The Houthi militants and their backer Iran are bracing for a prolonged standoff with the United States and its allies around the Red Sea, regardless of how the Israel-Hamas war unfolds.
Israel is determined to move forward with efforts to remove more than 1 million civilians from Rafah ahead of an assault on Hamas-held Gaza city, but officials are unsure how it will go about it and how much. Privately admitting it takes time or there is no exact strategy, but where do people go?
Pressure mounts on UK House of Commons Speaker after Gaza vote chaos
Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle was criticized by Conservative and Scottish National Party politicians for the disruption in parliament late on Wednesday, sparked by accusations that Labor had intervened to avert a revolt over the vote in the Gaza Strip. There are growing calls for his resignation.
As of Thursday night, more than 65 MPs had signed a motion of no confidence in the Speaker, one in 10 MPs nationwide, and the former Conservative Party, who is holding the seat as an independent, had signed a motion of no confidence in the Speaker. All but SNP and Conservatives. Although not legally binding, the numbers will alarm Mr Hoyle. Mr Hoyle's position relies on widespread support.
read more: House of Representatives descends into chaos over Israel-Hamas war vote
Chancellor Rishi Sunak told broadcasters the Speaker's response to the Gaza debate was “very worrying” after he said he had allowed Labor to vote due to concerns for the safety of MPs. He warned that parliament should never be intimidated by “extremists”. Still, Mr Hoyle apologized and acknowledged he was “remorseful for what happened”.
The confusion comes after Mr Hoyle allowed proposed SNP changes to the Gaza ceasefire call by Keir Starmer's Labor and Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party, despite Wednesday being allocated to the Scottish Party. It was triggered during a debate on the Hamas war. Opposition Day.” The drama drew comparisons to the heated argument following the 2016 Brexit vote.
The debate was fought over typically arcane Westminster procedures, but although the vote was non-binding and had no impact on British foreign policy, it sparked anger from the SNP and Tories. Much of this was due to heightened political stakes due to the UK general election expected this year. . Mr Hoyle's move effectively gave Mr Starmer a chance to defuse tensions in Labor over his stance on Gaza, denying him an opening to exploit the SNP and Conservatives.
As in other countries, Hamas' attacks on Israel in October have sparked communal tensions in the UK, with pro- and anti-Palestinian protests regularly held in cities across the country. This is an issue that affects all political parties, but is particularly sensitive for Labor, which has traditionally enjoyed strong support from British Muslims.
Iran-backed Houthis prepare for long Red Sea battle with US
Houthi armed forces And their backer, Iran, is bracing for a prolonged standoff with the United States and its allies around the Red Sea, whatever the situation. israel-hamas war to play.
The Yemen-based group is deploying military and defense forces to continue attacks on shipping around the vital waterway, people familiar with the situation said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. It is said to be strengthened. Measures include strengthening mountain hideouts for safer and more effective missile launches and testing unmanned vessels on and under water.
Saudi Arabia borders Yemen, fought against the Houthis According to an adviser to the Saudi leadership, who requested anonymity, for much of the past decade the group has been trying to disrupt major internet cables that run along the ocean floor. He is particularly concerned that this may be the case. There is no suggestion yet that there is such a plan or that the Houthis have the means to carry it out.
Houthis started It attacked ships in the Red Sea in November, ostensibly as a way to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza against Hamas, which is also backed by Iran. Initially, they said only ships with ties to Israel would be targeted, but it didn't take long for ships with loose ties to the Jewish state to be targeted as well.
The attack has pushed oil prices up more than 8% this year, with Brent approaching $85 a barrel, and disrupted trade through the southern Red Sea. The waterway typically handles about 30% of the world's container traffic, with more than $1 trillion in goods passing through it each year.
The US and UK have responded since mid-January as follows: airstrike The attacks targeted Houthi military assets, including missile launchers, air defense systems and radars. The Pentagon says the organization's capabilities have been weakened as a result. A U.S.-led maritime operation to patrol and secure the Red Sea began in December and was reinforced this week by a Greek-led European Union mission.
But an attempt to attack a US warship in the Red Sea on Saturday failed, and the next day a British-owned cargo ship was attacked, causing damage and forcing its crew ashore.it is First evacuation Since the Houthis began their offensive. Later, a cargo ship burst into flames after being hit by two missiles in the Gulf of Aden. the British Navy said on Thursday.
As Israel stirs up anxiety in the international community, have a plan to attack Rafah, a haven for Palestinian refugees, the Houthis and Iran are trying to extract concessions from the West that have nothing to do with the Israeli-Hamas conflict, Yemen's internationally recognized opposition to the Houthis says. said Rashad Al Alimi, who heads the government. He suggested these demands could include sanctions relief for Iran and political recognition for extremist groups.
“This is a strategic dream for Iran,” Alimi said during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference last weekend.
Over the past few weeks, the Houthis have strengthened their positions in three mountainous regions, based primarily on intelligence collected from individuals on the ground and shared with Bloomberg, the officials said.
More trenches and tunnels were dug around the mountains of Hajjah Governorate northwest of Sanaa, which borders Saudi Arabia and overlooks the Red Sea, and inland.
These remote and rugged locations are used to hide stockpiles of missiles, four people said, while mountains more than 2,000 meters high can target ships further offshore, including in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. It is now possible to do so. Recent movements of the Houthis.
Israeli officials press ahead with Rafah plan without precise strategy
Israel is determined to move more than 1 million civilians from Rafah ahead of an attack on Hamas-controlled cities in Gaza, but officials are unsure of the exact strategy for how, how long it will take and where the people will be located. I informally admit that I don't have one, but I'll go.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a brief phone interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday, referring to the Israeli military, “I have directed the plan and they are preparing the plan and will present it in the near future.”
Desperate Gazans have taken refuge in Rafah, with many now living in tents or on the streets, facing hunger and disease. Forcing them to return to devastated areas is expected to add to the death toll, which has already exceeded 29,000 in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
But Israeli leaders see this as a turning point. They believe they are close to dismantling the military wing of Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, and moving closer to locating about 100 remaining hostages. They say these goals can only be achieved with Rapha. Authorities believe between 5,000 and 8,000 fighters and Hamas leaders are hiding in Rafah, mainly in tunnels, along with hostages.
In addition to the threat to civilians, the Rafah attack has sparked violence from Palestinians in the West Bank and Iranian-backed militias in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, with the potential to trigger an even larger outbreak. . geopolitical turmoil. Israel's full-scale response to the October 7 Hamas attack, which killed more than 1,200 people and took 240 hostages, has surprised many governments, especially in the Global South.
South Africa has accused Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice, and leaders at the G20 summit in Brazil are considering limiting the scope of the forum because of too many participants. Split Regarding the Gaza war.
Allies fear that the longer the war drags on, the more likely it is that Israel will lose whatever support it once had among Arab nations. Israel announced it would launch a ground offensive in Rafah unless the hostages were released by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, scheduled to begin on March 10.
Western officials have become increasingly alarmed by the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with the United States and its allies demanding that Israel plan to move civilians north of Rafah, located in the southern Palestinian territory near the Egyptian border. I'm looking for details. . Officials believe Israel will carry out a military operation in Rafah no matter what, but there are concerns about the Ramadan deadline and the broader humanitarian situation, the people said.
Of Hamas's five combat brigades, two based in and around Gaza City in the north and a third near the southern city of Khan Younis have been virtually wiped out, the military said. The remaining forces of the 4th and 5th were almost concentrated at Rafah.
“We are nearing the end of the beginning,” said former national security adviser Yaakov Amidrol. “It will take another week to complete Khan Yunis. In March, we will move our troops to Rafah, where the fighting will continue until the end of April. After that, we will move to smaller scale operations like we are doing in the north. You can move to a unit composition.”
He predicted low-level fighting would continue through the rest of the year.
Israel says it has killed 10,500 of its 40,000 armed fighters from Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group in the war. This is in addition to the approximately 1,300 people killed in the October 7 Hamas attack. Approximately 2,000 people were captured and an estimated 10,000 injured. This leaves about 15,000 fighters remaining.
Once Israel actually ends the war, it will have to deal with the contentious question of what happens next. The United States, its European allies, and the Arab world all want Israel to work toward creating a Palestinian state to run Gaza. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected this, saying such a step would amount to retribution to Hamas for the October 7 attack.
On Wednesday, Israel's parliament easily passed a resolution rejecting the imposition of a Palestinian state on Israel, signaling once again that Prime Minister Netanyahu's position enjoys widespread support. In a phone call with Bloomberg, he called it a “historic day” because of the overwhelming 99-9 vote that passed Congress. DM
