Israel-Hamas conflict: U.S. warship intercepts missiles from Yemen; Gaza aid delivery date unclear

美해군, 예멘반군 미사일 요격 이•팔 사망자 5천명 넘지만 “라파 국경 개방 늦어질 듯” We start in the Middle East where a U.S. Navy warship reportedly shot down missiles launched from Yemen most likely headed for Israel. AS SUCH efforts to contain the conflict continue amid hopes for the flow of basic humanitarian aid from Egypt to southern Gaza starting this weekend. Lee Soo-jin has the latest. Fears grow that the fighting between Israel and Hamas could escalate into a wider geopolitical conflict. The Pentagon said on Thursday local time that a U.S. Navy Ship in the Red Sea shot down three land-attack cruise missiles as well as several drones that had been launched from Yemen. According to the Pentagon spokesperson, the missiles and drones were fired by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen “potentially towards targets“ in Israel. “Information about these engagements is still being processed, and we cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel.“ Although it was previously reported that the Rafah border crossing ---currently the only route for aid to enter Gaza from outside of Israel ---would be opened from the Egyptian side to deliver humanitarian aid on Friday this now seems uncertain due to concerns about road repairs and making sure the deliveries can be sustained. U.S. officials still say, however, that the first convoy of aid will take place this weekend. More than 150 trucks with food, water and fuel are waiting at the border crossing. Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant alluded to a ground assault in the near future. He told troops gathered at the Gaza border on Thursday that while they are now looking at Gaza from afar, an order will soon come that will allow them to see the Palestinian enclave from the “inside.“ Fears over civilian deaths continue to mount with reports on Thursday saying several people who had taken shelter at a church compound in the Gaza had been killed or injured in a blast. Since the Hamas militant attack on Israel on October 7, the number of deaths in the conflict has reportedly reached over 5-thousand. The Palestinian Health Ministry based in Gaza reported that Israel’s retaliation to the Hamas attack has left at least 3-thousand-785 Palestinians dead in Gaza, of which around a quarter were children while the UN Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs said the death toll in Israel stood at 1-thousand-400 as of Thursday. With this, many nations and international organizations are calling for a ceasefire to prevent the humanitarian crisis from further escalating. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News. #Israel_Hamas_conflict #Palestine #US_Navy_warship #Gaza_Strip #Middle_East #Israel_Hamas_war #Pentagon #이스라엘_하마스 #라파국경 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2023-10-20, 14:00 (KST)