Yemeni Insurgents Claim Responsibility for New Attack in Red Sea

The Houthis took advantage of Israel's war on Gaza to mobilize more recruits and raise money (AFP)
The Houthis took advantage of Israel's war on Gaza to mobilize more recruits and raise money (AFP)
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Yemeni Insurgents Claim Responsibility for New Attack in Red Sea

The Houthis took advantage of Israel's war on Gaza to mobilize more recruits and raise money (AFP)
The Houthis took advantage of Israel's war on Gaza to mobilize more recruits and raise money (AFP)

The Iran-backed Houthis said they have targeted a container ship in the Red Sea without recording any damage, a move confirmed by Western sources.

The incident coincides with the UN Security Council preparing for a session to discuss the threats to navigation in the Red Sea.

Western politicians responded firmly, hinting at potential countermeasures to stop these threats.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea announced in a televised speech the attack, saying the group "targeted" the CMA CGM Tage container ship without elaborating, claiming that it was heading to the ports of occupied Palestine. The shipping firm denied the allegations.

Sarea indicated that the Houthis had sent out warning messages to the ship and that its crew had paid no heed. He warned Washington of any aggression against it, saying, "no US attack will pass without a response or punishment."

The spokesman reiterated the Houthis maintain that they will persist in their attacks until aid enters Gaza.

According to US Navy data, this marks the 25th Houthi attack against international shipping in the Red Sea, amid fears of the expansion of the conflict in Gaza, especially with Iran deploying two warships to the region.

- Attack fails to cause damage

Western sources confirmed the latest Houthi attack.

US Central Command reported late Tuesday evening that the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles in the southern Red Sea, but no damage was recorded.

The Central Command added that multiple commercial ships in the area reported the impact of the anti-ship ballistic missiles into the surrounding water.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received reports of up to three explosions 1-5nm from a merchant vessel in the Bab el-Mandab East of Assab, Eritrea.

UKMTO indicated that authorities are still investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, the French shipping firm CMA CGM reported that the vessel was unharmed and had suffered no incident.

The company told Reuters the ship had been headed for Egypt, not Israel.

- Houthi insistence and Western threats

The Houthi attacks sparked Yemeni and international outrage, as Western countries vowed to confront this escalation.

Washington formed a coalition called the Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect navigation in the Red Sea.

On Tuesday, the US State Department reported that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed support for freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Red Sea with his British counterpart David Cameron.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on the "X" platform that the two ministers also discussed improving the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

On Tuesday, Denmark's Maersk and German rival Hapag-Lloyd said their container ships would continue to avoid the Red Sea route that gives access to the Suez Canal following a weekend attack on one of Maersk's vessels.

Both shipping giants have been re-routing some sailings via Africa's southern Cape of Good Hope as Yemen-based Houthi militants attack cargo vessels in the Red Sea, according to Western sources.

The Suez Canal is used by roughly one-third of global container ship cargo. Redirecting ships around the southern tip of Africa is expected to cost up to $1 million in extra fuel for every round trip between Asia and northern Europe.

Concerns about the possible disruption to the Middle Eastern supply after the latest Red Sea attack drove oil prices higher in the first trading session 2024.

Despite Western warnings, the Houthi group remains determined in its attacks, with the Yemeni government alleging these actions serve Iran's agenda rather than supporting Palestine.

In his latest statements, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a cousin of the group's leader, vowed more attacks, saying the operations will escalate as long as the support for genocide and crimes against Palestinian people continues.

He added: "We have one red line, which is for the aggression to stop and for the siege imposed on the people of Gaza to be lifted."



Israel Drafts Plan to Annex West Bank Settlements

An Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (Reuters)
An Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (Reuters)
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Israel Drafts Plan to Annex West Bank Settlements

An Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (Reuters)
An Israeli settlement in the West Bank. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed calls from his ministers to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank next year after US President Donald Trump takes office.

In recent private talks, Netanyahu said the issue of sovereignty in the West Bank should return to the agenda once Trump is in the White House, according to public broadcaster Kan.

This aligns Netanyahu with coalition members already pushing for such a move next year.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the National Religious Party - Zionism Party and holds a position within Israel’s Defense Ministry where he oversees the administration of the occupied West Bank and its settlements, said Monday that a Trump win would create a “key opportunity” for Israel to impose sovereignty.

“We were close to applying sovereignty to settlements in Judea and Samaria during Trump’s last term, and now it’s time to make it happen,” he said.

“2025: the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich wrote on X, using the biblical name by which Israel refers to the occupied West Bank.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also welcomed Donald Trump’s victory, saying, “This is the time for sovereignty.”

Trump’s win has encouraged Israeli right-wing leaders to push for annexing and expanding West Bank settlements.

The plan to extend sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and West Bank settlements dates back to 2020, when Netanyahu sought Trump’s approval to move forward.

Kan reported that annexation plans are ready to be implemented.

In 2020, as part of Trump’s “Deal of the Century,” Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin’s team, working with US officials, prepared maps, regulations, and a draft government resolution, Kan said.

The plan includes access roads and potential expansion zones for each settlement.

The West Bank is home to around 144 official settlements and over 100 unofficial outposts, covering approximately 42% of the territory, including their jurisdictions. These areas house about 600,000 Israeli settlers.