The U.S. and the UK took aim at 60 targets in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen in overnight strikes, putting the Iran-backed rebels at the center of global concerns that the crisis in the Middle East will escalate. Five Houthi fighters were killed and six injured, a spokesperson for the group said.
The Houthis seized the capital of Yemen in 2014, launching the country deeper into a catastrophic civil conflict that continues to this day. The group controls the country’s western coastline. Houthi fighters have been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea since November. The group originally said the attacks were aimed at Israel-affiliated vessels to avenge Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza, which so far has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians since early October.
Supporters of the Houthi movement gathered Friday in Sanaa to denounce the strikes. The airstrikes, ordered by U.S. President Biden without the consultation or authorization of Congress, focused on the Houthi’s command and control nodes, munitions storage and production centers, launching systems and air defense radar systems, the U.S. Air Force said.
A spokesperson for the Houthis, backed by Iran, warned of retaliation, further raising the prospect of escalation.
In a televised address this week, Netanyahu said Israel’s goal is to “rid Gaza of Hamas terrorists and free our hostages. Once this is achieved Gaza can be demilitarized and deradicalized”. He said that “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population.”
The Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack on Israel by Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis. Close to 130 hostages taken by Hamas are still being held in Gaza. A Hamas spokesperson this week said the ‘enemy prisoners’ will not be returned alive to their families unless Israel meets its conditions, “the first of which is a comprehensive cessation of the aggression against Gaza.”
