Gaza Fire Spreads From Lebanon To Yemen

Escalation continues in Yemen and Lebanon on the backdrop of the United States-backed Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 31,000 Palestinians.

In Yemen, the Iranian-backed Houthis (Ansar Allah) continue to attack Israel affiliated-ships and others linked to the U.S. and the United Kingdom in response to the war and siege on Gaza.

On March 9, the Houthis attacked the American-owned cargo ship Propel Fortune in the Gulf of Aden with anti-ship missiles and launched 37 suicide drones at U.S. Navy warships in the gulf and the Red Sea.

Propel Fortune was not reportedly hit, and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported the interception of 28 Houthi drones by its forces and its allies.

On 11 March, the U.S. and UK conducted 17 strikes against port cities and towns under Houthi control in eastern Yemen. Among the targets struck were al-Hodeidah city and the port of Ras Issa. A spokesperson for the internationally recognized Yemeni government said the strikes killed 11 people and injured 14 others.

Despite causing casualties, the strikes failed to deter the Houthis, who announced on March 12 an attack with anti-ship missiles on another U.S.-owned cargo ship, the Pinocchio, in the Red Sea.

On the same day, CENTCOM said that a close-range ballistic missile was fired by the Houthis from Yemen at USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, in the Red Sea. The vessel was not hit, however.

More escalation was also reported in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has been launching attacks against Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

Following a series of deadly Israeli strikes on its heartland southern Lebanon, Hezbollah fired on March 12 more than a hundred “Katyusha” rockets at the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting the headquarters of the Air and Missile Defense Command in Keila Barracks, the missile and artillery base in Yoav and several artillery sites.

The Israeli military responded on the same day by launching airstrikes on the town of al-Nabi Shayth in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, resulting in four injuries and the death of one Hezbollah fighter. This was the first time Israel has targeted this part of Lebanon since the outbreak of the border clashes.

The escalation in Yemen and Lebanon came as Israel prepares to further expand its operations in Gaza by launching an offensive in the southernmost area of Rafah, where more one million Palestnains are reportedly taking shelter.

Instead of pressuring Israel to accept a permanent ceasefire, the U.S. is now preparing to support the Israeli war efforts by penetrating the Strip under a suspicious plan to deliver aid via the sea without coordinating with local authorities, represented by the Hamas Movement. This will lead to more escalation.

Mirrored - South Front