SOFREP Morning Brief: Israeli Strike Hits Gaza Hospital as Offensive Intensifies, Russia Strikes Sumy as Trump Calls Attack a ‘Horrible Mistake’

Good morning! Here’s your SOFREP morning brief for Monday, April 14, 2025: An Israeli airstrike hit a Gaza hospital, killing a child and damaging critical infrastructure, as the war intensifies. US strikes in Yemen killed six amid ongoing Houthi attacks, while Washington warned military action against Iran remains possible if nuclear talks fail. Russia’s deadly missile strike on Sumy killed 34, despite US-led ceasefire efforts. Meanwhile, militants in Nigeria attacked oil pipelines, Pakistan demanded answers after eight citizens were killed in Iran, and tensions remain high across multiple global flashpoints.

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Israeli Strike Hits Gaza Hospital as Offensive Intensifies

An Israeli air strike hit Al-Ahli Hospital in northern Gaza on Sunday, killing a child and severely damaging critical medical infrastructure, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The hospital, one of Gaza’s few functioning medical facilities, was forced to evacuate 50 patients, while 40 critically ill patients remained behind.

Israel said it targeted a Hamas command center at the site, a claim Hamas denied.

Gaza’s civil defense said the strike occurred shortly after an evacuation warning. Patients and staff were seen fleeing into the streets.

Al-Ahli hospital in #Gaza is out of service following this morning’s evacuation order and attack – @WHO has received an update from the hospital’s director. A child died due to disruption of care.

The emergency room, laboratory, emergency room X-ray machines and the pharmacy…

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) April 13, 2025

On the same day, a separate Israeli strike killed seven people in Deir el-Balah, including six brothers. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Israel will intensify its military operations if Hamas refuses to release hostages.

⭕DISMANTLED: Hamas Command and Control Center 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 Al Ahli Hospital

The compound was used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.

Despite the IDF repeatedly stating that military activity within medical… pic.twitter.com/KzqKhIpTBt

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 13, 2025

The incident drew international condemnation, with Qatar and Saudi Arabia calling it a “heinous crime,” and British officials urging Israel to stop striking hospitals.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also criticized French President Macron’s support for a future Palestinian state.

Since the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,218 people in Israel, Gaza’s death toll has risen to 50,944, with over 1,500 killed since the collapse of the March ceasefire. Israeli forces also intercepted missile threats from Gaza and Yemen on Sunday.

US Airstrikes Kill 6 in Yemen as Houthis Claim Downing Another MQ-9 Reaper Drone

Suspected US airstrikes near Yemen’s Houthi-held capital of Sanaa killed at least six people and wounded 26 overnight, according to Houthi officials on Monday.

The strikes are part of a monthlong US air campaign under President Donald Trump aimed at curbing the rebels’ attacks on regional shipping tied to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Houthis reported the latest strikes targeted a ceramics factory in the Bani Matar neighborhood. Footage broadcast by the group’s al-Masirah network showed fires and rubble at the site.

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) has not confirmed the strikes, consistent with its current policy of withholding operational details while conducting strikes authorized by the White House since March 15.

According to the Houthis’ Health Ministry, the overall death toll from US airstrikes in Yemen now exceeds 120. The White House has said over 200 strikes have been carried out since the operation began.

The Houthis also claimed they shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone on Sunday over Yemen’s Hajjah governorate near the Saudi border. If confirmed, this would be the fourth such drone downed in two weeks. Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said they used a “locally manufactured missile,” likely referring to Iranian-origin munitions such as the 358 SAM.

CENTCOM acknowledged it was aware of the reports but gave no further details.

The ongoing US campaign has intensified in recent weeks, shifting from hitting missile launch sites to targeting Houthi leadership and infrastructure. The strikes follow increased Houthi threats to resume attacks on so-called “Israeli” vessels, a term they use loosely, leading to over 100 commercial shipping attacks between November 2023 and January 2024. Two ships were sunk, and four sailors killed. The Houthis also launched failed attacks on US naval vessels.

The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) carrier strike group continues non-stop 24/7 operations against the Houthis despite the Houthis’ outlandish claims… https://t.co/l82bCGJXUn

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 11, 2025

The US campaign shows no sign of slowing as tensions escalate on multiple fronts.

US Warns Military Action “On the Table” if Iran Talks Fail

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Sunday that while Washington seeks a diplomatic resolution to Iran’s nuclear program, military action remains a serious option.

The statement followed the launch of indirect US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman on Saturday.

Hegseth called the initial dialogue “productive” and “a good step,” but warned that the US is fully prepared to act if negotiations fail.

“We’ve shown a capability to go far, to go deep and to go big,” Hegseth said on Face the Nation, adding, “We don’t want to do that, but if we have to, we will.”

President Donald Trump echoed those sentiments last week, telling reporters that military intervention was “absolutely” possible if Iran refuses to reach a deal. He emphasized that Israel would “be the leader” of any joint action.

Trump had previously delivered a blunt warning in March: “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing.”

These developments come amid intelligence assessments suggesting Iran may be only weeks away from producing a deliverable nuclear weapon, though Tehran denies pursuing such arms.

Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran during his first term in office. The current negotiations in Oman mark the first formal indirect contacts between the two countries in the renewed push to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capability.

Niger Delta Militants Claim Pipeline Attacks

Two militant groups in Nigeria’s Niger Delta claimed responsibility on Sunday for a string of recent attacks targeting oil infrastructure, raising concerns of renewed unrest in the region after years of relative calm.

The Liberation Army of the Niger Delta and Bakassi (L.A.N.D. & B), along with the more prominent Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), said they sabotaged a major oil supply line connected to a terminal in Bayelsa State.

The attacks, which local sources confirmed occurred over the past week, hit pipelines operated by Nigerian energy firm Oando.

Oando reported three separate incidents and warned of the impact on national output. Nigeria’s Oil Minister Heineken Lokpobiri called the damaged infrastructure a “major trunk line,” noting that every day offline results in substantial revenue losses for both the federal government and local communities.

The militants said the attacks were a direct response to President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The emergency order, issued last month amid prolonged political conflict, included the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the state legislature. Tinubu had accused Fubara of complicity in earlier infrastructure attacks.

“The attacks signify the launch of a campaign to drive out of Rivers State usurpers of the people’s legitimate authority,” the militant statement read.

While L.A.N.D. & B remains largely unknown, MEND was responsible for widespread sabotage in the 2000s. Its previous insurgency drastically reduced oil production before a 2009 government amnesty ended its campaign.

A return to militancy in the oil-rich region could undermine Tinubu’s economic reforms. Nigeria is currently grappling with a severe cost-of-living crisis and only recently began showing signs of economic recovery.

Vandals Launch Series Of Attacks On Oil Pipelines In Bayelsa State | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/JrV6TyYj5U pic.twitter.com/ORloX7zR6n

— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 12, 2025

Russia Strikes Sumy as Trump Calls Attack a ‘Horrible Mistake’

A Russian missile strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy killed at least 34 people and wounded more than 100 on Sunday, marking one of the deadliest attacks in recent months.

Ukrainian officials said two ballistic missiles struck the city center, damaging 20 buildings, including a university, apartment blocks, and a district court.

The attack occurred just two days after US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to advance President Donald Trump’s push for a negotiated end to the war.

Reacting from Air Force One, Trump called the strike a “horrible thing” and a “mistake,” though he did not elaborate on who was responsible for the alleged error.

“I think the whole war is a horrible thing,” he added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the strike as “horrifying” and a stark reminder of the stakes involved in Trump’s efforts to broker peace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Trump to visit Ukraine to witness firsthand the impact of the invasion.

“Come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” he said. He emphasized that the attack occurred on Palm Sunday, a major Christian holiday.

Among the dead were two children, and at least 15 other children were injured. Eight victims remain in serious condition. Witnesses described chaos at the scene, with bodies covered in silver sheets and burning vehicles in the rubble.

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, confirmed Russia used Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles in the strike. The attack is the second this month with high civilian casualties, following a strike on Zelensky’s hometown, Kryvi Rig, that killed 18 people.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the assault, calling it part of a “devastating pattern” of strikes against Ukrainian population centers.

Despite Russia’s continued aggression, Trump’s administration is pursuing a ceasefire through direct talks with both Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine has agreed to an unconditional truce proposed by the US, but Russia has refused the terms.

NEW: Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that ongoing US-Russian negotiations are unlikely to result in “lightning-fast results,” contrary to US President Donald Trump’s stated objective of achieving a general ceasefire and lasting peace agreement in Ukraine in the near… pic.twitter.com/BsaMwZBk3n

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) April 13, 2025

Meanwhile, European nations are weighing a potential troop deployment to enforce any future peace agreement.

Zelensky called for a “strong response” from the US and Europe, warning that “talking has never stopped ballistic missiles and bombs.”

Pakistan Demands Iran’s Cooperation After Killing of Eight Nationals in Sistan-Baluchistan

Pakistan has called for Iran’s “full cooperation” following the killing of eight Pakistani nationals in Iran’s restive southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province.

The incident occurred Saturday in Mehrestan County, approximately 230 kilometers from the Pakistan-Iran border.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement Monday urging a thorough investigation. Islamabad’s Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir, confirmed the victims were laborers and said both governments are working to repatriate the bodies.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack and pledged to identify and prosecute those responsible.

Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei labeled the killings “an act of terrorism” and “a criminal act incompatible with Islamic and humanitarian norms.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The advocacy group HalVash, which monitors Baluch affairs, reported that unidentified gunmen shot the victims, who operated a family-run auto repair shop. The claim remains unverified.

The incident highlights the volatility in the Baluch-majority regions straddling Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, where a long-running nationalist insurgency seeks independence. In Pakistan’s Balochistan province, the US-designated terrorist group Baloch Liberation Army frequently targets both security forces and civilians.

Tensions in the region remain high, and the killings have raised concerns of potential cross-border ramifications if the perpetrators are linked to militant networks operating in the tri-border zone.

Sources: News Agencies