Israel vows to press forward with an offensive in the southern Gaza Strip even as the Biden administration tries to clinch a deal to free all remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas. National Security Correspondent Ben Wolfgang reports that the Mossad, Israel‘s intelligence service, is reviewing a Hamas response to a ceasefire-prisoner swap proposal coming as Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues his fifth Mideast shuttle diplomacy tour since Iran-backed Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Iran’s U.N. ambassador says the network of Tehran-funded militants across the Mideast, such as the Yemen-based Houthis, is akin to the Western military alliance NATO. American and British warplanes have been striking Houthi targets in Yemen for nearly a month in response to attacks by the rebel group on commercial shipping. However, the U.S.-U.K. campaign still “cannot ensure safe passage” for ships sailing through the Red Sea, according to the maritime intelligence firm Ambrey. The Pentagon’s Central Command says the Houthis fired six anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen toward the Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday.

With just weeks to go before the two-year anniversary of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, Russian forces are ramping up attacks across the country. Moscow’s forces pounded at least three Ukrainian cities with missiles and drone strikes Wednesday, including Kyiv, just as EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was there to discuss increased European military aid for Ukraine.

U.S. political divisions over aid for Ukraine — the Biden administration has thus far provided more than $75 billion in cash and equipment — continue in Washington. Former Trump administration National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, now with the Hudson Institute, says if the U.S. doesn’t “arm the Ukrainians with the weapons they need,” the result will be “a gift to the Moscow-Tehran-Beijing-Pyongyang axis of aggressors.”

Swedish authorities, meanwhile, are ending their probe into what caused the 2022 explosions on underwater Nord Stream gas pipelines built to carry Russian natural gas to Germany, although Danish and German investigations continue. The Kremlin has denied any role, while some claim Washington engineered the mysterious blasts. U.S. and European intelligence has suggested a pro-Ukraine saboteur group was responsible, according to reports last year.

U.S. ally South Korea is expanding its sale of sophisticated arms to Mideast nations, with Seoul defense contractor LIG Nex1 set to export its Cheongung mid-range surface-to-air missile system to Saudi Arabia in a deal valued at $3.2 billion.

The development is relevant for Washington as it comes amid ongoing U.S. efforts to spur diplomatic normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel, normalization that sources say is unlikely unless the Saudis feel they have defense parity with Israel.

Washington Times Asia Editor Andrew Salmon reports that the Cheongung sale follows a 2022 deal in which Seoul provided the same system to the United Arab Emirates, a win for South Korea’s fast-rising arms industry even as it faces questions over its ability to fulfill a separate — and massive — arms order to Poland.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro avoided a historical rebuke Tuesday after House Republicans fell just short in their attempt to impeach him. One Republican was missing and three Republicans joined Democrats in opposing impeachment. House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed this morning to try again.

Meanwhile, Democrats in the Senate vow to push ahead with a vote on the $118 billion bipartisan bill to increase funding for combating illegal immigration and provide tens of billions in fresh aid for Ukraine and Israel, despite rising conservative support in both the House and Senate to tank the legislation.

Low U.S. military recruitment and retention rates are a serious national security issue, writes Army veteran Jim Whaley, a former communications director at West Point and currently CEO of the veterans advocacy group Mission Roll Call. Mr. Whaley argues U.S. lawmakers and federal veterans agencies need to make it more appealing for young people to join the services, starting with addressing low pay. He notes basic pay of an E-1 is $2,017.20 per month. That totals under $25,000 per year, less than half the average annual salary nationwide and closer to the federal poverty line than the national wage average.