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Israel launched their first-ever bombing on Yemen yesterday, retaliating for months of shipping disruptions and attacks that have been happening in the Gulf of Aqaba recently due to the Houthis.
The Houthi group, which backs Palestine in Israel's war on Hamas, has been controlling most of Yemen since their coup d'état on the country's government in 2015. They also control Yemen's capital of Sana'a and multiple port cities along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
This has allowed them to attack numerous shipping routes as they pass through the area en route to Israel or the Suez Canal, and vice versa. Large shipping companies like MSC, Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd are all avoiding the entire region due to fears that their ships could be bombarded by Houthi missiles, denting the Middle East's shipping economy. The number of ships passing through the Suez Canal has dropped by as much as 50% since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War, and the shipping economies of Israel, Egypt, and Jordan have also taken a hit.
The United States, United Kingdom, and other countries have retaliated against the Houthis in the past for their strikes, hitting several targets within Yemen, but this is Israel's first attack on the group. It seems that a recent drone attack on Israel's major city of Tel Aviv, which killed one 50-year-old and injured around 10 others, was the tipping point, motivating the country to finally retaliate for the numerous Houthi attacks that have dented their economy and created a nuisance to shipping companies all over the world. It also comes after a confirmed missile strike recently that was launched from Yemen and heading into Israeli territory, but it was taken down by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) before it exploded.
3 people were killed and around 80 others were injured in the attack, most of which had extremely severe burns, and it struck various different targets throughout the port city of Hodeidah. It is one of Israel's longest-range attacks ever, as some of the targets were located over 1,000 miles away-- fighter jets were used to carry the bombs to Yemen and drop them in Hodeidah. Israeli sources stated that they were all military targets, while others confirmed that they had also struck some mixed-use military and civilian targets. However, they did strike a power station and multiple fossil fuel-related depots, which could be an issue for the area in the future. Numerous crucial resources like medical care rely on the gas and oil that comes out of those depots to run, and power is important in a desert region that is experiencing relatively warm conditions right now.
The United States later confirmed that they had no part in any of the attack, as it was completely an Israeli retaliation for the attacks on Tel Aviv. Unfortunately, these bombings are not expected to become any more infrequent, as war in the area between Israel and Hamas continues and tensions between Israel and Iran-backed groups like the Houthis and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The quokka is one of the happiest animals in the world, as it is always smiling.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): When there’s doom and gloom, don’t forget there’s darkness before dawn. (Rakesh Jhunjhunwala)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Amiable (adj)- Someone or something described as amiable is friendly and agreeable.
In a Sentence: Both children have amiable dispositions, which makes them easy to travel with.
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