World leaders concerned about Mideast war escalating after attacks in Lebanon and Iraq

Geoff Bennett:

The Biden administration will soon designate Houthi militants in Yemen as a specially designated global terrorist group, a White House official tells the "NewsHour."

It follows more than 30 Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. And it's a reversal from the first days of the Biden administration, when the U.S. delisted the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. Earlier today, Israel and Hamas agreed to allow more medicine into Gaza, both for Gazans and for the more than 100 Israelis still held hostage.

But attacks in the last 24 hours in Lebanon and Iraq have caused Middle East and U.S. officials to voice concerns about the risks of a wider war.

Nick Schifrin reports.

Nick Schifrin:

Across the region tonight, fears of escalation. Today, Israel launched one of its largest salvos against Hezbollah in Lebanon since October the 7th.

Just yesterday, a mother and son were buried together killed on Sunday by a Hezbollah missile. In Northern Iraq, Iran launched a rare ballistic missile attack on what it said was a local office of Israel's spy agency. but among the dead was a Kurdish multimillionaire and his family killed in their home.

And off the coast of Yemen, U.S. warships launched the third round of strikes on the Houthis in six days, the target today, four Houthi ballistic missiles before they could be fired.

The Houthis welcome war, and once again today launched a missile the U.S. military said struck a Maltese-flagged ship that was able to sail away.

Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatari Prime Minister:

What we have right now in the region is a recipe for escalation everywhere.

Nick Schifrin:

Three thousand miles away, at the World Economic Forum, leaders from the region and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan acknowledged concerns of wider war.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Adviser:

We have to guard against and be vigilant against the possibility that, in fact, rather than heading towards de-escalation, we are on a path of escalation that we have to manage.

Nick Schifrin:

Purposely or not, Hamas' October 7 terrorist attack accelerated existing tensions. And, today, de-escalation runs through Gaza, said Sullivan and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Al Thani.

Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani:

We should focus on the main conflict in Gaza. And as soon as it is defused, I believe everything else will be defused.

Nick Schifrin:

But the spark and smoke of the war in Gaza continues to spread. Today, in Central Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp, families carted all they had left.

The U.N. says Gazans are stalked by the long shadow of starvation. Today in Rafah, Mahammed Al-Shondogli waited for food with his children.

Mahammed Al-ShondoglI, Displaced Gazan (through interpreter):

Our bodies are ill. My children are ill due to lack of food. This is not enough.

Nick Schifrin:

Despite Israel's campaign, today, Palestinian militants fired more than two dozen rockets into Israel, the highest number in more than a week, and a reminder of how far Israel is from achieving its military goals.

But there is disunity on how to achieve those goals. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed. War cabinet member and opposition leader Benny Gantz is willing to stop if it comes with the release of more than 100 hostages.

Men and Women:

Happy birthday.

Woman:

Bring them home now.

Nick Schifrin:

There is a reminder of the hostages' absence every day. Today is Kfir Bibas' first birthday. He and his family were taken from their homes 102 days ago. Hamas says they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but his extended family holds out hope he survived to see his second year.

As for that agreement between Israel and Hamas to allow more medicine into Gaza, it was negotiated by Qatar. Netanyahu said today that two Qatari air force planes will fly to Egypt tomorrow to deliver medicine both for Israeli hostages and millions of Gazans who need it.