US, Israel running out of options
By Syed Ali Hassan
Iran Daily’s correspondent in Pakistan
It has been over two months since the commencement of Israeli aggression on Gaza following Hamas’s surprise attack on southern Israel. Continuous Israeli bombings and ground offensives have turned Gaza into ruins, resulting in the martyrdom of nearly 22,000 Palestinians, over a third of whom are children. The Israeli war on Gaza can now be considered one of the world’s worst genocides, which is surprising, to say the least, since Jews have been victims of genocide themselves.
The declared objective of the Israeli offensive was not merely to end Hamas’s control over Gaza, but to wipe it off the map completely. However, two months later, Hamas is very much alive, and its popularity has risen among Arab youths. Since day one, defense analysts questioned Israel’s self-proclaimed goal of eliminating Hamas.
To make the matters more complicated, Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarullah) has since responded to Israeli atrocities in Gaza, showcasing Muslim and human solidarity. Despite being a resistance group with limited military power, Ansarullah’s actions have drawn the ire of the United States and its ally Israel.
The US is rallying its European allies to address Yemen’s military attacks and simultaneously exerting intense pressure on the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to use force against Yemen. However, any steps taken by these two countries against Yemen could lead to internal turmoil, as it would be contrary to the aspirations of the Islamic Ummah. American diplomats stationed in Arab countries have conveyed to Washington that Arab youths are extremely agitated over the Palestinian massacre caused by Israeli bombings in Gaza. Arab governments, refraining from vilifying Hamas as they did in the early days of the war, are now faced with the challenge of navigating their ties. Saudi Arabia’s desire to normalize ties with Israel has been undermined by Hamas in particular.
Israel has yet to achieve its goal of eliminating Hamas, and its economic losses are irreparable. The United States, hesitant to intervene in the Red Sea single-handedly, has formed a maritime task force with its allied countries. Yet, Yemen has issued a warning to countries involved in the formation of the US-led maritime task force, urging them to refrain from using force in the Red Sea. Yemen explicitly stated that it would only block the passage of commercial ships bound for Israel, while keeping the commercial sea route open for other nations.
The Defense Minister of the Houthi government Major General Mohammad al-Atifi declared on Monday that they possess an abundance of weapons capable of sinking enemy warships, submarines, and aircraft carriers. It is expected that Turkey will take practical steps taken against Israel as well, since it can disrupt gas flow through the oil pipeline that connects Azerbaijan to Israel, making Tel Aviv vulnerable to a crisis.
As Israel’s options dwindle and the bloodshed in Palestine ignites global outrage, the US faces not only the anger of Arabs and Muslims but also discontent from the people of Europe and America.