Tension increases in the Middle East. The United States Navy says it responded to the attack on a Danish container ship by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, leaving 10 dead. This is the most serious confrontation of the recently reactivated naval coalition. On the other hand, fighting continues on the Lebanese-Israeli border and the Israeli Government announced the change of its Foreign Minister.
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The US Naval Central Command said it took strong action by sinking three boats manned by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on December 31 in response to the attack on a Danish shipping company Maersk Hangzhou ship.
It is the first time that the United States has directly confronted the Houthis since October 31, when the rebels – declaring themselves in favor of Hamas – began to intensify their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, in revenge against Israel for its campaign. military in Gaza.
The container ship 'Maersk Hangzhou' warned of two attacks in the Red Sea in less than 24 hours, to which the naval coalition, made up of 39 countries, led by the United States, and in which the United Kingdom also participated, responded militarily.
According to the United States, the Houthis are backed by Iran, although Iran has sought to disassociate itself from the rebels on several occasions.
BREAKING:
US Navy obliterates Houthis.
Houthi rebels in 4 speedboats have attacked the Danish container ship MAERSK Hangzhou, shooting at it and trying to board it.
They also fired at a US Navy helicopter that came to his aid.
The Americans returned fire, sinking 3 speedboats pic.twitter.com/chPaJcWRYW
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) December 31, 2023
The US Naval Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the first attack involved the downing of two anti-ship missiles launched by the Houthis at the container ship.
A situation that intensified when four small Houthi boats boarded the ship in the early hours of Sunday, December 31. In response, a security team aboard the Maersk Hangzhou repelled the attack, while American helicopters joined the defense.
During the exchange of fire, three of the four small Houthi boats were sunk and their crew members were killed. The fourth vessel fled the area without additional injuries or property.
The new British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, expressed concern about the Houthi attacks, which threaten “innocent lives and the global economy”, and noted that he had discussed the issue with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Tensions continue on the Lebanese-Israeli border
On the other hand, on another day of hostilities on the border between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli aviation carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese Islamist political group responded with an attack in the north. From Israel.
The Israeli Army indicated in a statement that fighter jets attacked Hezbollah “military structures” in the Lebanese area of Ramyah, and accused Hezbollah of operating “behind the civilian population” in that area from which they carry out territorial attacks.
The Lebanese-Israeli border is experiencing its greatest tension since the war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, after the group expressed its solidarity with Hamas on October 8.
According to Israel's Defense Ministry, they have deployed more than 200,000 soldiers to their northern border, leading to the displacement of thousands of residents. Additionally, some 80,000 people have been evacuated from communities in northern Israel, while more than 70,000 have fled southern Lebanon, amid growing instability in the region.
YoIsrael changes its foreign minister
In the middle of the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a change in his cabinet. This is Israel Katz, who led the Energy portfolio and now moves to the Foreign Ministry, replacing Eli Cohen, who will take over the position left by Katz in the Energy portfolio, but will maintain his position in the Security Cabinet of Israel, according to an official statement from the Government.
This change comes amid growing international criticism of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 21,800 dead after nearly two months of war, according to Hamas-controlled Gaza's health ministry.
The decision was made by the Netanyahu Government, a year after the formation of the current Executive, as part of an internal rotation agreement within the Likud party, to which both politicians belong.
The scale of the conflict between Israel and the Hamas group has generated significant diplomatic disagreements with countries such as Turkey and Spain, which have questioned the high human cost of the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. The UN, which has also been involved in diplomatic disagreements, has tried to approve ceasefire resolutions.
However, Netanyahu announced on December 30 that the war “will last several more months,” without providing details about Israel's plan for the post-war period in Gaza.
With EFE, Reuters and local media
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