US warship attacked in Red Sea; Israel expands ground offensive in Gaza: Updates

An American warship and three commercial ships came under attack Sunday in international waters of the Red Sea, a possible escalation of the war just as Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip intensifies following a weeklong truce. The USS Carney shot down three drones while responding to distress calls from the vessels after they were targeted by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Pentagon said in a statement. The assaults with ballistic missiles lasted about seven hours and damaged two of the ships, according to the statement. "These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security,'' the U.S. Central Command said. "They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. ... The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners.'' The Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, is described on its website as "505 feet of American fighting steel." It was not damaged and no serious injuries were reported, a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Associated Press. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have ambushed multiple ships in the Red Sea in recent days, claimed responsibility for attacking two commercial ships saying they were from Israel, but made no mention of the Carney. Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the ships don't have a connection to the country. The attacks, combined with an increase in clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah near the Lebanon border, could represent steps toward an expansion of the war in the region, something the Biden administration has labored to prevent. The war began Oct. 7, when militants from Gaza swept across the Israeli border in a murderous assault that left about 1,200 people dead, many of them women and children. Israel says close to 100 of its soldiers have died in the ensuing attack on the Palestinian enclave. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed, 70% of them women and children, and upward of 41,000 have been injured.