More than 3,500 children under the age of five “face imminent death by starvation,” according to Gaza’s Government Media Office (GMO), adding that 70, 000 children are being hospitalized in the enclave as a result of the government’s total blockade of more than two months.
More than 3,500 children under the age of five are facing imminent starvation in a systematic blockade, while 290, 000 children are on the verge of starvation, according to a statement from the GMO on Sunday on Telegram.
The “Israeli” occupation is using starvation as a weapon to commit this crime, according to the statement, “with the shameful international silence that 1.1 million children each day do not have the minimum nutritional requirements for survival.”
The death of at least 57 Palestinians has sparked outrage around the world, but that hasn’t persuaded Israel to grant aid to the 2.3 million-strong enclave.
Aid organizations claim that the region has become starvation as a result of a lack of food and supplies. As documented cases of malnutrition increase, supplies to treat and prevent malnutrition are rapidly running out.
The majority of Gaza’s residents, who according to the United Nations claim more than 80% of the population depends on aid, cannot afford the price of what little food is still on the market.
Israel has been accused of using starvation as a means of war by human rights activists and activists.
Israel, on the other hand, insists that Hamas must be forced to release its prisoners. 24 of the 59 captives who are still present in Gaza are reportedly still alive.
According to the Sudanese army, a drone attack was carried out on an airbase close to Port Sudan airport at the time Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Port Sudan is regarded as the country’s safest location in the war-torn region.
Following the US’s increased airstrikes on Houthi targets, anti-Houthi groups in Yemen are thought to be competing for US support to attack the movement’s territory, according to analysts and experts.
For the past three years, the war in Yemen has largely been frozen. Organizations affiliated with the Yemeni government have also begun making announcements that they may launch operations in areas controlled by the pro-Iranian Houthis, including Hodeidah, a crucial port.
In 2018, a similar campaign to that aimed to target Hodeidah, a crucial hub for food and goods on the Red Sea coast, appeared to be on the cards, but it was aborted due to international support and the UN’s concern that Yemeni citizens would experience a humanitarian disaster.
However, some experts and analysts questioned whether an attack by anti-Houthi groups on their domestic rival would succeed in the late 2024 offensive against another Iranian ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
On May 2, 2025, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree addresses a rally in Sanaa, in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip.
According to independent Yemen analyst Hannah Porter, “Pro-ROYG]Republic of Yemen Government] voices have been claiming that ground operations against the Houthis are on the horizon in Hodeidah and possibly elsewhere,”
According to my understanding so far, these remarks are merely intended to sway the US or Saudi Arabia’s support for a Hodeidah takeover.
vying for US support
In 2014, the Houthis, or Ansar Allah as they are known, marched into and took control of Sanaa, Yemen. Soon after, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened to support Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
In the first few years of the conflict, anti-Houthi forces had some success, but the unsuccessful Hodeidah campaign appeared to have slowed their advance, and the Houthis have largely been militarily dominant ever since.
Yemeni hostilities were put on hold after Saudi Arabia announced in March 2022, and a UN-brokered truce put an end to much of the fighting the following month.
While various anti-Houthi groups held the important port city of Aden and much of southern and eastern Yemen, the Houthis were still in control of Sanaa and a large portion of northwest Yemen.
Recent years have seen significant changes to the Yemeni government, with the removal of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from office in 2022 and the establishment of an eight-member Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which has thus far  , proven to be ineffective.
As reports of conflicts between him and President Rashad al-Alimi and accusations of mission creep rolled in, PLC Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak resigned on Sunday, claiming to have been prevented from carrying out his duties.
Members of the PLC have previously fought the Yemeni government. They include former Houthis ally Aydarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), and Tareq Saleh, his nephew.
However, some anti-Houthi forces now see an opening following Houthi bombing campaigns against Yemen and attacks on what they claim are Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea.
Since the start of the Gaza crisis, Yemen expert Nick Brumfield has stated that “we’ve been witnessing various anti-Houthi factions lobbying for US support.”
The Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council have engaged in a competitive bid to become the United States’ partner in Yemen.
Plan versus reality
The Yemeni government has long emphasized that the Houthis’ defeat and the end of the group’s “coup” against the Yemeni state are its top priorities.
President al-Alimi stressed the importance of national unity in the “battle for liberation” in the early part of April, noting that the “decisive hour” was approaching.
Al-Alimi has not stated when the Houthis’s conflict will occur, but Yemeni government forces may see an increase in airstrikes by President Donald Trump’s administration.
The US claims that the strikes targeted Houthi leaders and significantly reduced Houthi capabilities. At least 123 Yemenis have been killed in the strikes since mid-March, according to Houthi authorities, many of whom are civilians.
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Bloomberg, US-backed, anti-Houthi ground operation discussions are raging.
The United Arab Emirates and the United Arab Emirates had discussed the plan with the US, according to the WSJ, but the UAE has denied any involvement. Assistant Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, described them as “wild unsubstantiated stories” on April 17.
In 2019, the UAE formally withdrew its military from Yemen.
On Friday, April 18, 2025, Houthi supporters chant slogans at a weekly, anti-US and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen.
In rumor, Tareq Saleh is cited as a likely leader of any anti-Houthi campaign in the Red Sea.
However, according to experts, anti-Houthi Yemeni armed groups have not yet been able to mobilize effectively on the ground.
According to Raiman Al-Hamdani, a researcher for Yemen with ARK, an international development company, “the PLC has been talking about liberating Sanaa and such.”
“As far as I’m aware, there hasn’t been much mobilization toward this goal. With Saudi Arabia and the UAE no longer wanting to fight the Houthis, whether they can is a very different story.
The Saudis and Houthis reached a ceasefire agreement in 2022, leaving anti-Houthi groups, including the Yemeni government, uncertain about their future and the Houthis’ growing splinter.
Al Jazeera reached out to the Yemeni government for comment on this story, but it never received a response.
Comfortable with the status quo
Yemen’s most powerful tribes, many of whom currently support the Houthis, would face significant change in fortunes as a result of an advance on Sanaa, which is high up in the Yemeni mountains and closer to the Houthi heartland in Yemen’s far north.
Hodeidah, a coastal plain town with a lower level of support for the Houthis, would likely be the main target of any US-backed operations, though. Houthis would still suffer a significant loss if they lost Hodeidah and other parts of the Red Sea coast, which would impede their ability to attack shipping along the crucial sea route.
That would go against the US’s stated goal, even if the group were still able to launch missiles farther afield, to restrict the Houthis’ ability to attack regionally.
On April 11, 2025, Houthi-affiliated security forces stand guard at a rally in Yemen’s Sanaa, which is in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and condemns US strikes.
However, any attempt to seize Hodeidah would still likely require a fierce campaign, and so far, no force seems to be willing to fully support anti-Houthi forces militarily, even the US.
Given that the Yemeni government could not defeat the Houthis despite receiving significant military support from the Saudi-led coalition earlier in the conflict, that is problematic for the anti-Houthi forces and potentially non-starter.
According to Porter, “The Houthis will put all of their weight in their place in support of Hodeidah.” Their survival depends on it because of their port access.
She added that Houthis were likely to be more effective militarily than any other group attempting to advance against Hodeidah.
I don’t think the Presidential Leadership Council and the Government of Yemen are very concerned about changing the status quo, Porter said.
Lionel Messi scored the winning goal for Inter Miami as they bounced back from their CONCACAF Champions Cup defeat to the New York Red Bulls 4-1 at Chase Stadium in Florida.
Miami’s last three games were a 5-1 aggregate loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Champions Cup semifinals, but they did so with a consoling Major League Soccer (MLS) victory at home on Saturday.
In the ninth minute, Fafa Picault powerfully headed the ball into the back of the net after Marcelo Weigandt had headed in a cross from Luis Suarez.
When Carlos Coronel parried Weigandt’s diving header in the 30th minute, the Argentinian followed in and scooped the ball home, helping Miami double.
After a VAR review, the referee decided the goal should remain in place despite initial offside concerns.
Suarez scored the winning goal at the second attempt nine minutes later after the Red Bulls had blocked his first shot before the break, but the Red Bulls then pulled one back.
To give the visitors some hope for the second half, Oscar Ustari was looped over an Omar Valencia corner that was deep to the back post.
However, Miami held on to the lead and Messi extended that advantage by scoring from the left-foot finish and beating Coronel in the 67th minute.
The victory moved Miami up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference after a four-game losing streak with the goal.
In another game, former Saint-Etienne midfielder Dylan Chambost scored the first goal in the team’s 4-2 victory over Charlotte, opening his MLS account.
The Crew, who defeated Montreal 2-1 to extend their excellent season, are now in the East with 24 points, two ahead of the Philadelphia Union, who scored the winner in the 84th minute with a goal scored in the opening half.
Christian Benteke and Hosei Kijima both scored goals as DC United won the game 2-1 over Colorado Rapids.
Lionel Messi (#10) scores Inter Miami’s fourth goal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 3, 2025. [Megan Briggs/Getty Images via AFP]
According to photos and video that Al Jazeera has verified, a ballistic missile launched from Yemen has struck the perimeter of Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, injuring cars, causing traffic to halt, and causing traffic to stop.
Despite making numerous attempts to intercept the projectile, the Israeli military confirmed on Sunday morning that an investigation was being conducted. According to paramedics, eight people were hurt.
Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have launched rockets at Israel’s busiest airport in protest of its war and blockade of the Gaza Strip, took responsibility for the missile launch. Palestinian officials claim that 57 people have died as a result of the Israeli siege total since March 2, with at least 52 of the 495 killed in Israel’s more than 18-month-long attacks on Gaza.
Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesman, warned airlines that Ben Gurion airport was no longer “safe for air travel” in a televised statement.
Flights at the airport in central Israel were briefly suspended as a result of the attack, with some having to be rerouted. While trains were halted as they approached the airport, all entrances were briefly closed.
According to Israeli media, sirens blared all over central Israel, forcing many people to seek shelter.
The missile struck a connecting road inside the Ben Gurion airport, according to online videos that were circulated, along with some debris strewn across the surrounding roads.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened severe retaliation. In an ostensibly biblical passage about severe punishment or divine justice, Katz said, “Whoever attacks us, we will hit back sevenfold.”
Former member of the Israeli Resilience party and leader of the Israel Resilience party Benny Gantz suggested that Tehran should bear responsibility for the missile attack.
Without providing any proof, he claimed in a social media post that “It is Iran that is firing ballistic missiles at the state of Israel.” A “severe reaction in Tehran is bound to follow the shooting at the state of Israel.”
Leading opposition figure Yair Golan claimed that millions of Israelis are now living in shelters, that families are being harmed by the war, and that reservists are “collapsing under the burden” of the conflict, which was started after an attack by the Palestinian-armed group Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, that reportedly resulted in the capture of 1, 139 people, with more than 200 others being taken captive.
He said about the prime minister, “This is big for Netanyahu, this is big for the government.” “We must end the war and bring the kidnapped people back home.”
Despite the US military bombarding areas throughout Yemen almost daily, the Houthi attacks are still on. In the early hours of Sunday, Yemen’s media reported numerous additional US air raids.
According to Al Masirah TV, US aircraft carried out three attacks on the Marib governorate and 10 raids on the al-Hazm district of the al-Jawf governorate.
West of Khan Younis in Gaza, Israel bombed tents containing forcibly displaced Palestinians. After further Israeli airstrikes, civil defense teams recovered children from rubble and fire.
