U.S. launches 'self-defence strikes' on Houthi targets. Biden says bombings yet to deter rebels

The United States conducted three "successful self defence strikes" against Houthirebel targets in Yemen on Friday, the White House said.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said this was the fourth pre-emptive strike in the past week by the U.S. military against Houthi missile launchers that were prepared to launch attacks.

"These actions were, I want to stress again, done in self defence, but it also helps make safer international waters for both naval vessels as well as ... merchant shipping," Kirby said.

TheHouthis a ShiaIslamist, Iran-backed rebel group that has been for years fighting Yemen's internationally recognized governmentsay their attacks on global shipping in the Red Sea corridor are aimed at stopping Israel's war on Hamas a Palestinianmilitant group allied with the Houthis in the Gaza Strip.

Now in its fourth month, the war in Gaza is one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history and has increased tensions across the Middle East.

WATCH | Palestinians in Gaza wait hours for food, water and other basics:

Hours-long waits to get food, water and other basics in Gaza

9 months ago

Duration 0:46

People in southern Gaza have been struggling to access basics, including food and water, as the war between Israel and Hamas rages on.

Israel has been laying siege to Gaza since Oct. 7, when Hamas, which controls the Palestinian enclave, launched a surprise attack that killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Gaza's Health Ministry says nearly 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, the majority of them women and children, and the United Nations says more than half a million people in Gaza a quarter of the population are starving.

Friday's strikes come as President Joe Biden acknowledged Thursday that the bombardment of Houthi sites, including last week's deadly array of strikes by U.S. and British forces, has yet to stop the militants' attacks on vessels in the Red Sea that have disrupted global shipping.

However, he vowed to keep up the strikes.

Late on Thursday, theHouthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a U.S.-owned tanker ship that hit the water near the vessel but caused no injuries or damage, according to the U.S. military.