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Increasing Escalation Between Houthis and Israel
The region is witnessing ongoing escalation between the Houthi movement and Israel, as the Houthis announced today, Tuesday, their responsibility for carrying out two missile attacks on Israel during the night. They also reported directing cruise missiles and drones toward the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman.
The Houthi statement clarified that they carried out two qualitative military operations, targeting areas in Jaffa and southern Jerusalem with two missiles, one of which targeted Ben Gurion Airport using a Palestinian-2 ballistic missile. The statement noted that "the joint operation was carried out with a large number of drones and missiles while U.S. forces were preparing to launch an air assault on Yemen."
Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli army announced that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen before it entered its airspace. The "Magen David Adom" ambulance service reported no injuries as of now. It is worth mentioning that Israel intercepted a similar missile last Saturday.
In a related context, correspondents for "Al Arabiya" and "Al Hadath" reported that the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles toward central Israel, triggering air raid sirens in several areas. Fragments of missiles were reported to have fallen in "Haroesh" and Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem.
At the same time, U.S. and British aircraft carried out airstrikes on Houthi positions in Al Hudaydah, targeting the sites from which the missiles were launched in the Al-Tuhayta district. The planes continued to fly and directed additional strikes on areas from which the Houthis launched missiles toward the sea.
For its part, Russia criticized the air strikes conducted by Israel and the international coalition in Yemen. Moscow's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, noted that U.S.-led military operations increase escalation and result in civilian casualties.
The U.S. National Security Advisor called on the Houthis to stop their "destabilizing" practices in the region as tensions continue with Israel. In response, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, warned the Houthis against endangering Israel's security, emphasizing that they should remember what happened to Hamas and Hezbollah.
On another front, the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Middle East Affairs, Khaled Kheyari, condemned the ongoing escalation between the conflicting parties in Israel, Yemen, and the Red Sea, considering it a threat to stability.
This escalation follows Israeli airstrikes on Houthi sites in Yemen, which has been under Houthi control since 2014 after they seized Sana'a and toppled the government. The frequency of Houthi attacks has increased since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah last November.
