Israel Threatens to Use Force to Deal With Houthi Threats to International Maritime Routes
Israel threatened on Tuesday to use force in dealing with Houthis in Yemen amid threats against ships sailing to Israeli ports. "Regarding the Houthi attacks on international cargo ships, these attacks pose a threat to international trade and Israel, and this threat will be dealt with force," Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told a press conference. Earlier Tuesday, Houthis declared their responsibility for a drone attack on a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker off Yemen as it sailed to Israel. Tension escalated between Houthis in Yemen and Israel amid an Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which killed at least 18,412 and over 50,100 others injured.
A Norwegian oil tanker in the Red Sea was blasted by a missile fired from Yemen's Houthis—in an attack that could have far-reaching implications for international trade and the global economy. The assault on the tanker on Tuesday marks an escalation for the Iran-backed group, which recently admitted responsibility for targeting Israeli or Israeli-linked commercial ships in the region. The latest attack against the Strinda, a Norwegian-flagged tanker with no apparent ties to Israel, suggests the Houthis have expanded their campaign. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is an entryway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and the Houthi group could potentially choke off access to crucial global shipping routes and increase the international impact of the war currently raging in the Middle East.
Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council has reportedly expressed interest in cooperating with Israel against the country's Houthis, who have been targeting ships they say are linked to Israel in the Red Sea, Israeli media reported. Israel's state-owned Kan 11 broadcaster reported that the STC had shown "surprising readiness to cooperate with Israel" against the Houthis. The Houthis on Monday launched a cruise missile at a Norwegian tanker, which they said was delivering oil to Israel. They captured a ship owned by an Israeli businessman on November 19, and have vowed to target any Israeli ship trying to cross the Red Sea as part of their support for Palestinians in Gaza. Kan 11 said that Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, the head of the STC, had held several meetings with officials from the UAE and the US, as well as local Yemeni officials, to discuss the Houthi escalation in the Red Sea.
The UN General Assembly appeared set to demand on Tuesday an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in the two-month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas after the United States vetoed such a move in the Security Council. No country has veto power in the 193-member General Assembly, which is due to vote on a draft resolution. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight and reflect global views on the war in the Gaza Strip, as health authorities in the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave say the death toll from Israel's offensive had passed 18,000. The United States and Israel oppose a cease-fire, believing that it would only benefit Hamas. However, Washington supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and allow the release of hostages taken by Palestinian fighters.
