Armed Yemeni supporters of the Houthi movement sit in the back of an armored vehicle during an anti-Israel and anti-American rally in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa on January 22, 2024, amid ongoing fighting between Israel and the militant Hamas group in Gaza.
Mohammed Huwais | Afp | Getty Images
The Middle East is facing escalation on multiple fronts as Israeli forces close in on the remnants of the southern Gaza Strip and Yemen’s Houthi rebels launch their most devastating attack yet on a ship in the Red Sea.
The crew of the British bulk carrier MV Rubymar, flying the Belize flag, was forced to abandon ship in the Gulf of Aden on Monday and received help from a nearby merchant ship and a coalition warship to reach a nearby port after “two anti-ship “Missiles were fired from Iran-backed, Houthi terrorist-controlled areas in Yemen,” US Central Command said.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the group’s attack, calling it its worst yet. The group claims to support Palestinian civilians as part of Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
“The ship was severely damaged, resulting in a complete standstill… It is now in danger of sinking in the Gulf of Aden,” Saree said on Monday.
At the same time, fighting between Israel and Hamas is raging in the Gaza Strip and will not let up despite diplomatic efforts from several countries.
The Israeli government has warned of a possible ground invasion in Rafah, the southern corner of the Gaza Strip along the Egyptian border, where more than 1.5 million Palestinians – most of them displaced from other parts of the Gaza Strip – are seeking refuge, mostly in makeshift tents , where there is hardly any access to food, water and medicine.
More than 29,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s offensive on the blockaded territory began on October 7, when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented terror attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 240 hostage.
“I think unfortunately we really need to be prepared for further escalation on two fronts,” Charles Myers, chairman and founder of consulting firm Signum Global Advisors, told CNBC’s “Capital Connection” on Tuesday.
“The Houthis are proving far more effective at disrupting international maritime trade,” Myers said.
“And the U.S. and U.K. military response to date has not reduced or degraded their capabilities, which means we need a much larger U.S. and U.K. military response in the next few days to try to take out more of these capabilities.” .”, so we have to watch that on the other side.”
INTERNATIONAL WATERS RED SEA, YEMEN – NOVEMBER 20: This handout captured from video shows the takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo by Yemeni Houthi fighters on the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah on November 20, 2023 in the Red Sea, Yemen.
Handout | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Meanwhile, “I think Israel will continue its path of conquering Gaza in the next four to six weeks,” Myers said. “They are now already focused on the second phase of their war, which is to push Hezbollah back 20 miles into Lebanon, which is even more controversial from a geopolitical or military perspective. And we have to see what Hezbollah does with it.” Reply to Israel.
Hezbollah, the heavily armed Lebanese Shiite militant and Iran-backed organization, is also involved in regular exchanges of fire with Israeli forces and attacks on Israeli military facilities, while Israel has carried out assassinations of senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials in Beirut. An open war between the two would be devastating for both sides, regional analysts say.
Growing concern over planned Israeli attack on Rafah
26 EU countries – all EU member states except Hungary – have warned against the Israeli offensive in Rafah, saying it would only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe there.
In a joint statement, EU foreign ministers called for an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a permanent ceasefire. Even the US, Israel’s staunchest supporter, proposed a rival draft UN Security Council resolution also calling for a temporary ceasefire – the first time the US has used the word ceasefire in a UN action related to the war.
The Israeli government has so far rejected the calls. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said anyone who tells Israel not to invade Rafah is telling the country it will lose the war.
Still, the government has not fully claimed responsibility for the attack. Some ministers say it will only be carried out if the Israeli hostages are not released by the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins around March 8.
A woman and children sit in front of tents housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 8, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Mohammed Abed | Afp | Getty Images
When asked by CNBC’s Dan Murphy if there was anything the international community could do to stop Israel’s planned offensive in Rafah, Myers said no.
“No, I think at this point the war cabinet in Israel will continue on the path that they have told the world about… the complete conquest of Gaza. We could get a temporary ceasefire, which they” “It is currently being worked on between the US, Qatar, Israel and other countries. But even if it is a temporary ceasefire, Israel will come right back in and that’s it, they will take Rafah,” he said.
Myers noted that the Biden administration has been more critical than ever of Israel’s plans and has openly opposed any incursion into Rafah. But that probably still won’t be enough to force Israel to change course, he said.
“Even the Biden administration, which had a rhetorical twist on Gaza last week, ratcheted up the rhetoric and threatened Israel, saying, ‘Please slow down, please stop, please be more mindful of all the civilian casualties.’ ‘.”, for example… I think even with this turn of events, Israel will continue to do exactly what it is doing.”
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2024-02-20 14:56:54
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