The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has not yet subsided, and the situation in the Red Sea has become tense again. After Yemen's Houthis attacked a number of ships at sea on the pretext of "solidarity with Palestine", the US military clamored for an "escort alliance" under the banner of stabilizing the situation.
The Houthis launched a general mobilization
According to the global network, as the situation intensified, Huzam al-Assad, a member of the Yemeni Houthi Politburo, revealed that the armed group is undergoing a full mobilization, tens of thousands of young people have volunteered to join the training camp to learn Xi military skills, and after the training, they will go to Gaza to support Hamas, and some of the teams have graduated, and if the conditions are ripe, the Houthis will deploy soldiers to Gaza.
General mobilization of the Houthis
Asked why the Houthis are mobilizing on such a large scale, Assad explained that "to show support for the people of Gaza, who are suffering from the genocide of Israel, which is backed by the United States." At the same time, the Houthis also detained a ship owned by an Israeli tycoon in the waters of the Red Sea, on which the Houthi navy said, "The interception of the ship is an achievement, a symbol of our breaking the backbone of America's arrogant privilege." ”
Some analysts believe that the Houthis are about 1,000 miles away from Gaza, and if they choose land transportation, they will need to cross a large desert and go through a lot of hardships; if they choose sea transportation, they will inevitably be blocked by US warships, so the best way is to attack on the periphery to distract the Israeli army.
However, this will directly exacerbate the conflict between Israel and Hamas, further affecting the stability of the entire Middle East. What's more, Iran is behind the Houthis, which also means that Iran is likely to be more actively involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Against this backdrop, it is bound to provoke a strong reaction from the United States and its allies.
In less than 24 hours, the US side took action
As expected, in less than 24 hours, the U.S. military began to move. After the United States announced the formation of the "escort alliance," it can be said that very few countries have responded, especially the Middle East countries, which can be said to have not given face at all, and except for Bahrain, other countries have not said anything at all. Recently, a source revealed that under pressure from the United States, more than 20 countries have agreed to participate in the new alliance led by the United States.
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder
However, it's not that simple. While the campaign is supported by a growing number of countries, the latest Pentagon data raises new questions about the refusal of eight participating countries to disclose their identities, which undoubtedly complicates the operation. What is the reason why these countries choose to remain silent and prefer to keep a low profile?
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder explained that perhaps it was due to political considerations. Because they do not want to be involved in supporting Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, perhaps only by maintaining neutrality between Palestine and Israel can they avoid the intensification of tensions.
Against this backdrop, the US has not forgotten to bring in China. Recently, the U.S. side made a phone call to Beijing, hoping that China can play a constructive role in preventing international shipping from being attacked in the waters of the Red Sea, which will benefit both China and the United States. On the surface, the US wants China to take action, but in reality, it seems that the US is putting pressure on China.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the mainland responded positively
In this regard, mainland Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made it clear that China has always advocated safeguarding the security of international waterways and opposes attacks and harassment of civilian vessels. All parties, especially influential powers, should play a constructive and responsible role in maintaining the security of shipping lanes in the Red Sea waters.
Wang Wenbin's remark has two meanings: first, China opposes attacks on civilian ships, and second, it is not only China's responsibility to participate, but also influential powers should be involved.
Mainland Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin
On the one hand, if the United States really wants to protect the safety of all cargo ships at sea and prevent indiscriminate attacks, then it can make a formal application for overseas peacekeeping operations through the United Nations and let all member states voluntarily participate.
Yemen's Houthi rebels, on the other hand, have previously said that they only target ships that provide support to Israel, which is at best a regional conflict. Why does the United States need to involve a number of countries, including China? This is undoubtedly puzzling. In other words, if it had really attacked cargo ships indiscriminately, presumably Western countries would have fried the pot a long time ago, and they would not have waited until now. All indications show that the purpose of the United States in forming an "escort alliance" is not so simple.
It is worth noting that against this backdrop, Israel has suddenly relented. The head of Israel's National Security Council, Hanegbi, has publicly stated that Israel agrees to the Palestinian Authority to run Gaza after the war, but only if the current leadership of the Palestinian authorities carries out "fundamental reforms". And Hamas's attitude has also changed, "hoping that the war will end."