Houthi militia threatens escalation – the night update Namibia’s President Hage Geingob is dead

Against the backdrop of the Gaza war, the US is increasing pressure against pro-Iranian militias in the Middle East. Together with Britain’s armed forces, the US air force again attacked Houthi positions in Yemen on Sunday evening. With the support of other countries, 36 targets in 13 locations were attacked, the US Defense Department said in Washington. The day before, the Americans had carried out extensive airstrikes against militias in Iraq and Syria that, like the Houthis, are allies of Iran, and had recently killed three American soldiers in a drone strike in Jordan. At Russia’s instigation, the World Security Council will discuss the retaliatory strikes on Monday. Moscow accuses Washington of deliberately trying to escalate the conflict in the Middle East.

Houthi: Will respond to escalation with escalation

The militias act in solidarity with the Islamist Hamas, which is fighting the army of American ally Israel in the Gaza Strip. Since the start of the Gaza war almost four months ago, the Houthis in Yemen have repeatedly attacked merchant ships with alleged Israeli connections in the Red Sea. The stated goal of the United States and its allies is to weaken the Houthis’ military capabilities and thus protect the shipping lane important to global trade. The new strike is not an escalation, British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said. Instead, innocent lives must be protected and freedom of navigation must be preserved.

However, the Houthis want to continue their attacks in the Red Sea. The bombings “will not change our position,” said Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the political bureau of the militant Houthi movement. “We will respond to escalation with escalation.” Meanwhile, US forces fired again at a Houthi anti-ship missile on Sunday morning. The American Central Command announced this on Platform

The pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is increasing

Meanwhile, thousands of people demonstrated in Israel to increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to do more to release hostages in the Gaza Strip. The more than 130 hostages have now been held by Hamas for 120 days. Netanyahu has been accused of prioritizing efforts to free the hostages for his own political survival. Netanyahu governs together with ultra-right religious parties. The leaders threaten to break up the governing coalition if Netanyahu makes concessions to Hamas.

Hamas plans to comment on a possible ceasefire soon

A proposal recently negotiated in Paris by mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar, which provides for the gradual release of the hostages in exchange for a longer ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners, could be rejected by Israeli negotiators have been accepted. The draft framework is now available for adoption by Hamas. The draft is currently being discussed and will announce its own position on it “soon,” Osama Hamdan, a representative of the exiled Hamas political leadership in Beirut, told the German news agency on Sunday evening. Without a ceasefire, there will be no release of hostages, Hamdan added.

What will be important on Sunday?

The rapid succession of military operations by the US and its partners against pro-Iranian militias is keeping the world in suspense. Meanwhile, the US and other mediating states continue to wait for a statement from the Islamist Hamas on the latest proposal for a new ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné is in Jordan as part of his trip to the Middle East. (sda/dpa)