The situation in the Middle East remains extremely dangerous. The USA is once again attacking a Houthi position in Yemen. Moscow accuses Washington of helping to spread the war. The overview.
Sanaa/Washington – After the extensive military strike by the USA and allies against the Houthis in Yemen, US forces have again attacked a rebel position. The US military said the target of the attack on Saturday night was a Houthi radar system. The Iranian-backed Houthis' television channel previously reported “a series” of attacks on the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Initially nothing was known about possible victims. The US and allies want to prevent the Shiite Houthis from further attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Russia condemned the previous day's military strike on dozens of rebel positions at the UN Security Council.
Russia warns against expanding Gaza war
The USA and its allies are “personally” contributing to the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas spreading to the entire region, said Russian representative Vasily Nebenzya at a meeting of the World Security Council, as reported by the Russian news agency Tass.
The allies attacked almost 30 Houthi military locations in the strike on Friday night, said US Lieutenant General Douglas Sims, who is responsible for military operations at the Pentagon. The evaluation has not yet been completed. But he knows that the rebels' capabilities for further attacks have been weakened. The Houthis had announced retaliation and said they would continue their attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea allegedly linked to Israel.
Since the Gaza war broke out between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, the Houthis have been attacking ships with alleged Israeli connections in the Red Sea. Large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the important trade route. The Houthis also repeatedly attack Israel, which is a good 2,000 kilometers away, directly with drones and rockets. The EU foreign ministers want to discuss possible military participation in the US initiative to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea on January 22nd.
UN emergency aid coordinator: blot on collective conscience
Meanwhile, UN emergency aid coordinator Martin Griffiths again called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. What the world has witnessed since October 7, when terrorists from Hamas and other groups carried out the worst massacre in Israel's history, is “a stain on our collective conscience,” Griffiths told the UN Security Council. “I repeat my call for a ceasefire. Above all, I once again call on the Council to take urgent action to end this war,” said the head of the UN emergency relief office.
In around 100 days, Israel's army reduced large parts of the Gaza Strip to rubble. According to the Hamas Ministry of Health, more than 23,000 people have been killed so far, around 70 percent of them women and minors. According to UN information, around 360,000 residential units in the Palestinian territory were destroyed or damaged. Since Thursday, Israel has had to answer for the first time before the International Court of Justice in The Hague on charges of genocide. South Africa sued Israel at the end of 2023 because it sees the military violence against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip as a violation of the UN Genocide Convention.
Netanyahu thanks Germany
Israel rejects the accusation. Germany has thrown its support behind Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) for this. All Israelis are deeply moved that the Chancellor and Germany have “placed themselves on the side of the truth,” said Netanyahu in a telephone conversation with Scholz, as the Prime Minister’s Office announced.
Government: Israel can provide medicine to hostages
With the mediation of the Gulf Emirate of Qatar, Israel said it had reached an agreement with Hamas to provide medicine to the hostages kidnapped in the Gaza Strip. They should be launched “in the next few days,” as the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced. In return, Israel should deliver medicines to the Palestinian population in Gaza. Hamas did not initially comment.
Israel believes that 136 hostages are still being held. 25 of them are probably no longer alive. Those abducted also include old and sick people, many of whom suffer from cancer or diabetes and therefore need regular medicine. Meanwhile, sirens wailed again on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip early Saturday morning. Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel.
Another clash in the West Bank
Since the beginning of the war, tensions and conflicts in the Israeli-occupied West Bank have also increased. Palestinians complain about increased violence by Jewish settlers against their villages. The Israeli military is increasingly taking action against suspected militants in Palestinian cities. According to its own statements, the army shot three of them near Hebron.
The Palestinians entered the Jewish settlement of Adora and opened fire on an army patrol, which responded. The intruders were armed with firearms, axes, knives and incendiary devices. A 34-year-old Israeli was injured in the armed clash, it said.
What will be important on Saturday
The Houthi rebels have vowed retaliation for attacks by the US and allies against their positions. Meanwhile, the war in the Gaza Strip continues. The situation for civilians is catastrophic. dpa
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