Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on January 15-16/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video In Arabic: Nasrallah’s Speech Today: Incoherent, Confusing, Disgusting, and Demeaning to the Intelligence of Lebanese and Arabs
Text and Video: Nasrallah’s Speech Today: Incoherent, Confusing, Disgusting, and Demeaning to the Intelligence of Lebanese and Arabs/Elias Bejjani/January 15/2024
100 days of fighting on southern Lebanese front: devastation, displacement and violations
Woman killed, 13 injured in Israel suspected ramming attack
What are the five points discussed with Hochstein?
Rockets launched from Lebanon target Kiryat Shmona and Margaliot settlements
Israel-Hezbollah border skirmishes: Latest developments
Report: Hamas officials flee Lebanon to neighboring countries
Stalemate Continues in Lebanese Government Over Military Appointments
Army Commander Receives Sleiman Frangieh
Mufti Derian meets Saudi Ambassador at Dar Al-Fatwa, receives “National Moderation” parliamentary bloc
Saudi Ambassador Visits Army Commander at His Residence: The Conversation Between Them
What Happened Between Franjieh and Jumblatt?
Sami Gemayel Reveals Threats Targeting Him!
Deputy Speaker Bou Saab Meets Defense Minister Slim to Discuss National Security
Saudi Ambassador meets Grand Mufti, affirms Kingdom's commitment to Lebanon
Caretaker Minister Ali Hamieh Inspects Site of Landslide in Dahr al-Baidar

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 15-16/2024
Houthis fire missile at US warship in Red Sea in first attack after US-led strikes
Missile hits US-owned ship off coast of Yemen
Iran urges US, Britain to 'stop war against Yemen'
Sunak to face UK lawmakers over decision to join US strikes on Yemen's Houthis
Iran Guards hit ‘terrorist’ targets in Iraq, Syria
Egypt thwarts drug smuggling attempt on border with Israel- sources
Dozens killed in Gaza in 'intense' Israeli strikes
As Israel-Hamas war reaches 100-day mark, here's the conflict by numbers
Hamas airs video purporting to show two Israeli hostages killed in captivity
Palestinian ambassador to UN calls on Non-Aligned Movement to pressure Israel to enforce cease-fire
Diplomatic Disconnect: Silence Between Biden and Netanyahu Signals Strained Ties
Political Divisions Deepen as Israeli Cabinet Votes to Escalate Gaza Fighting
War between NATO & Russia is imminent, according to secret German Armed Forces document — Bild
Missile hits US-owned ship off coast of Yemen
Ukrainian drones find easy prey in Kadyrovite units
Breaking Barriers: Mar Galcerán's Inspiring Journey of Inclusion and Success

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources oon January 15-16/2024
How Equity Grade Inflation Hurts Jews, Asians and Other Disfavored Minorities/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./January 15, 2024
How Power Corrupts a Compromised Nation/Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute./January 15, 2024
Saudi Arabia isn’t ruling out befriending Israel. But it may come at a higher price/Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN/January 15, 2024
The Biden administration’s naive approach to the Houthis/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/January 15, 2024
Warmongering by Iran and its proxies distracts from Gaza carnage/Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/January 15, 2024
Many Western leaders increasingly out of step with their people/Chris Doyle/Arab News/January 15, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on January 15-16/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video In Arabic: Nasrallah’s Speech Today: Incoherent, Confusing, Disgusting, and Demeaning to the Intelligence of Lebanese and Arabs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoVijRKsDAs&t=40s

Text and Video: Nasrallah’s Speech Today: Incoherent, Confusing, Disgusting, and Demeaning to the Intelligence of Lebanese and Arabs
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/126183/126183/
Elias Bejjani/January 15/2024
Nasrallah’s speeches have become like reports of any media correspondent, including his dull and confused speech of today. Overall, his speeches are always trivial, superficial, and embarrassing with their populist and ideological discourse, filled with colossal lies that do not even deserve a comment other than the word “charlatan.”
This day dreaming storyteller and soldier in the army of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Weleat Al Fakeah (He openly boasts about it) deludes himself with claims of Israel’s losses, its failure, and defeat, celebrating false victories of his axis of evil and terrorism.
However, like any deceiver, Trojan, and hypocrite, he dares not mention the unprecedented losses of the Palestinians in Gaza, and the losses of the Lebanese, especially those inflicted by Israel on the young victims of his group’s recruits to fight for the expansionist and dictatorial Iranian jihadist schemes.
In actual reality, the number of young people announced by Hezbollah as killed in South Lebanon in the last 100 days exceeded 160, including senior leaders. Meanwhile, the Israeli army’s casualties in the Gaza war are fewer than this number. So, where are the delusional victories and triumphs that Nasrallah claims?
Nasrallah deludes himself, mourns his Jihadist fighters, and promotes a culture of death, martyrdom, and sacrifice while hiding in his hole. In contrast, Israeli leaders stroll and inspect their fronts and military around the clock.
It is worth noting that Nasrallah is the one who declared war on Israel, not the other way around, on October 8, 2023. He openly and proudly confirmed this atrocity, using sickening arrogance in all his rhetoric after the war started in Gaza, describing it as a “supporting war,” despite Lebanon and the Lebanese having no say in this war involvement. His terrorist group officially refuses to cease its involvement before the end of the war in Gaza.
As for the deaths in his party, they are absolutely not considered martyrs for Lebanon, even though they hold Lebanese citizenship. They fight in a jihadist war under the banner of Islamic resistance, defending Iran’s rulers, their fundamentalist and sectarian regime, and their anti-Lebanon and anti-Arab schemes, all against global peace.
His terrorist party boasts about this fact, mourning them as jihadist martyrs who died while performing their jihadist duties, with no mention of Lebanon in the obituaries, knowing that Lebanon is a secular state, not Islamic or jihadist. If these victims, who were recruited not by Lebanese official authorities are considered martyrs, they are practically and realistically martyrs for Iran and its party (Hezbollah) in Lebanon, not martyrs for Lebanon.
In summary, Nasrallah’s speech today was babble and gobbledygook, meaning it was confusing and incomprehensible, containing nothing but lies, delusions, promoting for death, killing, hostility, and endless Jihadist wars.

100 days of fighting on southern Lebanese front: devastation, displacement and violations
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/January 15, 2024
BEIRUT: Fighting in southern Lebanon between the Israeli army and Hezbollah entered its 100th day on Monday with no prospect of an end in sight any time soon.Despite diplomatic efforts in recent weeks, Lebanese officials unanimously stated that halting the hostilities on the southern Lebanese front is dependent on Israel ending its war in the Gaza Strip.
“100 days of tit-for-tat operations by land and air on the southern border has resulted in significant damage and destruction, mainly in Lebanese border villages, and paralyzed the economy,” one observer told Arab News.
“Displacement does not only affect thousands of Lebanese residing in these villages but also hundreds of thousands of Israelis who left their settlements for the first time in the history of the conflict on the Lebanese front.”
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said on Monday that the Israeli army bombed parts of southern Lebanon from which rockets had been launched toward the village of Mattat in Upper Galilee.
Sirens sounded in Kiryat Shmona, in the Galilee panhandle, where Hezbollah said it carried out a series of attacks on Israeli military sites, including “the Metula outpost, the Dhahira outpost, the Baraka outpost, and a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the outskirts of the Mattat outpost.”
Israeli shelling reached the outskirts of the border villages of Aytaroun, Odaisseh, Rab Al-Thalathin, Kfarkila, Rachaya Al-Fakhar and Kfarhamam.
According to Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, attacks by Hezbollah on Sunday night on the Kfar Yuval settlement killed a 48-year-old man, who was a member of the security alert teams in Galilee, and his 72-year-old mother.
Meanwhile, an Israeli tank reportedly fired on empty civilian houses in the border village of Al-Abbasiyyeh, and the Israeli army raided the village of Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district. Army forces were accused of violating the rules of engagement on Sunday when they launched two missiles that landed in a valley between Seddiqine and Rechknanay in Tyre.
Israeli forces also carried out raids in the outskirts of Jabal Al-Rihan, Jabal Safi, and the outskirts of the villages of Sejoud and Mlikh. These areas are located north of the Litani River, far from the conflict zone. As a result of the attacks, Jabal Al-Rihan, Jezzine and other nearby villages experienced power outages. Hezbollah said one of its fighters, Ali Hussein Hamdan from the village of Harouf, was killed. It was the fifth time Israeli warplanes have targeted Jabal Al-Safi and the surrounding area, which Israel considers a key region for Hezbollah, and the group’s third line of defense. It is said to contain several Hezbollah bases, outposts and weapons depots. The observer said that during the past 100 days, both sides in the conflict have violated the rules of engagement that have been in place in southern Lebanon for 17 years. “Advanced Israeli military technology allowed the Israeli army to record more than one violation, the most egregious of which was targeting the southern Beirut suburb to assassinate Hamas military official Saleh Al-Arouri,” he said.
“Hezbollah’s operations affected areas somewhat far from the border area, such as the Safad base and the Kiryat Shmona settlement.
“Therefore, neither party can accuse the other of having modified the rules of engagement to its advantage because both parties recorded more than one violation, and this matter will be reflected after the end of the war, as things will not return to what they used to be. The rules of the game will change.”
In a speech on Sunday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah reaffirmed that “all the Israeli threats that the US side conveys to Lebanon will be of no use in dissuading the (Lebanese) resistance from supporting the Palestinian resistance.”He reiterated that the only development that will halt Hezbollah’s operations is a ceasefire in Gaza.
He added: “Any hope to recover prisoners held by the resistance in the Gaza Strip has ended. Stopping the war on Gaza alone will stop the work of all support fronts.”According to a source in southern Lebanon, both sides have adopted an aggressive tone and rhetoric that surpasses even the military escalation on the ground. Israel has “utilized advanced technology to compensate for the damage caused by Hezbollah to their spy equipment. Hezbollah, meanwhile, has relied on long-range weapons such as the Burkan and modified Kornet missiles,” the source said, adding that the Israeli army controls the air while Hezbollah is dominant on the ground. “Additionally, Hezbollah has reported more than 145 fighters lost in the recent attacks while on an offensive position,” the source said. “But there were 245 casualties during the 2006 Israeli aggression when Hezbollah was in a defensive position.” Referring to bad feelings locally about the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, the source added: “There is Lebanese anger against UNIFIL forces currently because they only write reports and sometimes turn into a spy for the benefit of Israel, as happened in the 1996 and 2006 Israeli aggressions.
“But UNIFIL’s relationship with the local community will soon be restored because no one wants to break the relationship with the international forces.”
Meanwhile, the source said, the Israeli army “accuses UNIFIL forces of not exercising their role and says that their area of operations contains weapons, which goes against the agreements made 17 years ago. The current confrontations also show that UNIFIL forces are subjected to Israeli resentment that has reached the point of cutting off communications with these forces for some time.”

Woman killed, 13 injured in Israel suspected ramming attack
Agence France Presse/January 15, 2024
A woman was killed and 13 people injured in a suspected car ramming in central Israel, medics said, as police arrested two Palestinians over the reported attack. Police said the two suspects stole vehicles and ran over a number of citizens in different areas in the city of Raanana north of Tel Aviv.
Medics from the Magen David Adom emergency service said of the 13 people who were wounded, two were seriously hurt, with the others suffering less serious injuries. Hospitals in the area said they included nine children, one of whom was seriously hurt. Meir hospital near Raanana confirmed that one woman had died."A wounded woman who arrived in a critical condition after having been hit by a vehicle has died of her injuries despite our efforts to save her," the hospital said in a statement.

What are the five points discussed with Hochstein?
Naharnet/January 15, 2024
Lebanese officials discussed five points with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein during his visit last week to Lebanon, a media report said.
Below are the five points, as published Monday by al-Liwaa newspaper:
1. A comprehensive ceasefire and cessation of all hostilities between the Israeli army and the forces and elements deployed on both sides of the Lebanese-Israeli border
2. The withdrawal of forces from both sides to the positions and points they were present In prior to October
3. Starting to implement and abide by U.N. Resolution 1701
4. Resuming negotiations over the contested border delineation points
5. Negotiating over the Shebaa Farms that are occupied by Israel

Rockets launched from Lebanon target Kiryat Shmona and Margaliot settlements
LBCI/January 15, 2024
Several rockets were launched from Lebanese territories on Monday towards the settlements of Kiryat Shmona and Margaliot.

Israel-Hezbollah border skirmishes: Latest developments
Agence France Presse/January 15, 2024
Hezbollah targeted Monday gatherings of Israeli troops near the Mattat and the Ramim barracks, surveillance equipment in Metula, and the post of Birkat Risha with Burkan rockets . Israel shelled the southerns towns of Dhaira, al-Jebbayn, Tayr Harfa, Aita al-Shaab, Hanine, Shihine, al-Hamames hill near al-Khiam, the Marjeyoun plain, and Em el-Tout. On Sunday, Three gunmen who crossed into Israel from Lebanon and two Israelis, including an elderly woman, were killed in Kfar Yuval in clashes and a strike along the frontier between Lebanon and Israel.
A group calling itself Kataeb Al-Ezz Al-Islamiya later said the fighters were from its ranks, Lebanese media reported. The Israeli military said warplanes struck Hezbollah positions following the missile strike on the border community of Kfar Yuval as four Israeli airstrikes targeted the Jabal Safi area in Iqlim al-Tuffah, cutting off power supply in Mlikh and some Jezzine areas.

Report: Hamas officials flee Lebanon to neighboring countries
Naharnet/January 15, 2024
Several Hamas officials who were living in Lebanon have fled to neighboring countries, in the wake of Israel’s assassination of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation has reported. “After Arouri’s killing in Beirut’s southern suburbs on January 2, some of Hamas’ official moved to Turkey and Syria,” the Corporation said. “The movement’s spokesman Ghazi Hamad has been in Cairo since Arouri’s killing and he supposedly does not plan to return to Lebanon,” the Corporation added.

Stalemate Continues in Lebanese Government Over Military Appointments
LBCI/January 15, 2024
A month has passed since the approval of the extension law for the Army Commander in the Parliament. Also, a month has elapsed since the deadline set by Caretaker Prime Minister to send his proposals to fill vacancies in the Military Council in the army. However, nothing has changed. The file still moves from one office to another, from one circle to another, without clear solutions. However, attention is now turning to the government and its leader, and the step he will take in light of not yet receiving proposals from Caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim. This is based on Slim's rejection of the principle of appointments from the outset in the caretaker government amid the presidential vacancy. This file was present in the Parliament on Monday in a meeting between Minister Slim and Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab. They agreed to reject appointments by the government.
Sources from the meeting warned against any move that the government might take without the approval of the relevant minister, whether it is filling the vacancies in the Military Council or appointing a Chief of Staff only. This would be considered a blatant violation of the constitution, and the Defense Minister will not remain silent and likely will be challenged. So, does the Defense Minister's failure to propose names give the government the right to take whatever action it deems appropriate? In any case, the answer to this question will not be soon, as no cabinet session is scheduled for this week, according to information made available to LBCI. l militants infiltrating from Lebanon, says military

Army Commander Receives Sleiman Frangieh
LBCI/January 15, 2024
Army Commander General Joseph Aoun received former Minister and MP Sleiman Frangieh in his office in Yarzeh, where Frangieh offered his condolences for the passing of General Aoun's mother. The discussion also covered the general situation in Lebanon and region

Mufti Derian meets Saudi Ambassador at Dar Al-Fatwa, receives “National Moderation” parliamentary bloc
NNA/January 15, 2024
Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, on Monday received at Dar Al-Fatwa, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid bin Abdullah Bukhari, with whom he discussed general issues concerning Lebanon and the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza and the Palestinian people.
Ambassador Bukhari affirmed that ‘’the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands with Lebanon, its people and institutions, and will spare no effort in contributing to any endeavor or effort to resolve the multiple crises that Lebanon is enduring.”
The Saudi Ambassador also declared the Kingdom’s support for all Arab and Islamic issues, especially the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people in wake of their sufferings as a result of the ongoing aggression against their land, their sanctities, and their people. Mufti Derian, in turn, stressed that “The Kingdom’s role is essential in the development of the state and its institutions,” adding that “Dar Al-Fatwa is constantly keen on cooperating with Arab brethhrens, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, most notably the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which embraces Lebanon, its people, and Arab and Islamic causes.”The Grand Mufti also hoped that "the efforts of the Kingdom and the Quintet Committee will result in finding a solution as soon as possible to help elect a president of the republic, so that this will be the first step towards the advancement of the state and its institutions."
On the other hand, Mufti Derian received at Dar-El-Fatwa, “National Moderation” bloc MPs, with whom he broached Lebanese and Arab affairs.

Saudi Ambassador Visits Army Commander at His Residence: The Conversation Between Them
Al-Kalima Online/January 15, 2024
MTV has learned that "Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Al-Bukhari, visited Army Commander General Joseph Aoun at his residence, offering condolences for the passing of his mother. The occasion also provided an opportunity to discuss current issues."

What Happened Between Franjieh and Jumblatt?
Al-Kalima Online/January 15, 2024
Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and his wife Nora Jumblatt hosted in Clemenceau, the leader of the Marada Movement Suleiman Franjieh and his wife Rima Franjieh, along with MP Tony Franjieh and his wife Leen Zaydan, in the presence of Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Timor Jumblatt and his wife Diana Jumblatt, Mr. Joey Al-Daher and his wife Dalia Jumblatt, and Democratic Gathering Bloc member MP Wael Abu Faour and his wife Zeina Hamadeh. The dinner table conversation covered various public affairs.

Sami Gemayel Reveals Threats Targeting Him!
Al-Kalima Online / January 15, 2024
The President of the Kataeb Party, MP Sami Gemayel, affirmed today, Monday, that "this period carries security caution, and we prefer to stay in Bkerke, as we receive warnings from the security agencies." Gemayel added in a conversation with "Al-Jadeed" channel, "This era is the era of women, and I do not like inheritance. Therefore, a person asserts himself, and if you come from a well-known family, the spotlight is on you. Either you succeed or fail quickly, and I consider that belonging to a well-known family attracts attention. Either you live up to the responsibility or you don't." He continued, "I see the amount of hatred that Hezbollah spreads among its ranks, the logic of discrimination, rejection of the other, and the refusal to accept any criticism. This indicates the inability of this group to participate naturally in political life." Gemayel emphasized, "Participation in political life requires accepting the other. If you do
.
Deputy Speaker Bou Saab Meets Defense Minister Slim to Discuss National Security
LBCI/January 15, 2024
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Elias Bou Saab received on Monday Caretaker Minister of Defense Maurice Slim, in his office at the Parliament.
They discussed the general situation, the repercussions of the Gaza war, and the recurrent Israeli attacks on Lebanon. They also addressed the conditions of the Ministry of Defense, with the minister emphasizing adherence to the implementation of defense laws and the preservation its constitutional powers.

Saudi Ambassador meets Grand Mufti, affirms Kingdom's commitment to Lebanon
LBCI/January 15, 2024
Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands with Lebanon, its people, and institutions and will spare no effort in contributing to any endeavor to resolve Lebanon's multiple crises. The ambassador's statement came after he met with the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Daryan at Dar al-Fatwa, where discussions revolved around general issues concerning Lebanon and the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and the Palestinian people. Ambassador Bukhari declared the Kingdom's support for all Arab and Islamic causes, especially the continuous aggression on Gaza and the Palestinian people, who endure attacks on their land, sanctities, and population. Meanwhile, Grand Mufti Daryan emphasized the essential role of the Kingdom in the development of the state and its institutions. Dar al-Fatwa is consistently eager to collaborate with Arab brothers, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the forefront, supporting Lebanon and its people and Arab and Islamic causes. He expressed hope that the efforts of the Kingdom and the Quintet Committee would lead to finding a solution at the earliest opportunity, assisting in the election of a president. This step is seen as the first towards the recovery of the state and its institutions.

Caretaker Minister Ali Hamieh Inspects Site of Landslide in Dahr al-Baidar
LBCI/January 15, 2024
Caretaker Minister of Public Works Ali Hamieh visited the location of the landslide in Dahr al-Baidar on Monday and assessed the condition of the international road. "The Ministry of Public Works and specialized teams swiftly addressed the situation yesterday. It is evident that there was soil movement because the road construction on the Arab Highway was done without proper reinforcement, and the large amount of rainfall caused the loose soil to erode," he noted. "Starting today, we have begun addressing this issue to ensure the safety of citizens and prevent further soil erosion. We need to channel all water drains into one path and have instructed the reinforcement of the incident site to avoid further slides," Hamieh added. He also stressed that the Dahr al-Baidar road is a crucial and pivotal route in the country, stressing that it is being treated as an emergency that requires immediate attention. Answering a question about Caretaker Prime Minister Mikati's mention of investigating corruption among some road contractors, Hamieh concluded, "This issue predates my tenure. Since I took office, I don't believe there is corruption. However, I am ready to cooperate with Mikati and respond to his request if necessary."

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 15-16/2024
Houthis fire missile at US warship in Red Sea in first attack after US-led strikes
Associated Press/January 15, 2024
Yemen's Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea on Sunday, but a U.S. fighter jet shot it down in the latest attack roiling global shipping amid Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, officials said. The attack marks the first U.S.-acknowledged fire by the Houthis since America and allied nations began strikes Friday on the rebels following weeks of assaults on shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis have targeted that crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe over the Israel-Hamas war, attacks that threaten to widen that conflict into a regional conflagration. The Houthis, a Shiite rebel group allied with Iran that seized Yemen's capital in 2014, did not immediately acknowledge the attack. It wasn't immediately clear whether the U.S. would retaliate for the latest attack, though President Joe Biden has said he "will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary." The Houthi fire on Sunday went in the direction of the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer operating in the southern reaches of the Red Sea, the U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement. The missile came from near Hodeida, a Red Sea port city long held by the Houthis, the U.S. said.
"An anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon," Central Command said. "There were no injuries or damage reported."The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said. The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.
U.S. forces followed up with a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site. Shipping through the Red Sea has slowed over the attacks. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the initial airstrikes. For their part, the Houthis alleged without providing evidence that the U.S. struck a site near Hodeida on Sunday around the same time of the cruise missile fire. The Americans and the United Kingdom did not acknowledge conducting any strike — suggesting the blast may have been from a misfiring Houthi missile. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel's offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade. Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to calm tensions in the Middle East for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes threatened to ignite one. Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more. The American military did not specifically say the fire targeted the Laboon, following a pattern by the U.S. since the Houthi attacks began. However, U.S. sailors have received combat ribbons for their actions in the Red Sea— something handed out only to those who face active hostilities with an enemy force.

Missile hits US-owned ship off coast of Yemen
Sky News/January 15, 2024
A missile fired from Yemen has hit a US-owned cargo ship near the Gulf of Aden. Identified as the Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, the ship was due to be heading towards the Suez Canal before rapidly turning around at the time of the attack. The impact of the strike reportedly caused a fire in the cargo hold, though the ship is able to navigate and no injuries have been reported. Three missiles were launched in total, with two not reaching the sea, and one hitting the carrier, according to maritime security company Ambrey. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) - which provides security information to merchant shipping - said the ship was struck some 110 miles (177km) southeast of the Yemeni city of Aden. The vessel's US operator, Eagle Bulk Shipping, said the ship had suffered "limited damage" to the cargo hold but was "stable and was heading out of the area". The ship was carrying a freight of steel products, it added. The US military's Central Command blamed Houthi rebels for the strike. Yemen's Houthi forces did not immediately acknowledge any attack, though they have fired missiles previously in that area. Soon after the attack, an official told Al Jazeera the movement will expand its targets to include US ships. Houthi spokesperson Nasruldeen Amer said the United States was "on the verge of losing its maritime security". How UK military tactics against Houthis have parallels with WWII. Why have the UK and US launched strikes on Yemen? The incident comes less than a day after a US military jet shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired by Houthi militants, without any reported injuries or damage sustained. On Thursday night, the UK and US launched air strikes against a number of military facilities used by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, receiving non-operational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands. The UK government described the strikes as an act of "self defence" after branding attacks on commercial ships as "unacceptable".Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly conducted assaults on vessels in the Red Sea with drones and rockets, and in some cases helicopters have dropped militants on to ships. Rebels claim their actions are aimed at ending Israel's air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip

Iran urges US, Britain to 'stop war against Yemen'
Agence France Presse/January 15, 2024
Iran urged Monday the United States and Britain to "stop the war against Yemen" following their recent strikes on targets of the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels. U.S. and British forces have hit scores of targets in Yemen after weeks of Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. The strikes have heightened fears that Israel's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas could engulf the wider region. "We warn America and Britain to stop the war against Yemen immediately," said Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a Tehran press conference with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.He also called on the United States and Israel "to stop the war against Gaza" and said Houthis "will block Israeli ships or ships bound for Israeli ports" as long as the conflict continues. Iran has previously called the strikes on Yemen "arbitrary" and a "violation" of international law. The Israel-Hamas war erupted with unprecedented attacks by Palestinian militants on southern Israel on October 7 that resulted in about 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The militants also seized about 250 hostages, 132 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including at least 25 believed to have been killed. Israel has responded with a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 24,100 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. During Monday's press conference, Jaishankar said India supported a "two-state solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely and in an independent country within secure borders". The Houthis, who control large swathes of Yemen including the capital Sanaa since 2014, are part of a Tehran-aligned "axis of resistance" against Israel and its allies. The rebels' attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted traffic along the vital trade route, with many firms rerouting their vessels around the tip of Africa, with knock-on effects for the world economy. Washington said Iran was "deeply involved" in the Houthi attacks, a claim Tehran has denied.Britain's foreign minister David Cameron has also accused Iran of being a "malign actor in the region."President Ebrahim Raisi has said Iran sees it as "its duty to support the resistance groups", but insisted that they "are independent in their opinion, decision and action."

Sunak to face UK lawmakers over decision to join US strikes on Yemen's Houthis
Associated Press/January 15, 2024
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was due to face Parliament Monday to explain why the U.K. joined the U.S. in striking Houthi targets in Yemen — and why British lawmakers did not get a say on the military action. Four Royal Air Force Typhoon jets took part in last week's U.S.-led strikes on sites used by the Iran-backed rebels, who have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. The U.S. says Friday's strikes hit Houthi weapons depots, radar facilities and command centers. The Houthis say they have targeted ships linked to Israel in response to the war in Gaza. But they have frequently attacked vessels with no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade. U.S. forces carried out another strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site. British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said Monday that Friday's strikes had been intended "as a single action" rather than part of a campaign, but did not rule out U.K. participation in further military strikes. "We will now monitor very carefully to see what (the Houthis) do next, how they respond and we will see from there," he said. Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, said he supported last week's strikes but expects more openness from the government in future. "If the government is proposing further action, then it should say so and set out the case, and we're going to have to consider that on a case-by-case basis on the merits," he said.  The smaller opposition Liberal Democrats accused the government of "riding roughshod over a democratic convention" that Parliament should get a vote on military action. "For Rishi Sunak to attempt to ignore elected representatives is disgraceful," Liberal Democrat defense spokesman Richard Foord said. Sunak's government is facing mounting demands on Britain's ever-shrinking military in an increasingly volatile world. Hours after the strikes on the Houthis, Sunak was in Kyiv, where he announced a further 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) in military aid to Ukraine and signed a long-term security agreement with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Sunak — whose Conservative Party trails Labour in opinion polls ahead of an election due this year — also is struggling to revive his stalled plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda.
The Rwanda plan is an expensive, highly controversial policy that hasn't sent a single person to the East African country so far. But it has become a totemic issue for Sunak, central to his pledge to "stop the boats" bringing unauthorized migrants to the U.K. across the English Channel from France. More than 29,000 people made the perilous journey in 2023. Five people died on the weekend while trying to launch a boat from northern France in the dark and winter cold. London and Kigali made a deal almost two years ago under which migrants who reach Britain across the Channel would be sent to Rwanda, where they would stay permanently. The plan has been criticized as inhumane and unworkable by human rights groups and challenged in British courts. In November the U.K. Supreme Court ruled the policy is illegal because Rwanda isn't a safe country for refugees. In response to the court ruling, Britain and Rwanda signed a treaty pledging to strengthen protections for migrants. Sunak's government argues that the treaty allows it to pass a law declaring Rwanda a safe destination. If approved by Parliament, the law would allow the government to "disapply" sections of U.K. human rights law when it comes to Rwanda-related asylum claims and make it harder to challenge the deportations in court. But the bill faces criticism both from Conservative centrists who think it flirts with breaking international law, and from lawmakers on the party's authoritarian right, who say it doesn't go far enough because it leaves some legal routes for migrants to challenge deportation. Both sides say they will try to amend the bill during two days of debate in the House of Commons culminating in a vote on Wednesday. Sunak said Monday he was "confident that the bill we have got is the toughest that anyone has ever seen and it will resolve this issue once and for all."

Iran Guards hit ‘terrorist’ targets in Iraq, Syria
AFP/January 16, 2024
TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) have launched missile attacks on multiple “terrorist” targets in Syria and in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, state media reported Tuesday. The official IRNA news agency said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps destroyed “a spy headquarters” and a “gathering of anti-Iranian terrorist groups” in Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. The Guards later hit with ballistic missiles in Syria “gathering places of commanders and main elements related to recent terrorist operations particularly the Daesh group,” their Sepah News service reported.
It added that the attack in Syria was in “response to the recent crimes of the terrorist groups that unjustly martyred a group of our dear compatriots in Kerman and Rask.”On January 3, suicide bombers struck crowds gathered near the tomb of the revered IRGC general Qasem Soleimani in the southern city of Kerman. The attack, for which the Daesh group later claimed responsibility, killed around 90 people and left scores wounded. Iran’s intelligence ministry said one of the suicide bombers was a Tajik citizen, while the identity of the other had yet to be determined. In December, at least 11 Iranian police officers were killed in a jihadist-claimed attack on a police station in Rask, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan. That attack was claimed by Jaish Al-Adl (Army of Justice) in a brief statement on its Telegram channel. The insurgency was formed in 2012 and is blacklisted by Iran as a “terrorist” group. The IRGC also said it had struck an alleged Israeli target, announcing a “missile attack and the destruction of the Zionist regime’s spy headquarters (Mossad) in the Kurdistan region of Iraq,” IRNA reported. “This headquarters has been the center for developing espionage operations and planning terrorist actions in the region,” it said. In November 2022, Iran had launched cross-border missile and drone strikes against Iranian-Kurdish opposition groups based in northern Iraq that it accuses of stoking a wave of protests in the Islamic republic.
The strikes came just after protests began in Iran over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, an Iranian Kurd arrested for allegedly breaching Iran’s strict dress code for women.

Egypt thwarts drug smuggling attempt on border with Israel- sources
REUTERS/January 16, 2024
CAIRO: Egypt thwarted a drug smuggling attempt on the Egyptian-Israeli border after an exchange of gunfire, two security sources and local television station Al Qahera News TV said late on Monday. During the incident six drug smugglers were arrested in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula south of Al-Awja border crossing — known in Israel as the Nitzana crossing — the security sources added. The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said 20 “suspects,” including gunmen, approached the border near Nitzana before being fired at by soldiers operating in the area. Injuries were reported, he added on social media platform X. An Israeli official said the suspects most likely were trying to smuggle drugs across the border from Egypt, which has been at peace with Israel for decades.Together the countries enforce a blockade around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Dozens killed in Gaza in 'intense' Israeli strikes
Agence France Presse/January 15, 2024
Officials in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday dozens were killed overnight in "intense" Israeli bombardment, as the war which has sent shockwaves across the region passed the grim 100-day milestone. Deadly violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and along Israel's border with Lebanon as well as fighting between U.S. forces and Iran-backed Yemeni rebels in the Red Sea have raised fears of an escalation beyond the Gaza Strip. The war, sparked by Palestinian attacks on Israel, has created a humanitarian catastrophe for the 2.4 million people in the besieged strip, the United Nations and aid groups warn, and reduced much of the territory to rubble. The health ministry in Gaza, ruled by Hamas since 2007, reported more than 60 "martyrs" and dozens more wounded, in what the group's media office described as "intense" strikes and artillery fire across Gaza. The Hamas government media office said two hospitals, a girls' school and "dozens" of homes were hit overnight. Hospitals in Gaza have been hit repeatedly since the war erupted, and the World Health Organization (WHO) says most of them are no longer functioning. The Israeli military accuses Hamas militants of operating out of civilian facilities or from tunnels under them, a charge the Islamist group denies. The latest strikes hit the southern cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah, as well as areas around Gaza City, the Hamas media office said. The army said its forces had struck "two terrorists loading weapons into a vehicle" in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza's main city, and raided "a Hamas command centre" there and seized weapons.The UN says more than three months of fighting have displaced roughly 85 percent of the territory's population, crowded into shelters and struggling to get food, water, fuel and medical care. "There's no food, no water, no heating. We are dying from the cold," said Mohammad Kahil, displaced from northern Gaza to Rafah, on the southern border with Egypt.
'Living in hell' -
Hamas's October 7 attack that triggered the war resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The militants also seized about 250 hostages, 132 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including at least 25 believed to have been killed.
Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a relentless military campaign that has killed at least 23,968 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the territory's health ministry. At central Gaza's Al-Aqsa hospital, bodies were piled on a donkey cart on Sunday. Hisham Abu Suweh, waiting outside the emergency ward where his wife was being treated, said his family had thought they would be safe as civilians."We were sitting peacefully when the missile hit us," he said. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said people in Gaza were "living in hell", echoing earlier UN warnings of a fast-approaching famine. "Those with serious chronic conditions are dying due to the lack of care. Diseases are spreading among a population forced to crowd into ever smaller spaces, with little clean water or access to sanitation," Tedros said. Israel has faced international pressure over surging civilian casualties in Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under intense domestic pressure to account for political and security failings surrounding the October 7 attacks.On the war's 100th day on Sunday, hundreds of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv for events urging action to rescue the remaining hostages. "One hundred days and they are still abandoned there, 100 days and there is no sign of their return," said Amit Zach, a graphic designer. A Hamas spokesman on Sunday said most of the hostages held in Gaza are likely to have been killed, blaming the Israeli leadership for their fate. The claim cannot be independently verified.
- Diplomatic efforts for 'peace' -
Violence involving regional allies of Iran-backed Hamas -- considered a "terrorist" group by the United States and the European Union -- has surged since the war began. In Yemen, the Houthis have vowed more attacks in solidarity with Gaza against what they deem Israeli-linked Red Sea shipping, despite US and British strikes against the Tehran-aligned rebels. The U.S. military said its fighter jets had shot down a cruise missile fired at the USS Laboon, an Airleigh Burke-class destroyer, off Hodeida in the southern Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. It appeared to be the first missile fired at a U.S. warship by the Houthis since major U.S. and British strikes on rebel-held Yemen on Friday. These strikes followed growing attacks that have disrupted shipping in the vital Red Sea trade route. On the Israel-Lebanon border, Israeli forces and Hezbollah have traded near daily fire. A missile strike on Sunday killed two Israeli civilians, medics said, and three militants who had crossed in from Lebanon died in a gun battle, according to the army. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Israel "has not achieved any real victory" in Gaza and will be forced to end the fighting and negotiate a diplomatic solution. Diplomatic efforts to avoid escalation on Sunday included a visit by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Egypt, where he called for "an international summit for peace" and Palestinian statehood. Australia's top diplomat Penny Wong is due in Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and the United Arab Emirates this week to "support international diplomatic efforts towards a durable peace in the Middle East", her office said. In Turkey, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, authorities have accused Israeli footballer Sagiv Jehezkel of "incitement" after he celebrated scoring a goal with a message written on a bandage on his left wrist, which read "100 days. 07/10".

As Israel-Hamas war reaches 100-day mark, here's the conflict by numbers
Associated Press/January 15, 2024
Now 100 days old, the latest Israel-Hamas war is by far the longest, bloodiest, and most destructive conflict between the bitter enemies. The fighting erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel. Since then, Israel has relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and a ground offensive that have wrought unprecedented destruction, flattening entire neighborhoods. The offensive has displaced the vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza, shuttered operations in more than half of Gaza's hospitals and caused widespread hunger, U.N. monitors say. The Israeli military says it has now scaled back operations in the hard-hit north. But in the south, where it says Hamas' leaders are hiding, it presses forward at full strength. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and Israel have engaged in cross-border skirmishes nearly every day since the war began. Here's a look in numbers at the toll of the Israel-Hamas war, sourced from Palestinian Health Ministry and Israeli officials as well as international observers and aid groups.
TOTAL DEATHS
Number of Palestinians killed in Gaza: 23,843
Number of people killed in Israel: more than 1,200
Number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank: 347
CIVILIANS
Civilians killed in Gaza: The civilian toll of the war is unknown, with women and minors making up an estimated two-thirds of those killed
Number of civilians killed in Israel on Oct. 7: 790
U.N. staff killed in Gaza: 148
Health workers killed in Gaza: at least 337
Journalists killed in Gaza: 82
SOLDIERS/MILITANTS
Number of Israeli soldiers killed on Oct. 7: 314
Number of militants killed by Israel: Over 8,000
Number of Israeli soldiers killed in the Gaza ground offensive: 188
Number of Israeli soldiers killed on the northern front: 9
Number of Israeli soldiers killed by friendly fire or "accidents" in Gaza and the north: 29
DESTRUCTION/HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN GAZA
Percentage of Gaza's buildings likely damaged/destroyed: 45-56%
Hospitals in Gaza partially functioning: 15/36
Palestinian civilians facing "catastrophic hunger and starvation": 576,600 (26% of the population)
Percentage of school buildings in Gaza damaged: over 69%
Mosques damaged: 142
Churches damaged: 3
Ambulances damaged: 121
Students out of school: 625,000 (100% of students)
INJURIES
Palestinians injured in Gaza: 60,005
Palestinians injured in West Bank: more than 4,000
Total Israeli injuries: 12,536
Israeli soldiers injured in ground offensive: 1,085
Israeli soldiers injured since Oct. 7: 2,496
DISPLACEMENT
Number of Palestinians displaced in Gaza: 1.9 million (85% of Gaza's population)
Number of Israelis displaced from northern and southern border communities: 249,263 (2.6% of the population)
HOSTAGES/PRISONERS
Hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7: 253
Hostages released: 121
Hostages taken Oct. 7 who remain in the strip: 132
1. 111 men, 19 women, 2 children
2. 121 Israelis, 11 foreign nationals
Hostages who were killed or died in Hamas captivity: 33
Palestinian prisoners released during weeklong pause in fighting: 240
MUNITIONS
Number of rockets launched toward Israel: 14,000

Hamas airs video purporting to show two Israeli hostages killed in captivity
CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters)/Mon, January 15, 2024
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas aired a new video on Monday showing what it said were the bodies of two Israeli hostages, and Israel's military said that while it was examining the footage, there was serious concern regarding the hostages' fate. In the video, 26-year-old university student Noa Argamani, seemingly reading a script in front of a blank white wall, said that fellow hostages Itai Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi had been killed. The video ends with pictures purporting to be the dead bodies of both men. Aragamani said in the video that they were killed by Israeli strikes, while she was injured.
Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari identified hostage Itai Svirsky as one of the men, but did not give the name or other details about the second as per the family's request.
"Itai was not shot by our forces. That is a Hamas lie. The building in which they were held was not a target and it was not attacked by our forces," Hagari told reporters. "We don't attack a place if we know there may be hostages inside," he said, adding that areas nearby had been targeted.
The military, he said, was examining the photos Hamas posted along with other information it had. Argamani became a prominent face among the more than 200 hostages taken during Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. She attended the music festival that became a killing field and was filmed by her captors being taken into Gaza on the back of a motorcycle, screaming for her life and reaching for her boyfriend who was being pushed on foot beside her. "Stop this madness, return us to our families while we are still alive. Return us home," she said in Monday's video.
Sharabi, 53, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Beeri, one of the hardest hit communities in the Hamas assault, along with his brother. His wife managed to save their daughters while his brother's family was killed.
Svirsky, 35, was also taken from Kibbutz Beeri after being shot and wounded and witnessing the killing of his mother. His father was also killed.
A day earlier Hamas aired a video showing the three hostages and promising to disclose their fate. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that Hamas carries out "psychological abuse" with its handling of the hostages.
Forensic officials in Israel have said that autopsies of slain hostages who had been recovered found causes of death inconsistent with Hamas' account they had died in air strikes. But Israel has also made clear it is aware of the risks to hostages from its offensive, and is taking precautions. Around half of some 240 people seized by Hamas on Oct. 7 were released in a November truce. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza and that 25 of them have died in captivity. The hostage crisis has riveted Israelis reeling from the worst attack in their history. Some hostages' relatives have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enter another truce or even call off the war. Gallant said that without keeping up military pressure, Hamas would have no reason to release more hostages.
 following the 7 October attacks by Hamas. There are growing concerns about the global economic impact caused by the strife in the vital shipping route, as vessels have diverted, resulting in them using extra fuel and incurring other expenses - pushing up the cost of trade and adding to inflationary pressures.

Palestinian ambassador to UN calls on Non-Aligned Movement to pressure Israel to enforce cease-fire
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP)/Mon, January 15, 2024
The Palestinian ambassador to the U.N. called on the members of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala, Uganda, to put pressure on Israel to implement a cease-fire in Gaza after 100 days of war with militant Palestinian group Hamas. Rayid Mansour addressed in his opening speech the 120 members, convening throughout this week, that despite the U.N. General Assembly and the Security Council's resolutions, a cease-fire remained elusive. The Non-Aligned Movement, formed during the collapse of the colonial systems and at the height of the Cold War, has played a key part in decolonization processes, according to its website. Mansour claimed that Israel was leading an apartheid of the Palestinians in the ongoing war that broke out on Oct.7 when Hamas suddenly attacked the south of Israel, killing some 1,200 people, and taking 250 others hostage. Israel retaliated by pounding the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 24,000 people and displacing about 80% of the population. "We are still under this colonial occupation by Israel and we see genocide committed on our people, particularly in the Gaza Strip,” he said. He said the Palestinians were grateful to South Africa for launching a case against Israel at the International Court for Justice. “We are the last kids around the block. All of you accomplished your national independence and you put an end to colonialism." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said Israel will pursue its war against Hamas until victory and will not be stopped by anyone, including the ICJ. Israel adamantly denies allegations of genocide in Gaza, saying it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians, and rejects allegations of apartheid as an attack on its very legitimacy. At least 30 of the movement's members are expected to attend the heads of states' meeting at the end of the weeklong deliberations. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni will take over as president the Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev for the next three years.

Diplomatic Disconnect: Silence Between Biden and Netanyahu Signals Strained Ties
LBCI/January 15, 2024
Usually, any phone conversation ends with "bye." However, the last call on December 23rd between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden concluded with the latter saying, "This conversation is over," and he hung up. Since then, there has been no communication between the two leaders. If anything, this signals that relations between Tel Aviv and Washington are not going well. It is worth noting that the US National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, downplayed the significance of the decline in communications between the US president and the Israeli prime minister.
According to Axios, there are disagreements between Washington and Tel Aviv on several points regarding the Israeli war on Gaza, including the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the post-war phase. Differences in perspectives between the Biden administration and the Netanyahu government come amid Washington's impression that the financial and moral cost of the war has become burdensome. Biden, who is preparing for the elections at the end of this year, is facing pressure in the US street, particularly from Islamic and Arab communities that have sent him a message urging him to stop supporting Israel in its war on Gaza. They reminded him that his administration's stance had damaged his standing among Islamic and Arab communities in America, which were among his staunch supporters. In conclusion, Biden's patience towards Israeli leaders is running out, according to Axios. Will the US take action and stop its support for Israel?

Political Divisions Deepen as Israeli Cabinet Votes to Escalate Gaza Fighting
LBCI/January 15, 2024
The majority in the Israeli security cabinet has decided to continue intensifying the fighting in specific areas in the Gaza Strip, particularly in Khan Yunis, under the pretext of increasing pressure on Hamas to reach a prisoner exchange deal.
This approach, lacking consensus, deepens the divide between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, who support the continuation of the war, and Benny Gantz, head of the National Camp, and his cabinet member from his party, Gadi Eisenkot, who seek to formulate an immediate prisoner deal agreed upon by Hamas to save the remaining captives alive. Former Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, in his first appearance since October 7, cautiously warned about the implications of this division. Kochavi also revealed a crisis in the relationship between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden, following Netanyahu's adherence to his positions on the nature of the third stage of the conflict and his refusal to transfer the Palestinian Authority's tax revenues.  Additionally, there are concerns about Netanyahu's plans for the day after the war in Gaza, prompting security officials to call for the development of a political plan for the future of the strip. The political decision-making confusion led the military to try to mitigate it by presenting what it called the achievements of the war, including:
Eliminating approximately nine thousand militants in Gaza, despite Israel initially claiming the presence of thirty to forty thousand militants. This implies that Israel has achieved less than forty percent of its stated goal to eliminate Hamas.
Destroying three thousand four hundred targets in Gaza. Arresting two thousand three hundred Palestinians in the sector on charges related to the events of October 7.

War between NATO & Russia is imminent, according to secret German Armed Forces document — Bild
New Voice of Ukraine/January 15, 2024
A major armed conflict between NATO and Russia is imminent if a secret document from the German Armed Forces is to be believed, with Russia invading NATO’s Baltic states as early as July. The German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) are preparing for a potential hybrid attack by Russia on NATO's eastern flank this February, reported Bild. An escalation between NATO and Russia is expected as early as February, a Bild source said, referencing a secret Bundeswehr document. The confidential document details how a conflict between Russia and NATO might arise, with events unfolding month by month. The culmination involves deployment of hundreds of thousands of NATO soldiers and the start of war in the summer of 2025. The Bild story builds a scenario for war that focuses on security and avoids specifics regarding the number and movement of NATO troops. The Bundeswehr’s “Defense Alliance 2023” scenario predicts that Russian mobilization will begin in February 2024, followed by a Spring offensive in Ukraine and an attack on the Baltic countries in July. Cyberattacks and other forms of hybrid warfare are expected. Tensions could peak in October with Russia moving troops and missiles to Kaliningrad (a Russian exclave in Poland — ed.). “Border conflicts” and “unrests with numerous casualties” are possible in the “Suwalki corridor” (the small corridor between Belarus and Kaliningrad that lies along the Polish-Lithuanian border — ed.) in December. 2024. Russia could repeat its 2014 invasion of Ukraine on NATO territory with Belarusian support, after the U.S. elections, when the United States might become leaderless. The scenario ends 30 days after “D-Day,” when NATO, including the Bundeswehr, deploys significant military forces to the eastern flank. However, whether NATO will be able to contain Russia remains an open question in the scenario. We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Missile hits US-owned ship off coast of Yemen
Sky News/January 15, 2024
A missile fired from Yemen has hit a US-owned cargo ship near the Gulf of Aden.
Identified as the Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, the ship was due to be heading towards the Suez Canal before rapidly turning around at the time of the attack. The impact of the strike reportedly caused a fire in the cargo hold, though the ship is able to navigate and no injuries have been reported. Three missiles were launched in total, with two not reaching the sea, and one hitting the carrier, according to maritime security company Ambrey. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) - which provides security information to merchant shipping - said the ship was struck some 110 miles (177km) southeast of the Yemeni city of Aden. The vessel's US operator, Eagle Bulk Shipping, said the ship had suffered "limited damage" to the cargo hold but was "stable and was heading out of the area". The ship was carrying a freight of steel products, it added. The US military's Central Command blamed Houthi rebels for the strike. Yemen's Houthi forces did not immediately acknowledge any attack, though they have fired missiles previously in that area. Soon after the attack, an official told Al Jazeera the movement will expand its targets to include US ships. Houthi spokesperson Nasruldeen Amer said the United States was "on the verge of losing its maritime security". How UK military tactics against Houthis have parallels with WWII. Why have the UK and US launched strikes on Yemen? The incident comes less than a day after a US military jet shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired by Houthi militants, without any reported injuries or damage sustained. On Thursday night, the UK and US launched air strikes against a number of military facilities used by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, receiving non-operational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands. The UK government described the strikes as an act of "self defence" after branding attacks on commercial ships as "unacceptable".Since November, the Houthis have repeatedly conducted assaults on vessels in the Red Sea with drones and rockets, and in some cases helicopters have dropped militants on to ships. Rebels claim their actions are aimed at ending Israel's air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip following the 7 October attacks by Hamas. There are growing concerns about the global economic impact caused by the strife in the vital shipping route, as vessels have diverted, resulting in them using extra fuel and incurring other expenses - pushing up the cost of trade and adding to inflationary pressures.

Ukrainian drones find easy prey in Kadyrovite units
The New Voice of Ukraine/January 15, 2024
Kadyrovite tried to shoot down drones with automatic weapons, but without success. Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov’s forces exhibit an impressive lack of caution in combat zones, making them easy targets for Ukrainian drone operators, as evidenced in a video released by the 30th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Jan. 14, filmed in the Kupyansk sector. The footage captures a group of Kadyrovites calmly smoking and carelessly hiding in the woods until they become the focus of Ukrainian strike drones. Accustomed to filming staged videos for social media, these soldiers often fail to react swiftly when the drones appear, suffering significant losses. In their attempts to counter the threat, the Kadyrovites even resorted to shooting at the drones with machine guns. However, these efforts did not save them from destruction. Ukrainian forces strike rare Russian artillery and anti-air units on Tavria front Kremlin silent on downing of Russian planes. We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Breaking Barriers: Mar Galcerán's Inspiring Journey of Inclusion and Success
LBCI/January 15, 2024
Every individual, regardless of their differences, tends to think that people with special needs have no capabilities or capacities. Mar Galcerán, a Spanish woman, tells you she is just like you. To change the stereotypical perceptions some people hold about individuals with Down syndrome or those with special needs, Mar embarked on a social inclusion crusade. Entering the conservative People's Party at 18, she paved her way into public life, working in various ministries before running for last year's regional elections in Valencia, eastern Spain.
After a successful campaign, she won a seat in the regional parliament, becoming the first parliamentarian with Down syndrome. Carrying with her a message that she is a capable human being, her success marks the first step in a long journey.
Like María, there is Angela, who also has Down syndrome and was appointed the first counselor for a Spanish city in 2013. Why not? Scientific evidence proves that these individuals have numerous talents and capacities. Mar Galcerán's story is a tale of individual success and a nation that encourages equality among its citizens. This is something all countries, with a bit of determination, can achieve.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 15-16/2024
How Equity Grade Inflation Hurts Jews, Asians and Other Disfavored Minorities
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./January 15, 2024
Diversity equity and inclusion require that groups – rather than individuals – be treated "equitably", and that preferred groups be advantaged in hiring, admissions and other benefits.
This is all part of the DEI attack on meritocracy. DEI demands that individuals be judged by the color of their skin and their identity rather than the content of their character — or their grades.
DEI now demands that schools begin with the goal of achieving equity grading by any means, including non-blind grading, grade inflation or grade abolition. Anything to undercut the equality of meritocratic blind grading that didn't achieve the goals of DEI. The negative impact of equity grading is incalculable. It stifles learning, hard work and creativity. It fails to prepare students for the competitive world they will inevitably face after they finish being coddled by universities. It will destroy the competitive advantages American universities used to have.
A recent study showed that grade inflation has become rampant at American universities. What used to be C+ has now become an A-, as more than 3/4 of students in elite universities get grades of A or A-.
This grade inflation is a direct result of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) bureaucracies and their twin concept of intersectionality. DEI requires that groups – rather than individuals – be treated "equitably", and that preferred groups be advantaged in hiring, admissions and other benefits.
Jews and other disfavored minorities are thus discriminated against in grading. The only way individuals from disfavored groups can compete against favored groups is by achieving better grades. But if everyone gets the same A grades, the favored groups will get the job and admission benefits.
Grade inflation – which is more prevalent in the social sciences than in the hard sciences – also reflects the subjectivity and propagandistic nature of many of today's courses, in which all ideas are deemed equal (except conservative ones, which students are afraid to articulate, lest their A- collapse into a D or F.) This is all part of the DEI attack on meritocracy. DEI demands that individuals be judged by the color of their skin and their identity rather than the content of their character — or their grades. Not that grades should always be determinative, but they are part of any fair meritocratic evaluation process.
Some schools have eliminated grades entirely in the name of equity. Others have achieved similar results by eliminating differences in grading: if everyone gets an A, no one gets an A. It's all part of "equity grading" instead of meritocracy grading. Blind grading was introduced in many schools to eliminate bias. It worked for women who generally benefited from the blindfold, as they did from screened auditions by orchestras. But it did not work for some preferred minorities. So DEI now demands that schools begin with the goal of achieving equity grading by any means, including non-blind grading, grade inflation or grade abolition. Anything to undercut the equality of meritocratic blind grading that didn't achieve the goals of DEI.
Grading should be fair to all. It should eliminate cultural bias and other elements that subtly discriminate against certain groups. But the goal should be real equality based on hard work, ability and other relevant criteria, not a trophy for everyone who shows up. Indeed today, some students receive an A even if they do not show up! The negative impact of equity grading is incalculable. It stifles learning, hard work and creativity. It fails to prepare students for the competitive world they will inevitably face after they finish being coddled by universities. It will destroy the competitive advantages American universities used to have.
Once some universities accept equity grading, others will be forced to follow, lest their students who are graded fairly suffer in comparison with students whose grades have been inflated by DEI. It is not as if students have gotten better. To the contrary, they have gotten worse. Only their grades have gotten better. That is a combination that assures failure of the educational mission of universities. But you would not know that because the failure is covered up by artificially elevated grades. It is said that philosophy is often autobiography, and it is true that ideologies are influenced by experience. That is certainly true of this author. I am what I am because of tough, fair grading. I was admitted to Yale Law School from Brooklyn College by the skin of my teeth. Many of my classmates were the scions of wealth and privilege. A Jewish kid from Brooklyn had no chance of completing with them except by working harder and getting higher grades. Indeed, even after being first in my class, I was turned down by every Wall Street firm, but I was able to secure a Supreme Court clerkship and a Harvard appointment because I achieved a 3.7 average. Today that would put me smack in the middle of the class and without job prospects.
So grade inflation is not victim-free. It benefits some and hurts others. Among those it hurts the most are Jewish, Asian and other students from groups that are excluded by the "inclusion" criteria of DEI. This amounts to discrimination based on ethnicity and religion. In public universities, that is unconstitutional. In private universities, that is simply wrong and immoral. Equity grading also hurts those within the groups included by DEI who would have achieved high grades without the benefit of grade inflation. It may benefit some in the short term, but in the long-term meritocracy is far better and much fairer to most students, than the artificial construct of group equity. Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow" podcast.
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© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

How Power Corrupts a Compromised Nation
Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute./January 15, 2024
If our democracy is to survive, our nation's citizens need to be mindful of Lord Acton's warning, as well as that of founding father Benjamin Franklin, who, upon leaving Independence Hall, told a bystander that America will have a republic, "if you can keep it." Pictured: Benjamin Franklin (L) and Lord Acton. Few know his name, but John Dalberg-Acton, otherwise known as Lord Acton, gave us insight and a warning that millions of people recite, perhaps now than ever. A British historian, politician, and writer from the 1800s, he told posterity, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Today we are faced with centers of absolute power that, one can argue, have done serious harm to the fabric of our democracy. Education, elections, politics, have all become concentrations of power where someone speaking the truth to such power runs the risk of being sued for defamation or worse.
A rare handful of individuals have the means of confronting that power. Harvard's president, who presided over a campus culture that made anti-Semitism acceptable, was called to account by hedge fund manager Bill Ackman who had the means and the will to call her out. Not content with the resignation of Claudine Gay, he is now confronting the Harvard Board of Trustees for, essentially, aiding and abetting her ideology.
Josh Hammer, a commentator and legal scholar, called her resignation a "fight for civilizational sanity."
These victories, however, are few and far between in a nation where the constitutional right to representative government is now in play by the "ballot bandits." That assault comes in many forms and with devious strategies.
Consider the latest move by New York Governor Kathy Hochul. In alliance with a progressive majority in the state legislature, she has signed a bill to move local elections to even numbered years. So what, you ask? It is a stealth move designed to assist Democratic candidates in presidential election years, when voter turnout will presumably be higher. The bill has not gone unnoticed. The New York State Association of Counties issued a statement, saying, "At a time when we should be keeping the divisiveness at the federal and state levels out of our local communities, this bill does the opposite, burying the local issues that impact New Yorkers' daily lives at the back of exceedingly long ballots."Needless to say, the Republicans are challenging this version of ballot banditry, but it is indicative of how absolute power can corrupt. It is a reflection of what is occurring elsewhere in anticipation of what will be a historic 2024 presidential election campaign. One response comes from the Republican National Committee. It has announced the creation of an Election Integrity Department, whose job will be to instruct tens of thousands of poll watchers for this year.
If our democracy is to survive, our nation's citizens need to be mindful of Lord Acton's warning, as well as that of founding father Benjamin Franklin, who, upon leaving Independence Hall, told a bystander that America will have a republic, "if you can keep it."
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Saudi Arabia isn’t ruling out befriending Israel. But it may come at a higher price
Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN/January 15, 2024
Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. Sign up here. Just weeks before Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel, Saudi Arabia said it was inching closer to normalizing diplomatic ties with the Jewish state. Despite three months of war that have left more than 23,000 Palestinians dead and the Arab world seething, Riyadh is signaling that a recognition of Israel could still be on the table. On another tour of shuttle diplomacy across the Middle East, including to Saudi Arabia and Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week said that normalization talks continue to take place and “there is a clear interest in the region in pursuing that.”
“With regard to integration, to normalization, yes, we talked about that actually on every stop, including of course here in Saudi Arabia,” Blinken told reporters in Saudi Arabia before heading to Israel. “And I can tell you this: There’s a clear interest here in pursuing that,” he said. “This interest is there, it’s real, and it could be transformative.”
In an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom said “absolutely there’s interest” in normalizing relations. “There’s been interest since 1982,” Prince Khalid bin Bandar said.
But experts say the price that Saudi Arabia would demand in exchange for normalization would be higher now than before the Gaza war, as Riyadh may feel compelled to extract more concessions from the United States and Israel.
CNN has reached out to the Saudi foreign ministry for comment.
“The Saudi government is still open to normalization on condition that Israel takes concrete steps on the ground to create the foundations of a two-state solution,” Ali Shihabi, a Saudi author and analyst, told CNN. “That would be, for example, completely removing the blockade from Gaza, fully empowering the PA (Palestinian Authority) in Gaza and (the) West Bank, withdrawal from key areas in (the) West Bank etc.”
The steps, Shihabi said, must be “concrete and not empty promises that Israel could forget about after normalization like it did with other countries that normalized (with Israel).”
While Blinken did not call for a ceasefire in Gaza, he added that Israel’s further integration into the Middle East would require that “the conflict end in Gaza,” as well as the paving of a “practical pathway” to a Palestinian state.
The Palestinians seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Most Muslim and Arab countries have refused to recognize Israel until such a state is established.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have repeatedly shot down the prospect of a Palestinian state. Last month US President Joe Biden said the Israeli government “doesn’t want a two-state solution.”
In 2020, four Arab nations, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, recognized Israel under a set of treaties known as the Abraham Accords, sidestepping the longstanding Arab demand for a Palestinian state. Since then, the Biden administration has been working to bring Saudi Arabia, widely regarded as the leader of the Muslim world, to follow suit, a move that could have opened the door to other Muslim countries to recognize Israel.
Seen as one of the architects of the accords, UAE ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba at the time stressed the viability of the two-state solution, indicating that it was not being abandoned for the sake of normalization.
The treaty between the UAE and Israel “immediately stops annexation (of the West Bank) and the potential of violent escalation. It maintains the viability of a two-state solution as endorsed by the Arab League and international community,” Otaiba said.
While the establishment of a Palestinian state has been Riyadh’s official stance for two decades, the demand had been absent from official rhetoric in recent years, before the October 7 attack. When asked about Saudi Arabia’s requirements for normalization with Israel, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in September told Fox News he hopes the deal will “reach a place that will ease the life of the Palestinians,” stopping short of calling for a state.
At the time, official rhetoric was centered on stronger US security guarantees for Saudi Arabia, as well as US help with the kingdom’s civilian nuclear program.
The October 7 attack on Israel and the devastating war in Gaza that followed prompted Saudi Arabia to pause normalization talks with an Israeli government despised in an Arab world that sees it as responsible for the suffering of Palestinians. A poll conducted by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, from November 14 to December 6, found that 96% of the 1,000 Saudis surveyed said they believed “Arab countries should immediately break all diplomatic, political, economic, and any other contacts with Israel, in protest against its military action in Gaza.”Since the war, the US has suggested that sidestepping Palestinian rights, in order to integrate Israel in the region, may not be tenable. Blinken said on Tuesday that it is clear to him from conversations across the region that a normalization deal is “not in substitute for or at the expense of a political horizon for the Palestinians and ultimately a Palestinian state.”
Normalization talks seem once again to be prioritizing Palestinian rights.
“Given how inflamed Saudi public opinion is in light of the war in Gaza, Riyadh will now need much more meaningful Israeli concessions towards the Palestinians, possibly including the creation of a provisional Palestinian state,” said Firas Maksad, senior fellow and director of outreach at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem on September 27. - Abir Sultan/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem on September 27. - Abir Sultan/AFP/Getty Images
Israel’s war on Hamas has so far killed more than 23,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in the enclave. Israel launched the war in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack, during which Palestinian militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Israel believes 107 hostages seized that day are still being held in Gaza, along with the bodies of 25 who are dead. “While we still, going forward even after October 7, believe in normalization, it does not come at the cost of the Palestinian people,” Prince Khalid, the Saudi ambassador, told the BBC, describing Palestinians as “the key element” in any normalization deal with Israel. “This is not a Saudi-Israeli peace plan, this is a Palestinian-Israeli peace plan.” Asked whether Hamas would be part of any future Palestinian state, the ambassador did not rule out the prospect, saying it “requires a lot of thought, a lot of work… there is always room for change if you have optimism and hope.”
Riyadh is not in a hurry
Saudi Arabia can, however, afford to wait until conditions are right for a deal with Israel, Maksad told CNN. Saudi-Israel normalization has become one of the main US policy objectives in the Middle East. Biden, who during his presidential campaign promised to turn Saudi Arabia into a “pariah” for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, put his differences with MBS aside over the past two years as Riyadh signaled its willingness to embrace Israel.
For the Biden administration, brokering a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be a major foreign policy victory ahead of this year’s presidential elections.
“Congressional delegations, composed of both Democrats and Republicans, now visit this kingdom frequently, and relations with the Biden administration have rebounded after a bumpy start,” Maksad said, adding that until Saudi Arabia sees the change it wants, it has the luxury of time.
Riyadh is however wary of striking a deal with the current Israeli cabinet, the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, and one seen in the Arab world as responsible for the carnage in Gaza.
Prince Khalid described the current Israeli attitude as one that is “extreme,” “absolutist” and uncompromising.
“The problem is not the occupied land, occupied by settlers. It is that the settlers have now occupied the Israeli government, and by that I mean the extremist settlers, the extremist settler mentality which is absolutist,” Prince Khalid told the BBC, adding that the main obstacle to finding a resolution to the conflict is now Israel. Already, there are some strains between Israel and the UAE, the main Arab party to the Abraham Accords. The Gulf state, which held the rotating United Nations Security Council presidency twice over the past two years, introduced a draft resolution that was critical of Israel in December. A significantly watered-down version eventually passed.
Abu Dhabi is pressing for an end to the war and a return to the two-state solution as a pathway for peace. The war in Gaza is “a turning point moment” for the UAE, Lana Nusseibeh, its ambassador to the UN told The Wall Street Journal last month. Without a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the UAE will not be “as fully invested in the rebuild” of Gaza, she said. “That’s not the trajectory we signed the Abraham Accords on,” she said.
Abu Dhabi has, however, indicated that it doesn’t want the war to jeopardize relations with Israel.
Anwar Gargash, the UAE president’s diplomatic adviser, told a conference in Dubai this month that in recognizing Israel, “the UAE has taken a strategic decision, and strategic decisions are long-term.”
“There is no doubt that any strategic decision will face multiple obstacles, and we’re facing a major obstacle that must be dealt with,” Gargash said, according to Saudi-owned Al Arabiya.
Shihabi, the Saudi analyst, said that his country’s government “is not interested in cosmetics,” adding that a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel is “the only card the US or anybody else has with Israel to encourage them to make concessions.”“The kingdom is aware of that and wants to try and push for a final settlement of this conflict.”

The Biden administration’s naive approach to the Houthis
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/January 15, 2024
The Red Sea has been under scrutiny for months now, ever since the Houthi militia started threatening maritime navigation in this critical waterway. The continuous targeting of Israeli vessels or those heading to Israel caused much panic, leading many vessel operators to shun the waterway and decide to opt for the more time-consuming and costly option of navigating around the Cape of Good Hope.
Given this development and the disruptions to global supplies, it was inevitable that there would be a reaction from the West, particularly by the major powers, given the strategic nature of the waterway and the growing panic in global markets. The recent US-UK strikes have added more fuel to the existing fire and there is now much debate on what turn the Red Sea crisis will take and whether the strikes will be successful in decapitating the Houthis’ military capabilities. In addition, debates are rife on wider related issues such as the impact of the Houthi escalation on the Gaza conflict, the Yemen talks and the Saudi Arabia-Iran rapprochement deal.
Before delving into the crux of the issue, it is important to mention that, in the Western media, there has been something of a mischaracterization or misinterpretation of the motivations behind the Houthis’ targeting of maritime traffic in the Red Sea. They have been characterized as primarily driven by the Israeli aggression in Gaza and the Western failure to force a ceasefire. The Houthis are presented as championing an Arab and Islamic cause and taking direct action. However, anyone from the region who understands the Houthis will realize that regional calculations are far from the real motivations behind their actions.
There are regional concerns about the Iranians changing their calculations and throwing more weight behind the Houthis
The Houthis have been having a torrid time domestically, with the Yemeni populace under its rule angered by the continuous deteriorating socioeconomic conditions and the failure of the Houthis to introduce good governance practices. Given this reality, along with a desire to project itself as a legitimate political actor and to carve out more leverage in the Yemen peace talks, the Houthis found it apt to spring into motion the Red Sea crisis and to justify it based on the Gaza crisis. It can be said that the Gaza crisis, despite its horrendous and bloody nature, happened at a good time for the Houthis, as they were able to ride on the back of it to justify their actions in the Red Sea.
Having discussed the true Houthi motivations, it is now necessary to look at the impact of their actions on the various issues mentioned previously.
The Houthi belligerency in the Red Sea is unlikely to force the Netanyahu government to change course in the Gaza conflict. We have seen Israel continue unabated in its aggression and violation of sanctities since the Houthis started their attacks and violations in the Red Sea, with no wavering or hesitation.
The Biden administration has drawn a line between the Gaza crisis and the Red Sea escalation, with its intent on keeping the two files separate. Some argue this is virtually impossible given that the Houthis have amplified the Gaza crisis in their narrative and discourse. However, the Biden administration, by separating the two files, aims to dampen regional and global concerns of the Gaza crisis spreading.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to the Middle East reflected this US approach, which has raised the ire of some regional countries, as they believe that the White House is burying its head in the sand and adopting a naive approach. They say that settling the Gaza crisis would no doubt help in isolating the Houthis immediately, as their narrative and discourse would fall flat and their true motivations and intentions would be exposed.
There is regional concern that the Biden administration is following the same course as other US administrations in not considering regional voices and pursuing a not well-thought-out approach, while overlooking the reconciliation processes contributing to stability and security in the region.
Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of initiating and leading reconciliation processes like the one with Iran, with some successes, such as the exchange of ambassadors and opening of consulates despite Riyadh’s concerns and demand that the Iranians do more to overcome trust deficit issues. The Kingdom does not want to see its efforts wasted and the region left to pick up the pieces after the recent US-UK military operations in Yemen. There are regional concerns about the Iranians changing their calculations and throwing more weight behind the Houthis, especially if the strikes continue and the Iranians sense a real decapitation of Houthi military capabilities that would set back Tehran’s forward defense strategy in Yemen.
To date, the Iranians have criticized the US-UK strikes, presenting them as a continuation of colonial aggression and violation of Yemeni sovereignty, while the Kingdom has urged all parties to show restraint at a tense time. The Biden administration needs to understand that it has fallen for the Houthi bait and the US-UK strikes, in fact, strengthen their arm and leverage at the domestic and regional levels.
One would have expected more shrewdness from the Biden administration, but it seems like it is completely out of touch with the reality and is shut off from regional voices, especially those of the Gulf states, which have been dealing with Yemen and the Houthis for many years.
At the moment, there is no likelihood that the Yemen peace and Saudi-Iran talks are likely to be derailed, but if the US-UK strikes continue, there is no doubt that more regional and global concerns will grow over their rupture. Given this possibility, there is a need for the West to get on with the main business of ending the Gaza crisis through exerting real pressure on the Israelis, while leaving regional actors to help Yemen in not only in dealing with the Houthis but also in settling the Red Sea crisis.
The West needs to get on with the main business of ending the Gaza crisis through exerting real pressure on Israel
In addition to the lack of US-UK strategy toward the Houthis, the Biden administration has adopted a somewhat soft approach toward Iran and has been unwilling to engage in any form of confrontation with Tehran. Hence, any actions against the Houthis are somewhat meaningless unless Iran is addressed, given its firm support for the Yemeni militia.
What is more puzzling when looking at the US approach is that, according to Sky News Arabia, the US informed the Houthis of the airstrikes in advance, allowing them time to shift munitions, equipment and technology. There could be different interpretations of this US move, but what is clear is that Washington lacks a strategy regarding the Houthis and its present approach is unlikely to impact or deter the group from destabilizing the Red Sea.
*Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is the founder and president of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). X: @mohalsulami
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

Warmongering by Iran and its proxies distracts from Gaza carnage
Baria Alamuddin/Arab News/January 15, 2024
Amid the fog of the Gaza conflict, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency warn that Iran has increased threefold its enrichment of uranium to near bomb grade.
France’s UN ambassador and US intelligence officials warn that Tehran is “a couple of weeks or so” from the final stage of enrichment of sufficient uranium for three nuclear weapons. This is a stark turnaround from a few months ago, when the US complacently believed it had reached a deal with Iran to curtail enrichment.
Tehran is meanwhile using its regional proxies to exacerbate conflict. My book published two years ago about Iran-backed transnational factions — “Militia State” — warned of the risks of allowing paramilitary entities to become established at major global economic chokepoints such as Bab Al-Mandab, the Strait of Hormuz, the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf headwaters. As a result of Houthi attacks on shipping, Red Sea trade is down by around a third, seriously disrupting the global economy, with Arab states among the most affected.
Although British Foreign Secretary David Cameron argued that not acting would be accepting that such attacks could “virtually shut a vital sea lane with relative impunity,” the US and UK airstrikes strikes left at least 75 percent of the Houthis’ missile-firing capabilities intact, with Western intelligence struggling to identify further viable targets. In any case, Tehran has always been quick to resupply its proxies — in full view of US spy satellites — and the Houthis are battle hardened by decades of conflict.
The Biden administration’s delisting of the Houthis as a terrorist group is evidence of the chronic absence of strategic thinking that has plagued successive US administrations for decades. Largely symbolic retaliation by the West plays into the Houthis’ hands by raising their regional profile. A multinational coalition has been put together to protect shipping and counter the Houthi threat. The only Arab participant with observer status is Bahrain, which has long hosted the US Fifth Fleet.
Last week the spokesman for the Kataib Hezbollah faction in Iraq, Jafar Al-Husseini, threatened US bases throughout the Gulf region with attack, and Hashd Al-Shaabi militants have already staged dozens of attacks against US positions in Iraq and Syria, with escalating patterns of US retaliation. “We’re not interested in a conflict of any kind,” White House spokesman John Kirby said. But the US and its allies are alreadyembroiled in a Middle East conflict whether they like it or not. Israeli and American airstrikes in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon have killed dozens of Quds Force, Hezbollah and paramilitary personnel, including leadership figures.
Such self-aggrandizing theatrics by the Houthis, Daesh, Iran, and the Hashd only distract attention from the carnage in Gaza.
The fundamental reason these vast Iran-backed paramilitary armies exist is to counter the presence of the US, and of Tehran’s other regional enemies — irrespective of how Arab nations become caught in the crossfire. If Hashd militias were to achieve their goal of forcing US troops out of Iraq it would offer expansionary opportunities for Daesh, which is already ruthlessly exploiting the Gaza bloodshed to recruit and reassert its global relevance.
Last week Daesh issued a grizzly video depicting its fighters in northern Cameroon slaughtering Christians. A Daesh commander stood over the corpses, inciting further such atrocities against “Jews and Christians” in order to “avenge the Muslims of Gaza.” This was just one of over 100 claimed worldwide attacks by the group, as part of what it alleges to be a campaign of “solidarity” with Gaza.
Such self-aggrandizing theatrics by the Houthis, Daesh, Iran, and the Hashd only distract attention from the carnage in Gaza. For the first time in months, news bulletins are focused on Yemen and regional geopolitics,and not the appalling suffering of Gaza citizens. What more could Israel possibly ask for?
Iran’s latest rush to acquire military nuclear capabilities is a further reminder of how much worse this conflict could get. Would America dare to threaten Tehran and its proxies if nuclear retaliation were a credible scenario? Israel also possesses nuclear capabilities, so if either side were backed into a corner, there are those who would countenance deploying such fearsome weapons. Indeed, in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, Israel’s justice minister horrifically proposed dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza as a solution to the conflict.
More than 100 days into the war, the case for genocide made by South Africa at the International Court of Justice was detailed and convincing: the mass killing of over 23,000 Palestinians, with about 8,000 others buried under rubble, by Israel’s indiscriminate dropping of massive 2,000-pound bombs; about 10,000 children killed, over 60,000 injured and maimed; an entire population forcibly displaced, whole cities and refugee camps destroyed, and all Gaza’s hospitals put out of action. South Africa’s case also highlights the huge psychological impact and unimaginable trauma, with innumerable wounded children having no surviving family members to provide care and support, not to mention the impact of malnutrition and disease. This war has harmed the innocent, infinitely more than any losses incurred by Hamas.
Whatever the ultimate legal ruling, the fact that Israel has been brought to this court based on solid legal arguments for genocide damages Israel’s international reputation immeasurably and permanently — and this a country that was hitherto perceived as diplomatically untouchable.
Both the US and Iran claim they want an end to the bloodshed in Gaza and to prevent regionalization of the war, but many of their actions are pushing dangerously in the opposite direction. America with its huge influence over Israel wields the ultimate trump cards: Israel must be stopped in its tracks. If Tehran wishes to avoid the fires of this conflict arriving at its own door, it should urgently do its utmost to rein in its warmongering proxies. Instead of advancing its nuclear activities, it should be a foremost advocate for a region entirely empty of nuclear weapons — including Israel.
More hatred, more violence and more corpses benefit nobody, least of all Israel which is only further perpetuating this decades-old conflict. This is why many are looking to the International Court of Justice for a legal mandate demanding a halt to hostilities, at the very least. The killing must end, and quickly, before the mutual provocations of Israel and Iran’s proxies succeed in triggering something immeasurably worse.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

Many Western leaders increasingly out of step with their people
Chris Doyle/Arab News/January 15, 2024
More than 100 days since the Oct. 7 attacks and Israel has given no sign of letting up in its ruthless bombardment of Gaza. It is hard to encapsulate the horror Palestinians are enduring, but we have reached a situation where, in Gaza, there are four times more people starving, some 500,000, than in the rest of the world put together. Israel has been killing an average of 250 Palestinians a day — a higher daily death rate than any other 21st-century armed conflict.
It has reached the stage where a credible and powerful legal argument has been presented at the International Court of Justice that Israel is perpetrating genocide against Palestinians. One would normally assume that the world, both governments and publics alike, would be fully outraged and appalled at such atrocities, but that is not the case.
Governments have largely determined their positions. The overwhelming majority of states support an immediate ceasefire. The US and other backers of Israel, which do not, are looking truly isolated.
But where does global public opinion stand on this? Are the political classes in line with their publics on the issue?
The overwhelming majority of states support an immediate ceasefire. The backers of Israel are looking truly isolated
Prior to Oct. 7, Israel would attract most support in the US. In a May 2023 poll, 29 percent of Americans sympathized more with Israel than the Palestinians, with the figure being 17 percent in Germany. It was only 10 percent in the UK. Among the major European states, Spain was the most supportive of Palestinians at 31 percent, compared to just 15 percent in the US.
Now, on the issue of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, it appears that a massive majority is in favor, even in states where the government strongly backs Israel.
US public opinion is obviously crucial. A mid-November poll determined that 68 percent of Americans thought Israel should call a ceasefire. What was interesting was the party split. Three-quarters of Democrats supported a ceasefire, as opposed to half of Republicans, echoing a trend of more Democrats being favorable to the Palestinians.
In the UK, an opinion poll carried out toward the end of December showed that 71 percent of the population supported an immediate ceasefire, following a similar figure in another poll in October. Conversely, only 12 percent thought there should not be a ceasefire. In a November poll, 81 percent of Canadians supported an immediate ceasefire, but the poll also found a significant amount of sympathy for Israel.
One should expect fairly high numbers supporting a ceasefire in most wars. Many people would want to see an end to the carnage. The real question is why their governments do not agree. Why are they not aligned with the popular mood?
What about the overall trend in support of Israel? Do American and European publics think that Israel has acted legitimately? In the US in mid-October, 41 percent agreed “the US should support Israel,” but this dropped to about 32 percent a month later. The latter poll showed that 39 percent supported the US acting as a neutral mediator.
The level of US support for Israel was found to be higher than during Israel’s last major ground invasion of Gaza in 2014. The slight decline in support for Israel as the conflict has continued is mirrored in other countries, such as Australia.
One trend that has been evident for a while is greater support for Palestinians among the youth in Europe and the US. Older generations, perhaps more influenced by memories of the Second World War, tend to be more favorable to Israeli positions. Among the young, the issue of Palestine has often become a cause celebre. University campuses in Europe and the US have, for some time, been bastions of support for the pro-Palestinian rights movement. It is where Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaigns against Israel are at their strongest.
Might this mean that Israel will have a greater public relations problem in years to come? Possibly. It would explain why the Israeli state and supportive organizations put so much effort into public relations and propaganda. Israeli leaders know that this matters.
What about public opinion in the Middle East? Many Western armchair pundits have, for many years, been arguing that the “Arab Street” — a dreadful expression — was no longer concerned about Palestinian rights. This was always wishful thinking rather than being based on reality.
An opinion poll that this month surveyed 8,000 people in 16 Arab countries found an incredible 97 percent saying they had suffered from psychological stress as a result of the war on Gaza. Some 84 percent termed it a time of great psychological stress. No doubt many of those watching may have themselves suffered in the recent conflicts that have blighted countries like Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, Libya and Lebanon. The apocalyptic scenes in Gaza will be a painful reminder of other conflicts. Genocidal statements from Israel leaders are hardly calming. But it also shows that Arabs are generally terrified about where this will all end. Will there even be a future for Palestinians in Gaza? The conflict has already spread to the Red Sea and tensions and strikes between Israel and Hezbollah have increased.
It may not be a huge surprise that 92 percent of Arabs are in solidarity with Palestinians or that 94 percent perceive the US negatively in light of its massive support for Israel. Will this affect the Biden administration’s thinking? It should do. Many European states also have to consider the chasm between their position and those of nations in the Global South.
One trend that has been evident for a while is greater support for Palestinians among the youth in Europe and the US
Arab governments have called for a ceasefire and back the South African case at the International Court of Justice. Clearly, there is a strong awareness of the public mood in their states. It is a particularly potent issue in neighboring states, not least those with large Palestinian refugee populations, such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The leaders in many Western states are increasingly out of alignment with their citizens. Will this make a difference? Some in the US, including Arab Americans, claim they can no longer vote for Biden. In the UK, many British Muslims and others will not vote for either the Conservatives or the Labour Party. Many election strategists in both countries envisioned the Gaza crisis lasting far less than 100 days and assumed that the public would soon get distracted and forget about the horrors of Gaza. That is far less likely to be the case now.
Public opinion may not always be right. Indeed, in the US and Europe, ignorance about the Middle East in general remains at dangerous levels. But the political classes are no better informed and should give far more consideration to why they are out of line with their own publics and most of global opinion.
*Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London. X: @Doylech