Israel-Hamas war: Netanyahu opposes Palestinian state

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again expressed his opposition to a two-state solution to the longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories.

He said a Palestinian state would become a launching pad for future attacks on Israel.

Netanyahu said Israel "must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River."

He added: "That collides with the idea of sovereignty. What can we do?"

"This truth I tell to our American friends, and I put the brakes on the attempt to coerce us to a reality that would endanger the state of Israel," he said.

The remarks come after the US, Israel's closest ally, called for steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"Israel's prime minister must be able to say 'no' when necessary, even to our best friends," Netanyahu said.

Speaking Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the two-state solution was the best way to protect Israel.

Without a "pathway to a Palestinian state," he said, Israel would not "get genuine security."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, also speaking in Davos, said that "Israelis lost trust in the peace processes because they could see that terror is glorified by our neighbors."

Netanyahu has also pushed back against US calls for a winding down of the conflict, saying on Thursday: "We will not be satisfied with anything less than total victory."

"Victory will take many months," he added.

Houthis say US ship hit in Gulf of Aden attack

The US military said that an attack on a US-owned tanker by Houthis in Yemen resulted in zero injuries and no damage to the ship.

The Iran-backed group had claimed the attack on Thursday, saying that they had hit the vessel.

US Central Command said that the two anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired at the tanker were the third attack on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region in three days.

Attacks by Houthi rebels over the last few weeks have led several major shipping companies to stop using the Red Sea route, adding days to the journey as ships are redirected around Africa.

They say their acts are in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza amid the ongoing war.

The US and UK have responded to the attacks from Yemen's Houthis by launching their own strikes against rebel targets. The US also added the group back to its terrorism list.

China urges end to attacks on ships in Red Sea

China called for an end to "harassment" of civilian vessels in the Red Sea following attacks on ships by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group.

Some shipping firms are avoiding the key waterway, causing trade delays and supply chain issues.

Beijing stressed that the area was an "important international trade route for goods and energy."

"At the same time, fueling tensions in the Red Sea and heightening security risks in the whole region should be avoided," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference on Friday.

"China calls for a halt to the harassment and attacks on civilian ships to keep global industrial and supply chains unimpeded and safeguard the international trade order," she added.

"The priority now is to end the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible to avoid further escalation and prevent the situation from getting out of control."