US, UK jets hit Houthi-held Kamaran Island in Red Sea

Forces from the US and the UK launched a strike on Houthi-held Kamaran Island in the Red Sea on Monday. (File/US Department of Defense)
Forces from the US and the UK launched a strike on Houthi-held Kamaran Island in the Red Sea on Monday. (File/US Department of Defense)
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Updated 12 August 2024
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US, UK jets hit Houthi-held Kamaran Island in Red Sea

Forces from the US and the UK launched a strike on Houthi-held Kamaran Island in the Red Sea on Monday.
  • Top IOM official says Yemen experiencing ‘overwhelming’ disaster due to flooding devastation

AL-MUKALLA: Forces from the US and the UK launched a strike on Houthi-held Kamaran Island in the Red Sea on Monday, the latest against Houthi targets in response to the militia’s attacks on ships.

SABA, the Houthi-run official news agency, reported that jets carried out one airstrike on the Yemeni island, off the western city of Hodeidah. There was no information on any injuries to people or damage to property. In June, Houthi media said the two countries’ jets carried out four raids on Kamaran.

The US responded to Houthi attacks on ships by forming a coalition of international marine forces, designating the organization as terrorists and launching strikes on targets in Sanaa, Saada, Hodeidah, and other Yemeni territories held by the militia. The attacks are said to have targeted missile and drone launchers, explosive-laden drone boats and ammunition storage facilities.

The bulk of US and UK attacks have targeted Hodeidah, Yemen’s sole coastal city controlled by the Houthis where it is claimed they construct drone boats, and store and launch drones and missiles.

The Houthis claim that their strikes on ships in international maritime channels near Yemen are purely intended to target Israeli ships or those heading for Israel and are a bit to put pressure on Israel to cease its war in the Gaza Strip. 

Houthi assaults on ships have decreased considerably since July 20, when Israeli airplanes targeted Houthi sites in Hodeidah in retaliation to a fatal drone strike on Tel Aviv. 

Despite continuous threats to target Israel and its ships, UK maritime agencies have not detected any new attacks in the shipping lanes off Yemen in the previous two days, compared to virtually daily warnings about fresh attacks early last month.

Citing prior extended periods of quiet, Elisabeth Kendall, a Middle East expert and head of Girton College at the University of Cambridge in the UK, contends that the current reduction in attacks does not necessarily imply the Houthis are preparing to cease them.

“The reality is that there have been periods over the past few months when Houthi attacks have diminished. These have been short term and have not signaled a shift in policy. It could just be the lull before the storm,” she said.

She added the Houthis might be weighing up the costs versus benefits of their attacks following the crippling Israeli strikes on Hodeidah.

"But it is unlikely that they will cease their attacks on Red Sea shipping while the war continues to rage in Gaza as this would undermine their propaganda narratives and call into question their claim to be the defenders of Palestine,” she said.

The UN has meanwhile requested urgent aid from foreign donors to help thousands of Yemenis devastated by severe rains and floods.

Matt Huber, International Organization for Migration Yemen’s Acting Chief of Mission Matt Huber said on Monday the country was experiencing an “overwhelming” disaster due to destructive rains and that international humanitarian agencies would be unable to meet their massive needs without the assistance of donors.

“Without significant and sustained support from international donors and partners, the ability to meet the needs of those affected will remain severely limited,” he said.

Heavy rains began in late July, causing flash floods that have killed at least 61 people, injured dozens more, and displaced thousands of families across the country’s central highlands and western coastlines. Local officials in hard-hit districts have declared their areas as disaster zones.

On Monday, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned of a high risk of severe floods in Yemen’s central highlands and southern uplands such as Ibb, Dhamar, Sanaa and Hajjah over the next 10 days, warning that Hodeidah province would be hit by sudden rainfall surges on Aug. 16th (20-50 mm) and Aug. 19th (more than 50 mm). 


Egypt urges robust efforts to bolster Palestinian hopes for self-determination

Egypt urges robust efforts to bolster Palestinian hopes for self-determination
Updated 4 sec ago
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Egypt urges robust efforts to bolster Palestinian hopes for self-determination

Egypt urges robust efforts to bolster Palestinian hopes for self-determination
  • Deadly bombardment of Gaza humanitarian zone in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, draws widespread condemnation
  • Tor Wennesland, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process since 2021, also condemned the strike on Al-Mawasi

CAIRO: An Israeli strike on a crowded tent camp housing Palestinians displaced by the war in Gaza prompted condemnations on Wednesday from across the region and beyond.

The strike hit Al-Mawasi in the southern Gaza Strip, which Israel had designated as a humanitarian zone early in the war.

Egypt condemned the bombardment in the strongest terms.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates also called for “intensifying efforts to restore hope to the Palestinian people in achieving self-determination and regaining their freedom.”

Al-Mawasi has been turned into the main displacement and refuge area for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, who have been ordered by the Israeli military to leave their homes.

The Egyptian statement denounced the “continued Israeli massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip in the absence of any effective international action to put an end to such human suffering.”

It said Israeli actions “challenge the credibility of all humanitarian standards and values and constitute a violation of the most basic rules of international humanitarian law and human rights.”

It also said Egypt “considers that the continuation of these crimes and the disregard for the lives of innocents and civilians has become a threat to regional and international peace and security and calls on all global stakeholders to shun the policy of double standards and assume their humanitarian and moral responsibilities to halt this human tragedy immediately.”

The statement said Egypt “reminds all parties that putting an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people in a just manner and restoring regional security and stability will not only be achieved by reaching a full ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but also by achieving a just and lasting settlement to this conflict — the sole foundation of which is the two-state solution based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Tor Wennesland, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process since 2021, also condemned the strike, saying international humanitarian law “must be upheld at all times.”


Israel says soldier killed in West Bank truck-ramming attack

Israel says soldier killed in West Bank truck-ramming attack
Updated 3 min 9 sec ago
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Israel says soldier killed in West Bank truck-ramming attack

Israel says soldier killed in West Bank truck-ramming attack
The suspected assailant was “neutralized” by Israeli forces “and an armed civilian” at the scene of the attack
It later identified the dead soldier as 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Geri Gideon Hanghal

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said a soldier was killed Wednesday when the driver of “a Palestinian truck” rammed into “forces conducting operational activity” in the occupied West Bank.
The suspected assailant was “neutralized” by Israeli forces “and an armed civilian” at the scene of the attack near the Jewish settlement of Givat Assaf, north of Ramallah, an army statement said.
It later identified the dead soldier as 24-year-old Staff Sergeant Geri Gideon Hanghal.
The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967 and is separated from the Gaza Strip by Israeli territory, has seen a surge of violence during nearly a year of the Israel-Hamas war, though Palestinian car-ramming attacks have been rare.
The latest incident comes days after a Jordanian truck driver shot dead three Israeli guards at a West Bank crossing with Jordan.
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war in Gaza, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 662 Palestinians in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
At least 24 Israelis, including security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period, according to Israeli officials.
The West Bank is home to some three million Palestinians as well as 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements that are illegal under international law.

Israeli strikes terrorize Lebanese in southern border towns

Israeli strikes terrorize Lebanese in southern border towns
Updated 30 min 10 sec ago
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Israeli strikes terrorize Lebanese in southern border towns

Israeli strikes terrorize Lebanese in southern border towns
  • Border area witnessed reciprocated strikes, which residents described as some of the most intense operations since the mobilization of the southern front around a year ago
  • Israeli warplanes carried out more than 15 airstrikes that targeted the forested area and orchards between the outskirts of the towns of Zibqin and Qlaileh, creating a belt of fire

BEIRUT: An Israeli combat drone on Wednesday targeted a motorcycle in the border town of Mays Al-Jabal, killing its rider, a Hezbollah member, and wounding another.

Hostilities between the Israeli army and Hezbollah intensified after the attack.

Throughout Tuesday night, the border area witnessed reciprocated strikes, which residents described as some of the most intense operations since the mobilization of the southern front around a year ago.

The escalation coincided with the arrival in Beirut of Josep Borrell Fontelles, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

The border situation is expected to be high on the agenda during his meetings with Lebanese officials.

At dawn, Israeli warplanes carried out more than 15 airstrikes that targeted the forested area and orchards between the outskirts of the towns of Zibqin and Qlaileh, creating a belt of fire.

Video footage revealed the screams of children inside houses and the prayers of the elderly amid the earth-shattering explosions nearby.

Israeli warplanes also raided the outskirts of the towns of Yater and Rashaya Al-Fakhar, the orchards and valleys near the towns of Qlaileh, Zibqin, Al-Ḥaniyya, Majdal Zoun and Tayr Harfa, and the outskirts of the towns of Deir Seryan and Zawtar Al-Charkieh. The warplanes also carried out a raid on Naqoura.

Two Israeli drones exploded in the park of the village of Maroun Al-Ras, causing damages to facilities.

The Israeli army spokesman announced that it “targeted in four different areas in southern Lebanon about 30 Hezbollah rocket launchers and military structures that posed a threat to the citizens of Israel.” Their forces also targeted the Dhayra area in southern Lebanon with artillery shells.

The missile attacks raised questions about why Israel has been targeting the valleys daily for about two weeks.

Political analyst Ali Amin told Arab News that “despite the Israeli army facing challenges in its conflict with Hezbollah, it appears to be preparing for a prolonged war. It (the Israeli army) previously revealed the mobilization of the Mountain Brigade and plans to sever the eastern and western (mountain) ranges from southern Lebanon.”

Al-Amin, a resident of the border area, said: “The forested areas that have been bombed for two weeks are known to be off-limits to ordinary people and contain Hezbollah military bases, making it almost impossible to move around in them.

“Israel, following the severance of technological communication between the party’s (Hezbollah) members and its leadership, is actively working to fragment the southern region and place it under constant surveillance.”

He said that an increased level of shelling in forests and valleys, along with the failure to protect civilians in targeting Hezbollah, signaled a heightened risk.

It underscored, he added, the necessity of not assuming that Israel would refrain from targeting civilians in its bombardment of the south.

“This escalation may represent a new phase in the war, which is nearing its first anniversary.”

On Aug. 25, Israel targeted forested areas and valleys in the regions of Iqlim Al-Tuffah, Kunin, Zawtar, Rachaf, Deir Siriane, Chamaa, Rihan, Kfar Melki, Beit Yahoun, Ain Qana, Zebqin, Hadatha, and other villages, coinciding with Hezbollah’s response to the assassination of its military leader, Fuad Shukr.

At that time, it claimed to have “thwarted Hezbollah’s retaliation by bombing 6,000 rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.”

On Aug. 30, similar Israeli attacks were recorded on Majdal Zun, Al-Jabeen, Sheheen, Alma Al-Shaab, Hamoul, Wadi Hassan, and Naqoura.

On Sept. 4, Israeli aircraft launched 14 raids on launch pads in Al-Jabeen, Zawtar El-Charkieh, and Ramya.

On Sept. 6 and 7, Israeli warplanes carried out more than 20 raids on forested areas in Srifa, Froun, Al-Ghandouriya, Yater, Qabrikha, and Ainata.

The Israeli army’s radio confirmed on Wednesday that “the military targeted Hezbollah positions and the air force destroyed approximately 25 rocket launch sites.”

The Hezbollah member killed was Hani Ezzeddine, born in 2001, from the town of Deir Qanoun En Nahr in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah targeted “a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of Al-Raheb site with missile weapons,” as well as “the site of Rweizat Al-Qarn and the Zabdine barracks in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.” It confirmed that there were casualties.

Hezbollah said that it successfully struck a “bunker where enemy soldiers were positioned at the Al-Matala site using appropriate weaponry.”

The Israeli military operations on Tuesday advanced deep into the southern region and the western Bekaa, reaching more than 30 km, into some of the targeted towns from the border.


US military says it destroyed 5 Houthi drones and 2 missile systems

US military says it destroyed 5 Houthi drones and 2 missile systems
Updated 49 min 56 sec ago
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US military says it destroyed 5 Houthi drones and 2 missile systems

US military says it destroyed 5 Houthi drones and 2 missile systems
  • Houthis reported that US and UK warplanes had struck an area under their control in the southern province of Taiz
  • Minister blames international community’s inaction for escalating militia crackdown on civil, humanitarian society in Yemen

AL-MUKALLA: The US military said on Wednesday that it had destroyed several Houthi drones and missile systems that were threatening international shipping lanes off Yemen as the Houthis reported that US and UK warplanes had struck an area under their control in the southern province of Taiz.

The US Central Command said that over the last 24 hours, its forces destroyed five Houthi drones and two missile systems in Houthi-controlled Yemeni areas that “presented a clear and imminent” threat to international and US and allies’ ships in the region.

The Houthis reported on Wednesday new strikes on Taiz for the second day in a row, with two airstrikes by US and UK aircraft on unidentified targets in the province’s Al-Kamp region.

Since Sunday, Houthi media has reported daily airstrikes by the two nations on Hodeidah, Ibb, and other Yemeni locations.

The Houthis said on Tuesday that two students were killed and at least 10 were injured in a stampede at a school in Al-Janad, Taiz province, caused by large explosions from a location targeted by US and UK warplanes.

In response to the Houthi attacks on ships that began in November, the US formed a coalition of marine task forces to protect ships, designated the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization, and launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, including military bases where drones and missiles were being assembled and coastal areas where drone boats were being prepared to attack ships.

The Houthis claim that their campaign, which has targeted over 100 commercial and naval ships over the last 10 months, is intended to force Israel to end its war in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

This comes as Yemen’s Minister of Information Muammar Al-Eryani has reiterated his calls for tougher international action to punish the Houthis for abducting dozens of Yemenis with international organizations as well as the militia’s violations of human rights.

During the last three months, the Houthis have abducted at least 70 Yemenis working for UN agencies, international aid and humanitarian organizations, and foreign missions in Yemen, accusing them of using their positions with those organizations to spy for the US and Israel.

In a lengthy post on X on Tuesday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Houthi abduction of workers, the Yemeni minister blamed the international community’s inaction for the escalating Houthi crackdown on civil and humanitarian society in Yemen, noting that the world had long “turned a blind eye” to the Houthis’ violations that preceded their latest crackdown.

“The terrorist Houthi militia considered the hesitant international positions a green light to escalate its repressive measures against international and humanitarian organizations operating in the areas under its control, and the local employees working there, without any regard for the disastrous effects of these practices on the difficult economic and humanitarian conditions in the areas under its control,” Al-Eryani said.

He also reiterated his government’s call for international organizations, including UN agencies, to relocate offices to Aden, the country’s interim capital, to protect workers from Houthi repression.


Israeli airstrikes hit UN school and homes in Gaza, killing at least 34 people, hospitals say

Israeli airstrikes hit UN school and homes in Gaza, killing at least 34 people, hospitals say
Updated 48 min 30 sec ago
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Israeli airstrikes hit UN school and homes in Gaza, killing at least 34 people, hospitals say

Israeli airstrikes hit UN school and homes in Gaza, killing at least 34 people, hospitals say
  • The deadliest strike came Wednesday afternoon, targeting the UN’s Al-Jawni Preparatory Boys School in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp
  • The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas militants planning attacks from inside the school

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Israeli airstrikes across Gaza overnight and Wednesday hit a UN school sheltering displaced Palestinian families as well as two homes, killing at least 34 people, including 19 women and children, hospital officials said.
The deadliest strike came Wednesday afternoon, targeting the UN’s Al-Jawni Preparatory Boys School in central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas militants planning attacks from inside the school. The claim could not be independently confirmed.
At least 14 dead from the strike, including two children and a woman, were brought to Awda and Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospitals nearby, officials from the facilities said. At least 18 people were wounded in the strike, they said.
One of the children killed was the daughter of Momin Selmi, a member of Gaza’s civil defense agency, which works rescuing wounded and bodies after strikes, the agency said in a statement. Selmi hadn’t seen his daughter for 10 months, since he remained in north Gaza to keep working while his family fled south, the agency said.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders are living in Gaza’s schools. The Al-Jawni school, one of many in Gaza run by the UN agency for Palestinians UNWRA, has been hit by multiple strikes over the course of the war.
Israel frequently bombs schools, saying they are being used by Hamas militants. It blames Hamas for civilian casualties from its strikes, saying its fighters base themselves and operate within dense residential neighborhoods.
More than 90 percent of Gaza’s school buildings have been severely or partially damaged in strikes, and more than half the schools housing displaced people have been hit, according to a survey in July by the Education Cluster, a collection of aid groups led by UNICEF and Save the Children.
Israel’s 11-month-old campaign in Gaza has killed at least 41,084 Palestinians and wounded another 95,029, the territory’s Health Ministry said Wednesday. Israel launched its campaign vowing to destroy Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 250 others.
Earlier Wednesday, a strike hit a home near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, killing 11 people, including six brothers and sisters from the same family ranging in age from 21 months to 21 years old, according to the European Hospital, which received the casualties.
A strike late Tuesday on a home in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza killed nine people, including six women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the civil defense. The civil defense said the home belonged to Akram Al-Najjar, a professor at the Al-Quds Open University, who survived the strike.