a temporary ceasefire deal by the end of the week.

Witkoff told reporters at a Tuesday Cabinet meeting that the anticipated agreement would involve a 60-day ceasefire, with the release of 10 living and nine deceased hostages. 

US President Donald Trump says there is a "very good chance" of a Gaza cease fire this month, after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in two days.

"We have a chance this week or next week," Trump told reporters Tuesday.

"We're getting very close to a deal on Gaza. They'll absolutely reach a deal."

Yemen's Houthis claim they have sunk the Greek-operated, Liberia-flagged vessel Eternity C in the Red Sea — their second strike this week after months of relative calm.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, saying the vessel had been headed toward Eilat in Israel.

The attack was conducted using an unmanned vessel and six cruise and ballistic missiles, Saree added.

The spokesman said the Houthis had "moved to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location."

The attack left four dead, with six rescued and 15 still missing,  sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation told Reuters news agency. 

The sinking of the Eternity C marks the most serious assault yet by the Houthis in the vital maritime trade route that once carried $1 trillion in cargo every year.

The rebels previously claimed an attack on Sunday against another ship, the Magic Seas.

Between November 2023 and December, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones, saying their campaign supports Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war.

While the Houthis reached a ceasefire with Washington in May, the militia has pledged to continue attacking ships they claim are linked to Israel.

Seven people have been rescued off the coast of Yemen after their cargo ship came under continuous attack by what was suspected to be Houthi militants.

The Reuters news agency cited security company sources as saying that four of the 25 people on board the Greek-owned Eternity C cargo ship were killed before the crew was forced to abandon the badly damaged vessel.

The Eternity C came under attack in the Red Sea on Monday, with the assault lasting into Tuesday. The vessel eventually sank on Wednesday morning, the sources said.

The seven rescued crew had spent more than 24 hours in the water before being take to safety. Yemen's exiled government and the EU blamed the Houthi rebels, as did the US State Department.

The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack but did claim an attack another ship on Sunday, called the Magic Seas.

"These attacks demonstrate the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security," US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

"The United States has been clear: We will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping from Houthi terrorist attacks."

Israel's military said that its forces had entered southern Lebanon in operations targeting Hezbollah's infrastructure.

"Following intelligence information and the identification of Hezbollah weapons and terrorist infrastructure in several areas of southern Lebanon, the soldiers launched special, targeted operations to dismantle them and prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing itself in the area," The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement said.

The IDF shared a video captioned "footage from a targeted nighttime operation of the 9th Brigade in southern Lebanon", showing troops walking on the ground. 

The footage cannot be independently verified.

Israel has kept up its strikes on Lebanon, despite a November truce, saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives but also occasionally members of Palestinian ally Hamas.

Two overnight Israeli airstrikes killed 20, including six children, Gaza's civil defense agency said Wednesday.

The first strike hit a tent in Khan Younis after midnight (2100 GMT Tuesday) and the second one struck a camp in the north later, agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP news agency.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the report.

Israel's plan to move Palestinians into what it calls a "humanitarian zone" near Gaza's border with Egypt and then not allowing them to leave is illegal under international law, an expert told DW in an interview.

The plan was shared on Tuesday by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz. He told reporters the zone would be built on the ruins of Rafah city, where initially 600,000 Palestinians would be housed. 

Mark Klamberg, a professor of international law at Stockholm University, told DW that would be a "war crime, or crime against humanity, or both."

"It Is possible to move a civilian population temporarily to protect them during a war or conflict. But this is something different — they want to do this on a permanent basis," he said, referring to Israeli authorities. 

Klamberg drew comparisons to the UN tribunal case on war crimes in former Yugoslavia, saying defendants from the latter had been convicted for crimes cases.

He also said that the US "could be held accountable in addition to Israel if they are instrumental in pushing ahead with this policy."

"I think the US should be careful with how they're proceeding with this," he warned.

Israel's Defense Ministry plans to force more than 600,000 displaced Palestinians to southern Gaza, where it says they will be housed in a "humanitarian city." But rights groups warn it may lead to them being deported to other countries, which violates international law.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged the UK parliament to recognize Palestinian statehood, saying it was the "only path to peace."

Macron is being hosted by King Charles III for the duration of his three-day visit. He is the first French president to receive this honor since 2008. He is also the first European leader in Britain for a state visit since Brexit.

"Calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any condition, is just telling to the rest of the world that for us as Europeans, there is no double standard, and as we are attached to human lives, as we are attached to territorial integrity, we want the ceasefire, no discussion," he said while addressing Britain's parliamentarians during an official visit.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy had earlier said he couldn't yet tell when the time would be right to recognize Palestinian statehood.

Ireland, Spain, and Norway are amongst the European nations to have recognized an independent Palestinian state since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. France is hoping to do so jointly with the UK.

The United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA said the fuel shortage crisis in Gaza had reached a critical point, with "virtually no additional accessible stocks left."

"We need fuel urgently and we need it in large quantities to power the most essential parts, notably water desalination, hospitals and telecommunications," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. 

Fuel is required for running hospitals, ambulances and desalination of water among other vital functions, the statement said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump for the second time Wednesday.

Netanyahu said their focus was on efforts to free hostages held in Gaza, and said he was determined to "eliminate" the capabilities of Hamas.

The two leaders also spoke about "the great victory we achieved over Iran," Netanyahu said.

This was their second meeting in two days during Netanyahu's visit to the US to discuss the situation in Gaza. 

Trump has said a ceasefire deal looks likely soon, and the US envoy to the Middle East said Israel and Hamas were close to an agreement. 

Qatar is hosting a delegation from both sides for indirect talks on a ceasefire. 

At the same time, Netanyahu announced that he had nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize.
 

Hello and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in the Middle East on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US President Donald Trump for the second time, and the two discussed securing the release of all hostages in Gaza.

Meanwhile, French President Macron called on Britain to recognize the state of Palestine.

The United Nations said Israel's blockade of Gaza has reached a critical point and pleaded for fuel to power vital functions.