Israeli military says missile launched from Yemen was intercepted
The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have been firing at Israel and attacking shipping lanes.
Houthis have repeatedly said that their attacks are an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel's military assault since late 2023 has killed more than 58,000 people, Gaza authorities say.
Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Homes still burning after mass pillaging and 30,000 trapped in besieged city - as Syria's fragile ceasefire holds
The main road entering the besieged Syrian city of Sweida from the west has changed dramatically over 12 hours. A bulldozer, parked on the side of the road, has been used to create several berms to form a sand barrier around 25km (16 miles) from the city centre. Dozens of Syrian security forces were standing in lines in front of the barricades when we arrived, and there were forces further up the road stopping vehicles from going any further. The Arab tribal fighters we'd seen fighting furiously inside the city the day before were now all camped alongside the road. Some were sleeping on the back of their pick-ups. "We're not giving up," one shouted to us as we walked towards the checkpoint. The ceasefire agreement between Druze leaders who are bunkered down inside the city and the Bedouins - and the tribal fighters who have flocked to join them - has frustrated some. Some of them, waiting with guns slung over their backs, are itching to return to battle. But for now, tribal leaders have instructed them to hold fire. How long that will last is probably key to Syria's future and whether it can be a peaceful one. Khalaf al Modhi, the head of a group of tribes called United Tribes, told the group of fighters: "We are not against the Druze. We are not here to kill the Druze." But he spent many minutes castigating the senior Druze cleric inside Sweida whom many of the tribes see as the agitator behind the violent clashes. Hikmat al Hijiri is head of a Druze faction that is deeply suspicious of the new government led by Ahmed al Sharaa and is resisting ceding power to Damascus. The retreat of the Arab tribes from the city centre means the Druze militia under Hijiri's control are now the ones deciding who goes in or out of the city. About 30,000 mostly Druze people are thought to be trapped inside the city and surrounding towns, with no electricity, little internet and dwindling supplies of food and water. The humanitarian situation is dramatically worsening by the day. But at the time of writing, there were still no agreed safe corridors to bring out those pinned inside. On top of this, there are nearly 130,000 people displaced and forced out of their homes because of the fighting, according to UN estimates. Maintaining the ceasefire is key to ensuring solutions are found to help those suffering, and quickly. It's also the most serious challenge facing the new Syrian leader and his interim government. The level of distrust between the Hijiri-led Druze faction and the new government is strong and deep. So much so that the Druze leaders have refused to accept truckloads of aid organised by any of the government outlets. The new Syrian leader has struggled to convince the country's minorities that their safety under his leadership is assured. Druze civilians and human rights activists reported mass killings and executions of Druze by government troops who were sent in last week to quell the latest clashes between the Druze and Arab Bedouins who have been at odds for many years. Government forces pulled out of the city only after Israel unleashed a spate of airstrikes, saying they were defending the Druze. The bombings killed hundreds of Syrian troops. But with the withdrawal of the government troops, the Arab Bedouin population said the city's Druze militia embarked on a string of revenge atrocities. That in turn led to thousands of tribal fighters massing from around the country to defend their Arab brethren. When we were inside the city, we saw multiple corpses lying on the streets, and many appeared to have been killed with a shot to the head. Homes and businesses are still burning after mass pillaging as fighters retreated. And now, there is a growing humanitarian disaster unfolding.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
30,000 trapped inside Syria's besieged city despite ceasefire - as humanitarian crisis unfolds
The main road entering the besieged Syrian city of Sweida from the West has changed dramatically over twelve hours. A bulldozer, parked on the side of the road, has been used to create several berms to form a sand barrier around 25km (16 miles) from the city centre. Dozens of Syrian security forces were standing in lines in front of the barricades when we arrived, and there were forces further up the road stopping vehicles from going any further. The Arab tribal fighters we'd seen fighting furiously inside the city the day before were now all camped alongside the road. Some were sleeping on the back of their pick-ups. "We're not giving up," one shouted to us as we walked towards the checkpoint. The ceasefire agreement between Druze leaders who're bunkered down inside the city and the Bedoins - and the tribal fighters who'd flock to join them - has frustrated some. Some of them, waiting with guns slung over their backs, are itching to return to battle. But for now, tribal leaders have instructed them to hold fire. How long that will last is probably key to Syria's future and whether it can be a peaceful one. Khalaf al Modhi, the head of a group of tribes called United Tribes, told the group of fighters: "We are not against the Druze. We are not here to kill the Druze." But he spent many minutes castigating the senior Druze cleric inside Sweida whom many of the tribes see as the agitator behind the violent clashes. Hikmat Al Hijiri is head of a Druze faction that is deeply suspicious of the new government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa and is resisting ceding power to Damascus. The retreat of the Arab tribes from the city centre means the Druze militia under Hijiri's control are now the ones deciding who goes in or out of the city. About 30,000 mostly Druze people are thought to be trapped inside the city and surrounding towns, with no electricity, little internet and dwindling supplies of food and water. The humanitarian situation is dramatically worsening by the day. But at the time of writing, there were still no agreed safe corridors to bring out those pinned inside. On top of this, there are nearly 130,000 people displaced and forced out of their homes because of the fighting, according to UN estimates. Maintaining the ceasefire is key to ensuring solutions are found to help those suffering, and quickly. It's also the most serious challenge facing the new Syrian leader and his interim government. The level of distrust between the Hijiri-led Druze faction and the new government is strong and deep. So much so that the Druze leaders have refused to accept truckloads of aid organised by any of the government outlets. The new Syrian leader has struggled to convince the country's minorities that their safety under his leadership is assured. Druze civilians and human rights activists reported mass killings and executions of Druze by government troops who were sent in last week to quell the latest clashes between the Druze and Arab Bedoins who have been at odds for many years. Government forces pulled out of the city only after Israel unleashed a spate of airstrikes, saying they were defending the Druze. The bombings killed hundreds of Syrian troops. But with the withdrawal of the government troops, the Arab Bedoin population said the city's Druze militia embarked on a string of revenge atrocities. That in turn led to thousands of tribal fighters massing from around the country to defend their Arab brethren. When we were inside the city, we saw multiple corpses lying on the streets, and many appeared to have been killed with a shot to the head. Homes and businesses are still burning after mass pillaging as fighters retreated. And now, there is a growing humanitarian disaster unfolding.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Britain's failed water system won't be fixed by penalising wealthier users
SIR – You report (July 20) that the Government could consider charging the middle classes more for their water in order to subsidise poorer households. It set me wondering where such manipulation of commodity prices – an indirect form of tax – might end. By this warped logic, could the middle class also be lumbered with higher gas and electricity prices, or more expensive food? The possibilities are endless. The Government would be able to claim it was sticking to its pre-election pledge not to increase taxes on working people – even working middle-class people. It would just increase costs to the working middle class under a different name. Terry Lloyd Darley Abbey, Derbyshire SIR – Middle-class households are being expected to subsidise others more and more. Paying higher water bills is now being proposed. Surely, however, the time will come when they can't afford to do this. Indeed, that time may have already arrived. Laura Madden Broughton Astley, Leicestershire SIR – My wife and I are both now retired, but were formerly working-class. We own our property and rely on our pension income, with no additional benefits. We pay our dues. I worry that, because we have been prudent throughout our 60 years of marriage, we will be categorised as middle-class by this class-obsessed Government. Why should we be charged more for our water supply in order to subsidise low-income families? They should be responsible for settling their outgoings in the same manner as pensioners and the middle classes. If our welfare system continues on its current trajectory, the desire to take up employment will become a thing of the past. We are already on the downward slope towards mass unemployment. John Hinchsliff Longridge, Lancashire SIR – I empathise with Robin Willow (Letters, July 20) over his increased Thames Water bills, but would add that the current pricing structure applied by that company penalises low users. The fixed charges for supply and waste have risen significantly, resulting in massively increased bills for those of us who use the least water. How can this be fair? Barry Sheldon Cholsey, Oxfordshire SIR – It appears that hydrangeas have joined the ranks of middle-class targets in Labour's war on perceived privilege. With peak water rates cunningly aligned with the flowering season, one must ask: where will all this end? Dermot Shortt Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire
