Day 96 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Jan. 10

US and UK naval forces shot down Houthis drones and missiles in Red Sea as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Rina Bassist, Ezgi Akin, Beatrice Farhat, Elizabeth Hagedorn, Adam Lucente, Jack Dutton, Jared Szuba and Al-Monitor’s contributors on the ground in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel contributed to this blog.

Click here for our most recent updates.

Live updates (all times EDT):

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024

4:15 pm: What to expect as Israel, South Africa face off in Gaza genocide case at ICJ

Having submitted a complaint accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, South Africa is set to present its arguments to the International Court of Justice in The Hague Thursday morning. After a short swearing-in of the judges, the South African team headed by law professor John Dugard will have about three hours to plead its case. The Israeli side, led by British professor Malcolm Shaw, will get three hours the following day to explain why the South African petition should be rejected. Rina Bassist reports.

3:24 pm: Houthis’ largest attack yet in Red Sea poses test for US resolve

The United States’ top diplomat issued yet another warning to Yemen’s Houthi rebels following their largest attack yet in the southern Red Sea.

“If these attacks continue, as they did yesterday, there will be consequences,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during an impromptu stop in Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, amid a wider diplomatic tour of the region. Jared Szuba reports.

2:39 pm: With Hezbollah cornered, Lebanon-Israel escalation may not be contained

The current period is the longest fighting between Hezbollah and Israel since the latter’s withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000. After nearly 100 days, there’s no indication the end is coming. On the contrary, the events on the Israeli-Lebanese border suggest the conflict is far from contained, with Israel and Hezbollah both escalating their attacks since the assassination of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in the heart of Beirut on Jan. 2. Our correspondent in Beirut reports.

12:03 pm: Houthi attacks leave Suez Canal idle, deepening Egypt's economic woes

Attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, which have spiked since the Gaza war broke out on Oct. 7, have caused shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal, a key source of revenue for Egypt as it battles a deep economic crisis.

International Monetary Fund figures show 35% less cargo was transported through the Suez Canal in the first week of 2024 compared with the same period last year. Read the full story here.

10:50 am: 'Only the first step': Turkey's Erdogan flaunts anti-Mossad op

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip gloated Wednesday over a Turkish operation against an alleged Mossad spy ring of more than three dozen people in his country last week.

“Of course [the operation] seriously surprised Israel," Erdogan said during a speech marking the 97th anniversary of the establishment of Turkey’s intelligence agency, MIT, in Ankara. Ezgi Akin reports.

10:33 am: Red Crescent says Israeli strike on Gaza ambulance kills six

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said an Israeli strike on an ambulance in the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday killed four medics and two other people inside the vehicle.

The organization said in a statement there were "six martyrs" as a result of "the IDF targeting of a PRCS ambulance in Deir al-Balah," adding that four were emergency team members. Read the full story here.

4:41 am: Israeli hostage families keep faith as trauma nears 100th day

Silvia Cunio sighed deeply as she reviewed the messages in her family chat group from Oct. 7, the last time she heard from her two sons before Hamas gunmen took them to Gaza as hostages.

"I want to hug them as soon as possible," the 63-year-old said of David and Ariel, who are approaching 100 days of captivity in the Palestinian territory.

Israel is bombarding the Gaza Strip daily and has a stated aim of finding and freeing the hostages. Officials believe 132 are still in the besieged territory, of whom 25 have been confirmed dead. The fate of those still in Gaza haunts Israeli society. Read the full story here.

Click here for our most recent updates.