On Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution, sponsored by the United States and Japan, condemning and urging an immediate cessation of attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea region.
The resolution emphasized that these attacks disrupt global commerce and pose a threat to navigational rights and freedoms, as well as regional peace and security. The move underscores the international community’s concern about the impact of such actions on maritime activities and stability in the Red Sea area.
The resolution received a vote of 11-0 in favor, with four abstentions from Russia, China, Algeria, and Mozambique.
The approval came a day after U.S. and British warships in the Red Sea reported repelling the largest attack yet from the Houthi rebels. The rebels, backed by Iran, have been responsible for 26 attacks on commercial ships since the onset of the conflict. They have expressed their intent to persist with these attacks until Israel brings an end to the conflict in Gaza. The resolution highlights growing international concern over the Houthis’ actions and their impact on maritime security in the region.
Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Col. Herzi Halevi has told his troops “there is no village in Lebanon you can’t dismantle,” according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
His remarks come amid an escalation in fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group across the Israel-Lebanon border.
The exchanges come as Israel continues to battle Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza and raise fears the conflict could spiral.
But Halevi told troops deployed in Gaza: “We’ve fought in Gaza, so we know how to do it in Lebanon if we have to.” the United Nations Security
Since the start of the border escalation, 188 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 141 Hezbollah members and more than 20 civilians, among them three journalists, according to a tally compiled by French news agency AFP.
The IDF says 14 Israelis have been killed, including nine soldiers.
Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group.