Latest | 12 dead in air strikes in central Gaza, 16 dead in attacks on Houthi rebels

At least a dozen people were killed in two air strikes in central Gaza on Friday. Among the dead were two children and four women.

Palestinians in the border town of Rafah have reported heavy fighting in recent days as the Israeli military expanded its offensive in the south, taking control of the entire length of the Gaza-Egypt border. The fighting in Rafah has forced more than a million Palestinians to flee, most of whom were displaced earlier in the war. They are now seeking refuge in makeshift tent camps and other war-ravaged areas where they lack shelter, food, water and other essentials, the United Nations says.

At least 16 people were killed and 35 others wounded in joint British and US air strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the rebels said on Friday. This is the highest publicly acknowledged death toll in the numerous waves of attacks the rebels have carried out in response to their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in an effort to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza.

According to the Ministry of Health, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas, making no distinction between combatants and civilians.

Israel began its war in Gaza after the October 7 Hamas attack, in which militants entered southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and abducting about 250. According to Israel, about 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, along with the bodies of about 30 others.

At the moment:

— Houthi rebels report at least 16 dead and 35 injured in joint US-British air strikes in Yemen.

– The Slovenian government supports the recognition of a Palestinian state.

– A pro-Palestinian camp at Wayne State University is cleared as MIT students leave graduation.

– A global aid organization asks warring forces to respect its neutrality because 24 of its aid workers have been killed.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

Here is the latest information:

Air strikes in central Gaza kill at least a dozen peopleDEIR AL-BALAH — Two air strikes in central Gaza on Friday killed at least a dozen people, including children, according to hospital workers and Associated Press journalists who counted the bodies.

The attacks hit Nuseirat and Bureij. Among the dead were two children and four women. The bodies were taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

The funeral of all twelve people took place on Friday.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s bombings and offensives in the Gaza Strip have killed over 36,000 Palestinians and injured over 80,000. The count does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

Air strikes on Yemeni Houthi rebels kill at least 16 peopleDUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Joint British-US airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed at least 16 people and wounded 35 others on Friday, rebels said, the highest publicly acknowledged death toll in numerous waves of rebel attacks on ships.

The Houthis have stepped up attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and are demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza that has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage.

The Houthis said Friday morning that one of the attacks hit a building that houses Hodeida Radio and private residences in the Red Sea port city. Their satellite news channel Al Masirah broadcast images of a bloodied man being carried down the stairs and others being cared for in hospital. The Houthis described all those killed and injured in Hodeida as civilians, which the Associated Press could not immediately confirm. The rebel forces that have held the Yemeni capital Sanaa since 2014 include fighters who often do not wear uniforms.

Other attacks took place outside Sanaa near the airport and communications facilities in Taiz, the broadcaster reported. Little further information was released about these locations – which probably indicates that Houthi military positions were hit.

The US and Britain have launched attacks against the Houthis since January. Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the secret supreme leader of the Houthis, put the total death toll up to that point at 40 dead and 35 injured. He did not provide a breakdown of civilian and military casualties at the time.

According to the U.S. Maritime Administration, the Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks on ships since November, killing three sailors, hijacking one vessel and sinking another. This week they attacked a ship carrying grain for Iran, the rebels’ main sponsor.