Pope Francis on Thursday bemoaned the "ignoble humanitarian situation" in Gaza and said he saw the risk of a world war rising in an New Year audience with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.

While other fronts have quieted with the ceasefire signed between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in November and the fall of the Iran-aligned Syrian government the following month, Ansar Allah has defied strikes conducted by Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States to maintain operations until a ceasefire was reached in Gaza.

Israel struck Huthi targets in Yemen on Friday, including a power station and coastal ports, in response to missile and drone launches, and warned it would hunt down the group's leaders.