US B-2 bombers strike Yemen’s Houthi rebel weapons depot and Israel kills top Hamas leader as multiple conflicts involving Iranian-backed militant groups escalate on Thursday claimed to have done so.
The attack on Houthi weapons appears to be the first use of strategic stealth bombers against the militia. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the operation late Wednesday night was ordered by President Joe Biden to “further degrade” the Houthis’ ability to attack commercial and military ships in the Red Sea. The attack could also serve as a warning to Iran, as it and U.S. ally Israel are on the brink of all-out war.
Mr. Austin did not mention Iran by name. But he said the use of the B-2 bomber, the only fighter jet in the U.S. arsenal capable of carrying 30,000 pounds of so-called bunker-busting bombs, was “a unique example of the ability to target American facilities.” ” he said. No matter how deeply buried, hardened, and fortified our enemies are, the adoption of the US Air Force’s long-range stealth bombers ensures that we can take action against these targets whenever necessary. demonstrating the United States’ global offensive capabilities. , anywhere. “
A top US defense official said the “precision strikes” targeted five “hardened” underground weapons caches in Yemen’s Houthi-held areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties, the military said.
Also on Thursday, Israeli forces announced they had killed three Hamas militants, including Yahya Sinwar. Sinwar took control of the organization’s political bureau after Israel killed former leader Ismail Haniyeh in July.
“Last night, October 16, 2024, at the end of a hunt that lasted almost a year, Southern Army (Israeli) forces killed Yahya Sinwar,” the Israeli military said in a social media post. Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said Mr. Sinwar’s death opened the door for the hostages to be rescued quickly and for Gaza to be liberated from Hamas and Iranian control.
They support Palestinians in Gaza. But what do Yemen’s Houthi rebels really want?
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∎ The EU’s foreign policy chief criticized the US for giving Israel one month to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or risk losing military aid. Josep Borrell told reporters ahead of the European Union summit that a one-month delay would “cause too many deaths at the current pace”.
■ The German Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that a German warship operating as part of a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon shot down a drone off the coast. The announcement comes as cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel intensify, and amid growing concerns about the safety of United Nations forces stationed in the country.
“Our enemy cannot hide”
Shinwar, a US-designated terrorist, is believed to be the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on communities in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping more than 200 others. Sinwar reportedly surrounded himself with hostages to avoid being targeted. However, the military announced that no trace of the abductees’ presence was found in the area of the airstrike.
As word of Shinwar’s fate spread, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted, “Pursue the enemy and they will fall before you with the sword.” – Leviticus 26.
Gallant added: “Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them.”
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar: Terrorist may have died in Israeli military attack
Hostages’ families are encouraged
The Israeli Hostage Families Forum welcomed Mr. Sinwar’s likely death in the Gaza Strip and said he was responsible for the killing of thousands and abduction of hundreds. However, families of the hostages expressed “grave concern” that an estimated 101 men, women and children were still held captive by Hamas. The group used Sinwar’s death to call for an immediate agreement to secure the return of all hostages.
“We urge the Israeli government, world leaders and intermediary countries to reach an immediate agreement for the release of all 101 hostages – some alive for rehabilitation and others killed for proper burial. “We urge the United States to leverage its military achievements in diplomacy by pursuing the following:” the group said. in a social media post.
Palestinians deny using shelters for military purposes
Hamas leaders on Thursday denied using the Abu Hussein School in Jabalia for military purposes. The Israeli military said it targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants operating inside a school that had been used as a shelter for civilians displaced by the destruction of Gaza. Israel said the school contained dozens of weapons, ammunition, explosives and mortars. The military said a blackboard in one of the classrooms, used by militants, had an Arabic inscription praising the Hamas-led attack on Israel last October that sparked the war.
“Dozens of terrorists were eliminated through precision strikes by air force aircraft and in face-to-face combat, and many weapons and buildings that the enemy had reinforced for terrorist activities were destroyed,” the Israeli military said in a social media post. said.
The US takes a firm stance against the Houthis
In Yemen, the Houthis have sporadically attacked shipping in the Red Sea, a vital trade route, for years. But since the latest war between Israel and Hamas began last year, there has been a surge in attacks, mainly against civilian tankers and cargo ships. The Houthis said their attacks were in solidarity with Hamas, which also receives financial and arms support from Iran, and with the Palestinians more generally.
The increase in attacks has seen an increase in U.S.-led attacks on Houthi targets, including radars, airstrips, missile launch sites and logistics hubs. US forces also shot down Houthi attack drones and missiles aimed at Israel.
Still, Mohamed Al-Basha, an independent security analyst specializing in Yemen, said the U.S. B-2 bomber operation was a sign of “a shift in U.S. policy toward a firmer stance against the group’s destabilizing behavior.” “This shows a transformation,” he said.
Yemen’s civil war began 10 years ago
Yemeni experts say the Houthis are a political movement, an army and a religious group. They have been fighting Yemen’s civil war since 2014 against a fledgling government that receives military support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and indirectly through arms deliveries from the United States and Britain.
In addition to maritime incursions in the Red Sea and attacks on Israel, Al-Basha has also targeted the Houthis, including aid workers, UN staff, and international embassy staff, who have been subject to abductions and coerced confessions that have led to Houthi prosecutions inside Yemen. He said there had been an increase in reports of human rights violations. State Magistrate Court. Human rights groups say Houthi leaders are trying to imitate and introduce a strict theocratic system of Shiite Islam known as Zaidism, which increasingly restricts women’s freedoms.
Israel attacks hospital in Gaza Strip: US criticizes
Like Hezbollah, the Houthis pledge support to the Palestinians.
The latest Israeli-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip began a year ago this month with Hamas attacking communities on Israel’s southern border, but has expanded more broadly, with Israel attacking Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. It developed into a regional conflict. Infiltrate civilian areas to attack northern Israel with missiles.
Hezbollah, like Yemen’s Houthis, has said it will continue attacking Israel until a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip. The Lebanese Ministry of Health said more than 2,300 people have been killed in Lebanon since October last year, three-quarters of them in the last month. The fighting has forced the displacement of approximately 1.2 million people in Lebanon.
US soldiers arrive in Israel: What is their purpose? Contributed to stopping Iranian missile attacks
Fighting between Israel and Iranian-backed groups threatens to spill over into a major face-to-face confrontation between the longtime adversaries after Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this month. Iran claimed the attack was in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other commanders. Israel has vowed to counter this attack, but it is unclear when, how, and with what force it will respond.
Contributed by: Reuters
