US strikes killed “multiple” Houthi leaders in Yemen, the White House says, adding that Iran was “put on notice” to stop backing the rebel group and its attacks on Red Sea shipping.
The airstrikes Saturday “actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out,” National Security Advisor Michael Waltz tells ABC News.
“We just hit them with overwhelming force and put Iran on notice that enough is enough,” he says in a separate appearance on Fox News.
US envoy confirms proposal would free 5 living hostages, Hamas position ‘unacceptable’
US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff says Hamas’s Friday offer to free American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander is a “non-starter,” warning the terror group of consequences if it doesn’t accept a bridge proposal that he proposed over the weekend.
Witkoff is asked during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” about Hamas’s announcement that it had agreed to release Alexander and the bodies of four dual nationals.
“The Hamas proposal is a nonstarter,” he responds.
“I think there’s an opportunity for them, but the opportunity is closing fast,” Witkoff says, pointing to the massive strikes that the US carried out against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen over the weekend, and arguing that they demonstrate “where we stand with regard to terrorism and our tolerance level for terrorist actions.”
“I would encourage Hamas to get much more sensible than how they have been,” Witkoff warns.
He says he spent seven and a half hours meeting with negotiators in Doha on Wednesday. Those discussions led to the crafting of a “bridge proposal,” which Witkoff confirms for the first time would see the release of five living Israeli hostages, including Alexander, in exchange for “a substantial amount of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, which would be a wonderful thing for these Palestinian families.”
Air Force on high alert for Houthi missile, drone attacks on Israel
The Israeli Air Force is on heightened alert for potential missile and drone attacks by the Houthis in Yemen.
The level of alert was already raised by the IAF last week, after the Iran-backed group threatened to resume attacks on Israel.
The IAF continues to maintain readiness for potential Houthi attacks, as the US launched a major bombing campaign in Yemen last night.
Overnight, a missile was launched from Yemen, which landed in Egypt. The IDF is still investigating if the missile was aimed at Israel.
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