Israel-Hamas Conflict: Iran Strikes Mossad Base In Iraq; US Seizes Iranian 'Lethal Aid' For Houthis

US seizes Iran 'lethal aid' for Houthis: CENTCOM

The U.S. CENTCOM said Tuesday that it seized a "dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis' ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping."

The seizure operation was conducted last week, wherein among the items confiscated were Iran-made ballistic missile and cruise missile components.

Iraq recalls ambassador to Iran

Iraq's ambassador to Iran, Nassir Abdel Mohsen, has been recalled "for consultations in the context of the latest Iranian attacks on Erbil in which there were dead and wounded," a statement from the Iraqi foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The Iranian Army said earlier Tuesday that it launched strikes in Iraq, hitting an Israeli Mossad base.

Only 'active' diplomatic route at this point is a ceasefire-hostage deal: Qatari PM

Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani said Tuesday at the World Economic Forum (WEF) that the only "active" diplomatic track at this point in the Gaza war is "the negotiation on the release of hostages in exchange for a ceasefire."

His remarks came following the end of talks for a possible hostage-prisoner exchange deal when Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in an airstrike in Lebanese territory late last month.

Houthis transferred missiles alongside IRGC 'experts': Arab media

The Houthis, accompanied by IRGC "experts," transported missiles from the Yemeni capital of Sana'a to Hodeidah Tuesday, Sky News Arabia reported, citing Yemeni sources.

The news comes after the rebel militia, another Iran-backed group, vowed that it will continue to prevent Israeli ships and vessels headed toward Israeli ports from moving across the Red Sea.

Rocket barrage fired from Gaza

A rocket barrage was launched toward southern Israel from the Gaza Strip Tuesday morning local time. There was at least one impact from the attacks, local media reported.

Some 50 rockets were fired from the central part of the Strip toward Netivot and communities near Israel's border with Gaza, as per the Jerusalem Post.

Iran says Mossad base strike proves Iranian Army's intel supremacy over Israel

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday said the IRGC's strikes that "totally destroyed" a "main" Mossad base in Iraq was "a sign of IRGC's full intelligence superiority over" Israel's activities in the region.

Nasser Kan'ani added that Iran will not hesitate to take necessary measures to protect the country's national security.

Iran has repeatedly demanded that Israel end its military offensive in the Gaza Strip. It also vowed retribution for the 2020 assassination of top IRGC Gen. Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad.

Israel to scale back operations in southern Gaza

Israel, following increasing pressure from the international community to reduce the intensity of its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, said its southern Gaza operations will soon enter a less intensive phase.

The news comes after the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry said more than 24,000 people in the enclave have been killed in the war.

Read the full story here.

Small craft circles vessel off Eritrea

A small craft was reported to have circled a ship off the coast of Eritrea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Tuesday morning local time.

The said sea craft left the area after warning shots were fired, as per the UKMTO.

US condemns Iranian attacks in Iraq

The U.S. Department of State on Tuesday strongly condemned the Iranian army's attacks in Erbil, Iraq, as per a statement issued by spokesperson Matthew Miller. The department also offered condolences to the families of the victims.

"We oppose Iran's reckless missile strikes and support the Government of Iraq," the statement reads.

As reported earlier, the IRGC said Tuesday it struck a Mossad "main" center in Iraq, saying the facility was "totally destroyed."

Father of freed 9-year-old hostage believes Hamas 'killed' hostage

Thomas Hand, the father of 9-year-old Emily Hand, who was held hostage by Hamas before she was among the children freed under the hostage-ceasefire exchange deal late in November, tearfully told Piers Morgan in an interview late Monday that he believes Hamas "killed" Itai Svirsky.

Svirsky was among two hostages that Hamas claimed had been killed in Israeli airstrikes.

"Svirsky was with Emily for the whole duration of her captivity. There was nothing wrong with him, so they [Hamas] killed him...and of course, blaming the IDF," he said as Emily wiped her father's tears.

IRGC says it struck a Mossad base in Iraq

Iran's IRGC on Tuesday said it fired a missile "at a main espionage center" belonging to Israel's Mossad in Iraq, as per the Iranian government's semi-official Mehr News Agency.

The strike "totally destroyed the Mossad center" that the IRGC claimed had been used by Israel to "develop espionage operations" across the Middle East and especially in Iran. Other Iranian missiles targeted the Erbil area, resulting in some casualties.

It has since uploaded footage showing what it says of the "pounding" of the Mossad facility.

Israeli fighter jet strikes Hezbollah infrastructure in Maroun al-Ras

A warplane of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) "recently" attacked an "operational infrastructure" belonging to Iran-backed Hezbollah in the Maroun al-Ras area late Monday, the IDF said.

The strike was carried out after drones were detected from Yaroun and Ramish in Lebanon.

Maroun al-Ras, a small village in southern Lebanon, was the site of a ground battle in the 2006 Lebanon war. The said Israel-Hezbollah war lasted for 34 days.

20 unidentified 'suspects' exchange fire with Israeli troops near Egyptian border: IDF

About 20 unidentified "suspects, including a number of armed men," arrived from Egyptian territory to the Petahat Nitsana area, which is located near the border with Egypt, the IDF said early Tuesday.

During the fire exchange, a female Israeli soldier was moderately injured. Her condition has improved following medical treatment, the Israeli army said.

Houthis say any participating nation in attacks toward Yemen considered 'hostile targets'

The rebel Houthi militia confirmed in a statement Monday that it attacked an American vessel in the Red Sea, calling the launch "accurate and direct."

It also warned other countries against participating in strikes toward Yemen. "The Yemeni armed forces consider all American and British ships and warships participating in the aggression against our country as hostile targets within the target bank of our forces," it said.

The U.S. and the U.K. conducted strikes in Yemen last week that targeted more than a dozen Houthi assets. At the time, Yemen warned that there would be retribution for the attacks.

The U.S. army said Monday that a Houthi missile targeted an American-owned and operated vessel in the Red Sea.

Read the full story here.

Disposed weapons found in a humanitarian organization's facility: IDF

Israeli troops with the 646^th Brigade that were operating in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza found "weapons that were disposed of inside a building of a humanitarian organization," the IDF said Monday. The Israeli army did not mention which specific humanitarian group owned the facility.

Within the camp, Israeli forces located a compound that Hamas used to produce mortar bombs. They also discovered a rocket production factory, as per the IDF.

Houthis attack US-owned ship

Yemeni Houthi rebels on Monday afternoon attacked the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a U.S.-owned and operated container ship transiting the Red Sea, CENTCOM said late Monday.

There was no significant damage to the vessel and there were no injuries reported among its crew. It has since resumed its journey.

The U.S. military also said earlier Monday that an anti-ship ballistic missile fired toward commercial shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea "failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen."

IDF denies striking building where Hamas held hostages

Following the release of a Hamas video late Monday that claimed hostages Itai Svirsky, 38, and Yossi Sharabi, 53, were killed in captivity, the IDF denied that it attacked a building where Svirsky, Sharabi and 26-year-old Noa Argamani were being held.

The video featured Argamani seemingly reading a script that said Israeli strikes toward the building where the abductees were in killed Svirsky and Sharabi. Argamani said she was also injured in the strikes.

"Itai was not shot by our forces. That is a Hamas lie. The building in which they were held was not a target and it was not attacked by our forces," Hagari said Monday. "We don't attack a place if we know there may be hostages inside."

The IDF spokesperson did not provide the name or any other information about the second hostage as requested by the family.

The three hostages were first featured in a Sunday video where they pled to be freed from Hamas captivity due to dire conditions in the Strip. The video ended with the phrase: "Tomorrow (Monday) we will inform you of their fate."

Earlier Monday, the Palestinian militant group released a "teaser" about the fate of the three hostages, using terms such as "some killed, some injured," and "all killed."