Israel-Gaza War (and Iranian Distractions)

[Syne]

Hamas did claim responsibility for a mass shooting at an Israeli bus stop during one of the cease fires.

[Yazata]

Action in the Red Sea today, involving the USS Carney once again.

The Yemeni Houthis unleased a barrage of Iranian-made missiles and drones today at a number of commercial cargo vessels transiting the mouth of the Red Sea at the Strait of Bab al Mandab. One bulk carrier, the Bahamian-registered and British owned Unity Explorer en-route to Singapore was struck by two missiles or drones and is reportedly "severely damaged". A second ship was struck by a drone and is "moderately damaged". The American destroyer USS Carney was operating in the area and detected and shot down several missiles and drones. some of which were heading at the Carney itself.

Photo of the Unity Explorer from Marinetraffic.com (taken in what looks like Vancouver BC)

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Statement issued by the Houthis:

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Location where all this occurred:

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[Yazata]

War_Mapper's latest situation map for Gaza. The Israelis continue to expand their footprint in north Gaza. They are outside the Indonesian Hospital and have issued some evacuation warnings for areas where they apparently intend to go.

And they have issued a large evacuation warning in south Gaza as well, suggesting that they may be preparing to cut south Gaza in two, trapping Hamas in three pockets, the two northern ones pretty much surrounded by the Israelis. The Israelis aren't releasing much information while operations are underway, but there are very-unconfirmed reports that the Israeli army is already astride the central north-south road in south Gaza.

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[Yazata]

Official statement by the United States Central Command:

"Today, there were four attacks against three separate commercial vessels operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea. These three vessels are connected to 14 separate nations. The Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer USS CARNEY responded to the distress calls from the ships and provided assistance.

At approximately 9:15 a.m. Sanaa time, the CARNEY detected an anti-ship ballistic missile attack fired from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen toward the M/V UNITY EXPLORER, impacting in the vicinity of the vessel. UNITY EXPLORER is a Bahamas flagged, U.K. owned and operated, bulk cargo ship crewed by sailors from two nations. The CARNEY was conducting a patrol in the Red Sea and detected the attack on the UNITY EXPLORER.

At approximately 12 p.m., and while in international waters, CARNEY engaged and shot down a UAV launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. The drone was headed toward CARNEY although its specific target is not clear. We cannot assess at this time whether the Carney was a target of the UAVs. There was no damage to the U.S. vessel or injuries to personnel.

In a separate attack at approximately 12:35 p.m., UNITY EXPLORER reported they were struck by a missile fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. CARNEY responded to the distress call. While assisting with the damage assessment, CARNEY detected another inbound UAV, destroying the drone with no damage or injuries on the CARNEY or UNITY EXPLORER. UNITY EXPLORER reports minor damage from the missile strike.

At approximately 3:30 p.m. the M/V NUMBER 9 was struck by a missile fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen while operating international shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The Panamanian flagged, Bermuda and U.K. owned and operated, bulk carrier reported damage and no casualties.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., the M/V SOPHIE II, sent a distress call stating they were struck by a missile. CARNEY again responded to the distress call and reported no significant damage. While en route to render support, CARNEY shot down a UAV headed in its direction. SOPHIE II is a Panamanian flagged bulk carrier, crewed by sailors from eight countries.

These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners."

https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1731424734829773090

It's good to hear that Unity Explorer wasn't as badly damaged as initially reported. Those reports called it "severe damage" while Centcom calls it "minor damage".

[Zinjanthropos]

I like how Yemen is an anagram for enemy.

Is Yemen trying to draw USA into the war? Sounds like they have plenty of ammo.

[Yazata]

I like how Yemen is an anagram for enemy.

It's true! (In more ways than one.) Damn, I never noticed that.

Is Yemen trying to draw USA into the war? Sounds like they have plenty of ammo.

I think that they know that the only big scale geopolitical asset that they have is their location at the mouth of the Red Sea. By interfering with shipping through there, they piss off everyone at once and they believe that enables them to exert pressure. Egypt, because Cairo depends on revenues from the Suez canal. Europe, because the Suez canal is their favorite route to the Far East. The Gulf Arabs, everyone. So they will be as annoying as they can possibly can be, until Israel ceases to exist.

Saudi Arabia has already been fighting a war against the Houthis for years, with very little success. They are good light infantry fighters and a tough nut to crack. I'm not sure that US or Israeli air strikes would do much to stop them. The Saudis have already tried that. Part of the Houthis ability to withstand airstrikes might be how primitive they are. They don't have elaborate arms industries or military facilities in Yemen, they get everything from Iran which does. So jets can blast their medieval style rat's-nest cities, but which buildings have rockets or drones in them?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthi%E2%...n_conflict

Yemen is currently a failed state undergoing a three-way civil war. It used to be more or less unified and peaceful, under the harsh control of a US-allied dictator. He was a hugely corrupt thug-dictator, but he was our dictator. The US and the Saudis paid him billions to keep him sweet. (And to keep the Houthis brutally suppressed.) Then in the early 2010's opposition arose with the Arab Spring. Obama and Hillary suddenly dumped our dictator and helped oust him. Problem was that what replaced him in the most populous parts of Yemen were the Iranian-allied Shi'ite Houthis (green on the map below). The remains of the (formerly) US friendly government (now allied with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) proceeded to split into two contending factions (yellow and red in the map below) who spend most of their time fighting each other and not the Houthis. Lots of weird local rivalries and historical grudges at play. (Yemen has always been perhaps the most backward and medieval part of the Arab world. Cool exotic architecture, medieval traditions, costume and camel caravans, but dark-ages cultural sensibilities. It's the kind of place where everyone carries sharp daggers under their robes.)

Just more of the disastrous wake of Hillary and Obama's idiotically idealistic Arab Spring policy of subverting everyone in the Arab world they perceived as a dictator. (Yemen, Syria, Libya...) leaving a trail of failed states and bloody civil wars in their wake. Hundreds of thousands of dead. Egypt came close to that fate, before its military reimposed its dictatorship and overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood whose rise the US had facilitated. (Tunisia is the only very partial success of the Arab Spring.) If it taught local leaders anything, it's that the United States isn't a trustworthy ally. Washington might turn on you in a moment, no matter how helpful to US objectives you've been in the past.

Since their rise to power in the areas they control, the Houthis practice has been to constantly attack everyone in all directions. Iran enables them to get away with doing that by arming them to the teeth, even giving them long range missiles that they use to strike deep into Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and now at Israel. So their attacks on Red Sea shipping is just part of their established pattern and it isn't likely to change until Iran tells them to stop.

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[Yazata]

Initial reports coming in of the sound of aircraft overhead and explosions in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

Edit Subsequent reports say that all is quiet now in Sanaa. About an hour ago four explosions were heard. The reports of aircraft sounds in the air are more questionable. So it's not clear what happened.

[Yazata]

Pentagon spokesman Jake Sullivan says that the US is talking with other countries about setting up a multinational naval taskforce to escort merchant ships through the southern Red Sea past the Houthi-run parts of Yemen.

Sounds like a good response to me.

[Syne]

US officials are saying that Hamas has likely quit releasing hostages because they don't want to release women, who would tell the monstrous treatment they received, considering Hamas raped, mutilated, and tortured women they ended up killing in the 10/7 attack. There's no reason to expect those hostages were not repeatedly raped while held.

But would even that convince the leftist/antisemitic/mainstream media, politicians, and activists that Hamas is pure evil? Or would the oppressor/oppressed narrative still stand firm?

[Yazata]

Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkleman, the commanding general of Israel's southern command, has announced that Israeli forces have entered "the heart" of Khan Yunis, the largest urban center in southern Gaza. The Israelis are advising civilians who want to evacuate from further north in the Gaza Strip to use the coast road along the Mediterranean beach.

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