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US Begins Airdropping Aid to Gaza

In this image obtained from the US Department of Defense, a US Air Force loadmaster releases humanitarian aid pallets of food and water over Gaza, March 2, 2024. (Photo by Christopher HUBENTHAL / US Department of Defense / AFP)
In this image obtained from the US Department of Defense, a US Air Force loadmaster releases humanitarian aid pallets of food and water over Gaza, March 2, 2024. (Photo by Christopher HUBENTHAL / US Department of Defense / AFP)
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US Begins Airdropping Aid to Gaza

In this image obtained from the US Department of Defense, a US Air Force loadmaster releases humanitarian aid pallets of food and water over Gaza, March 2, 2024. (Photo by Christopher HUBENTHAL / US Department of Defense / AFP)
In this image obtained from the US Department of Defense, a US Air Force loadmaster releases humanitarian aid pallets of food and water over Gaza, March 2, 2024. (Photo by Christopher HUBENTHAL / US Department of Defense / AFP)

The US on Saturday carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian aid for civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The aid, packaged into 66 bundles on three US aircraft containing tens of thousands of meals, was dropped above Gaza’s coast where Israel is continuing its military offensive.
CENTCOM said in a statement that the US Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Gaza on March 2, 2024, to provide essential relief to civilians affected by the ongoing conflict.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden announced that the US will airdrop humanitarian aid to Gaza as the United Nations warns of imminent famine amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Republicans and Democrats in Congress found themselves harshly fractured along party lines on Friday over Biden's decision to airdrop aid to Gaza.
Some international aid agencies have also criticized the President’s decision, saying it will do little to help those who are starving.
Meanwhile, several bipartisan congressmen, including the most pro-Israel members, expressed conflicting positions concerning the airdrops.
Both Republicans and Democrats agree on the issue of supporting Israel. However, several congressmen, including the most pro-Israel Democrats, have been increasingly wary of the devolving humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“I support this move by the president,” Representative Jared Moskowitz, one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in Congress, said in a statement.
“We have to explore all possible paths to get aid into Gaza, especially since we know Hamas doesn't care about the people of Gaza,” he said.
Also, Democrats Ritchie Torres and Kathy Manning announced their support for Biden's decision. “I fully support any and all attempts to deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians in distress,” Torres said.
Democrat Josh Gottheimer said he supports the airdrops but also said Congress “must act” to free the hostages in Gaza and “crush Hamas.”
On the other hand, Republicans opposed the airdrops, with many citing the risk of the aid falling into Hamas' hands.
Republican Tim Burchett said, “If it gets to the children that's great but the problem we have had in the past is aid gets to the enemy.”
Others cited the Israeli war effort. “We didn't send aid to Germany and Japan in 1944. Let Israel finish the fight with Hamas and then send aid. Sending aid now helps Hamas,” said Republican Don Bacon.
Republican Jim Banks posited that Biden is “basing his foreign policy on a Michigan election that he's going to lose.”
More than 100,000 people voted “uncommitted” in Michigan's Democratic primary on Tuesday in protest of Biden's support for Israel, spooking many Democrats about their general election odds in the key swing state.
Some Democrats who support the plan signaled they are attuned to the risk of diversion but do not see it as an insurmountable obstacle.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.