Situation at a glance: Air strikes in Yemen – rocket alarm in Israel

New air strikes in Yemen, rocket alarms in Israel, fighting in a hospital in northern Gaza – the terrible news from the Middle East continues. According to military information, Israel’s air defense intercepted another rocket fired from Yemen near its own border that night. Shortly before, military facilities of the pro-Iranian Houthi militia in Yemen had again been the target of air strikes. The TV station Al-Masirah, which is considered the militia’s mouthpiece, spoke of attacks by the USA and Great Britain. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) denounced the “systematic dismantling” of the health system in the Gaza Strip by Israel’s army.

The Israeli military shut down the Kamal Adwan Hospital during an operation. The UN organization complained that it was the last major health facility in the north of the coastal strip and spoke of a death sentence for tens of thousands of Palestinians. Israel’s army said it began operations in the hospital in the morning. The reason given was that terrorists from the Islamist Hamas were hiding in the clinic and misusing it for military purposes.

Israel’s army: acting in accordance with international law

Israel’s army emphasized that it was protecting civilians, patients and clinic employees. The people were evacuated before the operation in cooperation with local employees of the health authorities and international organizations. The army acts in accordance with international law. The information provided by both sides could not initially be independently verified. Israel’s military has already been deployed to clinics in Gaza on several occasions.

While the fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon has largely held for a month now, the chances of an imminent ceasefire in the Gaza war appear slim. If the negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of around 100 hostages in the Gaza Strip do not bear fruit by the time US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20th, the Gaza talks would probably be delayed by several months due to the change of government in the US postpone, the US news site “Axios” quoted US and Israeli officials involved. This could cost the lives of other Israeli hostages.

Trump had threatened the Islamist Hamas in Gaza: If the hostages were not released before he took office, “all hell would break loose” for those responsible for the atrocities in the Middle East. Trump left it open what exactly he meant by that. Some Israeli officials believe that if a deal with Hamas fails, Trump could support Israeli measures rejected by the previous U.S. administration of President Joe Biden, the news site reported. For example, restricting humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.

For months, the USA, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire. So far without success. After more than a week of intensive negotiations in Qatar, Israel recently recalled its negotiators for consultations. Hamas circles said they were prepared to hand over a list of hostages who could be released in an initial phase. However, they reject Israel’s demand to provide a complete list of all hostages still alive.

Some hostages are said to be held by other extremist groups in the Gaza Strip. A Hamas representative told an Arabic website that Hamas was having difficulty making contact with these groups, wrote Axios. A ceasefire would make this easier, it was said.

Concern about a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon

Meanwhile, there are concerns in Lebanon that the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah militia that came into force on November 27th could collapse. Both sides accuse each other of violating this. There were repeated deaths, especially on the Lebanese side. “We are sitting on a time bomb that we don’t know when it could explode again,” a Lebanese government representative told the German Press Agency. Some experts, however, do not see the ceasefire in danger. Israel is enforcing the agreement. This also includes disarming Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, the Houthi militia in Yemen, which, like Hezbollah, is supported by Iran, is determined to continue its attacks on Israel “until the aggression against Gaza ceases and the siege is lifted,” the militia said in a statement. Their attacks on ships linked to Israel and its allies are also part of their fight. During the night, warning sirens wailed again in dozens of Israeli cities, including in the Jerusalem area and the Dead Sea. The Israeli army said a rocket fired from Yemen was shot down just outside the country’s borders.

Houthi militia wants to continue shelling Israel

Just the day before, a missile from Yemen was intercepted, and according to information from the Times of Israel, a battery from the American THAAD missile defense system was also used. It was the first time that the system had been used since it was deployed in the country by Israel’s most important ally, the USA, in October. The system is one of the most modern missile defense systems in the world.

Before the nightly rocket alarm in Israel, Houthi military facilities in Yemen had again been the target of air strikes. While the militia spoke of attacks by the USA and Great Britain, there was initially no confirmation of this from Washington or London. Israeli military circles said that their own air force was not involved.

Israel’s military only attacked their infrastructure in Yemen on Thursday evening after repeated attacks by the Houthis. Sanaa International Airport was also hit. According to official information, at least six people were killed and more than 40 injured in the air strikes.