An agreement to pause the Israel-Hamas war and free civilian hostages captured by Hamas was not imminent and “the ball is in Hamas’ court”, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

Iranian-backed Houthis vowed to respond to US and British-led airstrikes after dozens of targets of the Yemen-based rebel group were struck overnight. 

Egypt’s Suez Canal revenue plunged by almost half in January, a top official said, after attacks by Houthi rebels on Red Sea vessels forced major shipping firms to avoid the waterway.

Democrats will consider Israel-only aid Bill, says House leader

House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries echoed the White House in criticising a Republican plan to vote on a standalone $17.6-billion Israel aid package, while saying his party’s legislators would consider the bill. 

Jeffries said national security concerns tied to Ukraine and the US-Mexico border also needed to be addressed, reflecting the Biden administration’s position in favour of a comprehensive Bill.

“The responsible approach is a comprehensive one to address America’s national security priorities,” he said on ABC’s This Week.

Jeffries said the Israel Bill unveiled on Saturday by Speaker Mike Johnson would be evaluated by Democrats, though it fell short by failing to support Ukraine “against Russian aggression”. Challenges related to the US’s “broken immigration system” also needed to be worked on, he said. 

Read more: House to vote on Israel aid without Ukraine funds next week

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reiterated that the administration saw Johnson’s Israel-only Bill as “a ploy” and not a serious effort to deal with US national security challenges. 

The Bill includes funds for Israel’s Iron Dome and Iron Beam missile defence systems, funds for US military operations in the Middle East and enhanced protection for US personnel at embassies.  

Johnson said on Saturday that the goal was to get aid to Israel urgently to help its battle with Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the 7 October attacks by Hamas on Israel. 

Israel-Hamas hostage release deal remains elusive, says Sullivan 

An agreement to pause the Israel-Hamas war and free civilian hostages captured by Hamas was not imminent and “the ball is in Hamas’ court,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

“Ultimately, that comes down to Hamas,” Sullivan said on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, adding that there was no guarantee a deal would come together. “Sitting here today, I cannot tell you it’s right around the corner.”

People familiar with the diplomacy said last week that the negotiations were advancing on a deal that those involved believe could be a major step to ending four months of war since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October and Israel launched a military incursion into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in response.

But it’s unclear if Israel and Hamas are on board. 

“We will not agree to every deal, and not at any price,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. “Many things that are being said in the media, as if we had agreed to them, such as regarding the release of terrorists, we will simply not agree to them.” 

Spy chiefs and top officials from Qatar, Egypt, the US and Israel agreed on a framework in Paris last weekend. Qatar then presented Hamas with a proposal for a 45-day pause and the release of some Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all the women, children and elderly Israeli hostages, according to one official.

“Israel has in fact put forward a proposal. And as Qatar has indicated publicly, the ball is in the Hamas court at this time,” Sullivan said on CBS’s Face the Nation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken departed on another trip to the region on Sunday. He will pursue diplomatic efforts on a deal for a pause in the fighting that will allow increased delivery into Gaza and the release of all remaining hostages, the State Department said.

Houthi rebels vow new attacks after latest US, UK-led strike

Iranian-backed Houthis vowed to respond to US and British-led airstrikes after dozens of targets of the Yemen-based rebel group were struck on Saturday night.

The US and its allies targeted Houthi sites at 13 locations in Yemen, part of an effort to end the militant group’s attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. It was the biggest barrage since initial attacks on 11 January, also carried out jointly by the US and UK. 

“These attacks will not deter us from our moral, religious and humanitarian stance” in support of Palestinians in Gaza, Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the group, said in a statement posted on X, and would not pass “without response and punishment.”

Ali Al-Kahoum, a member of the Houthi political council, said there was now an “open war” and that the Houthis had the military capability to strike back.

Some 48 airstrikes were directed at targets across Yemen, Saree said. The Pentagon said earlier that 36 Houthi sites were targeted — in particular, the group’s deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defence systems and radars. 

The US and Britain were “fuelling chaos, disorder, insecurity and instability,” Nasser Kanani, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a statement. 

Grant Shapps, UK defence minister, said the RAF/US strikes were a “proportionate and targeted” response to “unacceptable” attacks on commercial and military vessels.

Houthi missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea, which started in November, have disrupted global trade, raised concern about higher oil prices, and prompted major shipping companies to divert carriers to longer routes. It has led the Biden administration to mount a naval operation along with other countries in an effort to end the threat — so far with mixed results. 

Read more: Red Sea attacks prompt firms to test ambitious new land routes 

The latest attacks on Houthi positions followed Friday’s US airstrikes targeting Iranian forces and militias in Iraq and Syria in what the Biden administration described as retaliation for a drone attack a week ago in northeast Jordan by an Iran-linked militant group, which killed three US service members. 

Egypt’s Suez Canal receipts fall by almost half after Red Sea attacks

Egypt’s Suez Canal revenue plunged by almost half in January, a top official said, after attacks by Yemeni militants on Red Sea vessels forced major shipping firms to avoid the waterway.

Income was about $428-million last month, compared with $804-million for the same period in 2023, Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie told an Egyptian TV talk show on Friday evening. The number of ships navigating the canal fell by 36%, he said.

The drop is the latest headache for the North African nation that was already wrestling with its worst economic crisis in decades before the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October and threatened to disrupt trade and tourism. 

The Suez Canal, the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe, is an important source of foreign currency for Egypt and netted some $10.25-billion in 2023.  

Egypt is nearing a deal with the International Monetary Fund that may more than double its current $3-billion rescue package and bring in other partners. 

Australia says US action in Middle East is ‘proportionate’

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the US’s military action in the Middle East over the weekend was proportionate, and reinforced his support for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. 

US forces followed up strikes on Syria and Iraq with a new round of attacks against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Saturday. A joint statement of support released on Sunday from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand backed the strikes on 36 targets across 13 locations in Yemen.

“We support the actions of the United States,” Albanese said in a television interview with Australian broadcaster ABC. “These are proportionate, these are retaliatory for the actions of Iran-backed organisations and they are not an escalation. So we think that the United States has got it right.”

Read more: How Iran-backed groups provoke wider Mideast conflict: QuickTake

Albanese reiterated Australia’s support for a two-state solution, which would support “the right of Israel to exist within safe and secure borders” and “justice for Palestinians”. 

Turkey’s intelligence chief meets Hamas leader amid Gaza talks

Turkey’s head of national intelligence, Ibrahim Kalın, discussed ceasefire prospects with senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, the Turkish state broadcaster TRT reported. 

The pair also discussed possible new prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas, and the status of humanitarian aid going into Gaza, according to TRT. 

Negotiations have been advancing this week toward a possible agreement to pause the Israel-Hamas war and free the remaining civilian hostages captured by Hamas in its 7 October attack on southern Israel. DM

Read more in Daily Maverick: Israel-Palestine War