Middle East: Spain sends navy ship to Gaza flotilla

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has addressed the United Nations General Assembly — albeit not in person, after the US denied him a visa to travel to New York.

In a video speech broadcast to the UNGA Thursday, Abbas said Hamas would not have any role in a potential future Palestinian state, while also condemning antisemitism.

Read more about what Abbas had to say in DW's live updates of the UN General Assembly.

Israel hit Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa with airstrikes on Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

The strike comes a day after the rebels launched a drone attack that wounded 22 people at a resort in southern Israel.

"We have now delivered a powerful strike on numerous terror targets of the Houthi terror organization," Katz said in a post on X.

Katz said Israel's air force had attacked several military camps, killed "dozens of Houthi terror operatives," and destroyed drone and weapons stockpiles.

"As I promised yesterday - whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold," the minister warned.

The strikes killed two people and wounded 48, according to the Houthis.

On Wednesday, a drone fired from Yemen hit the southern resort town of Eilat, injuring more than 20 people, Israeli military and emergency officials said.

Yemen's Houthis, who have been firing missiles and drones at Israel "in solidarity" with Palestinians in Gaza since the start of Israel's military campaign in the enclave in October 2023, later claimed responsibility for Wednesday's drone attack. Israel has carried out multiple strikes on Yemen in response to the Houthis' campaign.

Italy's Defense Ministry has said that just one navy ship will be sent to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) that is headed for Gaza.

On Wednesday, the ministry dispatched the "Fasan" warship after the GSF international aid convoy reported being targeted by drones as it made its way from Greece towards the Gaza coast. 

Earlier on Thursday, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto had said that the "Alpino" would be sent to the same area that the Fasan had been deployed.

But he later clarified that the Alpino would be replacing the Fasan rather than joining it.

Crosetto also added that neither frigate would have any escort duties.

The minister, who belongs to the right-wing populist Brothers of Italy party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, called on the activists on board the flotilla not to try and breach Israel's blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007.

"Exposing human lives to risks in waters where it would not be possible to intervene with rescue would make no sense and would entail unnecessary dangers," Crosetto said.

The Israeli military campaign in Gaza continued Thursday amid mounting international pressure, as world leaders gather at the UN General Assembly in New York

At least 17 people were killed after Israeli strikes on central and southern Gaza, according to local health officials. Ten children and three women were among the fatalities.

One of the airstrikes in the early hours of Thursday morning struck a tent and a house in Zawaida, in the center of the Strip. 

At least 12 people were killed, staff at the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah said. A second strike on a tent in Deir al-Balah killed a girl and wounded seven others.

In Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave, an apartment building was struck. A man, his pregnant wife and their 10-year-old child were killed along with a female relative, according to the Nasser Hospital.

Israel's offensive in the Strip, which has intensified in recent weeks, has displaced 700,000 people since late August, the Israeli military said Thursday.

In addition to Italy, Spain has said it is sending a naval ship to protect the boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which aims to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip. 

The group reported multiple incidents of drones dropping flares and flash bombs on or near the convoy's 51 boats.

Italy's right-wing government has not endorsed the activists in the flotilla and urged them not to try to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza, which predates the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and Israel's ensuing military campaign in the Palestinian territory.

However, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called attempts to bring food and medicine to hundreds of thousands of people facing malnourishment and disease "an act of humanity" and "not a provocation."

Italy announced on Thursday it would send an additional naval vessel to protect the flotilla, following reports of drone attacks on the vessels as they left Greece en route toward Gaza.

Two previous attempts to breach the Israeli blockade failed over the summer when the Israeli Navy intercepted the boats and deported their occupants. Israel has imposed its land, sea and air blockade on Gaza since 2007, when the militant group Hamas took over the Palestinian strip.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is set to speak at the morning session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

Abbas was due to be in New York alongside an entire Palestinian delegation, but they were refused US visas by President Donald Trump's administration. Abbas has instead sent a pre-recorded video of his speech.

His talk comes just a few days after several Western nations formally recognized Palestinian statehood.

In the afternoon session, European Council President Antonio Costa will give an address, as will Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever. Belgium is one of six European countries that recognized Palestinian statehood at a Saudi-French-led conference at the UN earlier this week. 

Emergency services and local media have said there was a possible car bomb explosion on La Guardia Street in Tel Aviv on Thursday.

Paramedics reported treating injured people at the scene. There was no immediate confirmation about the source of the explosion.

As Israel's offensive in Gaza continues, authorities said a car bomb explosion rocked the city of Tel Aviv.

The news came just hours before Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was due to speak at the United Nations General Assembly via video.

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