The Times of Israel is liveblogging Thursday’s events as they happen.
UK maritime agency: US-led forces responding to Houthi missile attack off coast of Yemen
Two missiles were fired at a vessel in an attack southeast of the Yemeni port city of Aden a short while ago, causing a fire onboard, Britain’s maritime agency says.
US-led coalition forces are responding to the incident, which took place 70 nautical miles from Aden in the direction of the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency says without elaborating.
“It has been reported that a vessel was attacked by two missiles, resulting in a fire on board,” the UKMTO says.
UKMTO WARNING INCIDENT 037 – UPDATE 001
ATTACK
Warnings – 2024 (https://t.co/5An1YH0JyE)#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/sXwpScJ4tw
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) February 22, 2024
Shaare Zedek: Pregnant woman seriously injured in shooting is undergoing ‘significant surgery’
A 23-year-old pregnant woman was seriously injured in this morning’s shooting attack, Dr. Alon Schwartz, head of the trauma department at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, says in a statement to the press.
The woman is undergoing “significant surgery” but is in a stable condition and there is no risk to her life at present, he says.
Asked about the health of the fetus, he says it is “too early” to know if there’ll be any long-term impact on its development or the pregnancy, but that no issues were found during an initial examination.
In addition to the pregnant woman, three other people wounded in the attack are undergoing treatment at Shaare Zedek. One of the wounded is undergoing surgery currently and a second will enter the operating room later in the day, he says.
Praising deadly West Bank attack, Hamas calls it the ‘natural response’ to ongoing war in Gaza
Hamas issues a statement praising the terror attack near Ma’ale Adumim and calling the deadly shooting “a natural response” to the war in Gaza, Arabic-language media outlets report.
“The heroic operation is a natural response to the Occupation’s massacres and crimes in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” the terror group says of the attack, referring to Israel.
The statement also refers to the upcoming month of Ramadan and Israel’s efforts to minimize the security risks during the holiday, saying that “the Occupation’s invasion of Jerusalem and its plans to prevent worshipers from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan will not bring it security.”
Hamas-run health ministry says Gaza death toll at 29,410
A total of 29,410 Palestinians have been killed and 69,465 have been injured in Gaza since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
These figures cannot be independently verified, and are believed to include both civilians and Hamas members killed in Gaza, including as a consequence of terror groups’ own rocket misfires.
The IDF says it has killed some 12,000 operatives in Gaza, in addition to some 1,000 terrorists inside Israel on October 7.
In wake of terror attack, Magen David Adom appeals for blood donors
In the wake of the deadly shooting on Route 1, Magen David Adom calls for people to donate blood to ensure that supplies don’t run low in the event of further attacks.
“In order to maintain the supply of required blood for transfusions in these days, Magen David Adom appeals to the public to come tomorrow and over the next week to MDA donation points throughout the country and donate blood,” the organization says.
Abandoned cargo ship damaged in Houthi strike to be towed from Red Sea to Djibouti within days
A cargo ship abandoned in the Gulf of Aden after an attack by Yemeni rebels remains afloat and could be towed to Djibouti this week, its operator tells AFP.
Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated cargo ship carrying combustible fertilizer, was damaged in Sunday’s missile strike claimed by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Its crew was evacuated to Djibouti after one missile hit the side of the ship, causing water to enter the engine room and its stern to sag, its operator, the Blue Fleet Group says.
A second missile hit the vessel’s deck without causing major damage, Blue Fleet CEO Roy Khoury tells AFP.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels had claimed on Monday the attack on the ship, saying it was “at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden” after receiving “extensive damage.”
Khoury says the ship was still afloat and shares an image captured on Wednesday that shows its stern low in the water.
“She will be towed to Djibouti but the tugboat has not yet arrived,” Khoury says. “It should be there in two to three days.”
Smotrich demands construction of thousands of West Bank housing units in response to deadly terror attack
Hard-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demands the approval of a plan for thousands of new housing units in Ma’ale Adumim and nearby settlements in response to the deadly shooting on Route 1.
“The serious attack on Ma’ale Adumim must have a decisive security response but also an answer from the settlements,” he writes on X, formerly Twitter.
“I demand the prime minister approve the convening of the higher planning council and immediately approve plans for thousands of housing units in Ma’ale Adumim and the entire region,” he continues, referring to the Defense Ministry body responsible for authorizing West Bank construction.
“Our enemies know that any harm to us will lead to more construction and more development and more of our control across the entire country.”
Lebanese media: Israeli artillery striking targets in south Lebanon
Lebanese media outlets report that Israeli artillery is striking targets in southern Lebanon towns close to the border.
The reports come a short while after two anti-tank missiles were fired at northern Israel, one of which hit a home in Yuval.
There was no immediate comment from the IDF.
Terror shooting victim identified by medics as man in his 20s
A man in his 20s was killed in the terror shooting attack near Ma’ale Adumim, medics say.
The Magen David Adom Ambulance service says it treated a total of 12 people, including the man in his 20s who was declared dead at the scene.
A woman aged 23 is listed in serious condition, and four others are in moderate condition, including a woman in her 30s, a man aged 23, a man aged 51, and a woman aged 52, MDA says.
Another five people were treated for minor injuries and acute anxiety, it adds.
Two of the terrorists were killed by security forces at the scene, while the third was detained and his condition is not clear.
Ben Gvir at scene of shooting: Right to life for Jews more important than Palestinian freedom of movement
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir arrives at the scene of the terror shooting attack on the Route 1 highway between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.
“An extremely large disaster was avoided here, thanks to the police and the armed citizens,” Ben Gvir says in a statement to the press at the scene of the attack in which one person was killed and eight others were injured.
“We’re distributing more and more guns. I think that today, everyone understands that guns save lives,” the far-right minister continues.
“Six months ago I said that the right to life is more important than the right to free movement for residents of the Palestinian Authority,” he continues, stressing the point twice more. “The right to life for Jewish residents in the West Bank is more important than the freedom of movement for residents of the Palestinian Authority.”
“I expect that there will be more and more checkpoints, that there will be restrictions. Our enemies do not look for excuses, our enemies just want to harm us,” he adds.
He also indicates that he will be seeking restrictions on access to prayers at the Al-Aqsa compound atop the Temple Mount for Muslims on Ramadan. And he says, in an aside, that there is no such as the Palestinian people.