The 75 day bloody war between Israel and Hamas, the chaos in the Red Sea, and the bad premonition

Mondo International Updated on 2024-01-30

The war in the Middle East has unwittingly spread to the 75th day, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues. At the same time, Israeli ground operations in the Gaza Strip continue unabated, while air defense sirens continue to sound inside Israel, indicating tensions. However, the change in the situation is not limited to the Middle East, but in the Gulf of Aden there is an unexpected drama.

In the Gulf of Aden, Israel unexpectedly found itself blocked from the Red Sea by the Yemeni Houthis. This sudden situation has caused the international community's attention to quickly shift from the Middle East to the Red Sea region. The U.S.-led multinational navies launched an escort operation called "Prosperity Guardian" to maintain security in the Red Sea. This action not only escalates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a regional crisis, but also raises questions about the actions of the Houthis.

Why are Western countries taking action against the Houthis?This may have something to do with a set of data that is overlooked by the outside world. The Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, coupled with the war in Ukraine, have led to continued tensions over European gas, with 12% for European gas, 10% for British gas, and 4% for oil in the last two days. This is even worse for the West, which is already severely overdrawn, because sitting back and watching international energy *** will further increase its burden.

Behind the actions of Western countries against the Houthis may be due to concerns about energy. As a result of Houthi attacks and the impact of the war in Ukraine, Western countries' energy sources are under threat, which has forced them to take action to maintain energy security. In particular, the energy sanctions against Russia are only sanctions, not total bans, so the dilemma faced by Western countries is more complicated. With the international energy *** will be more direct to the EU, and the impact on Russia will be more direct.

The U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian has brought together the navies of 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles and Spain. Battleship formations are already in place, including the USS Carney of the US Navy, the USS Diamond of the British Royal Navy, the USS Languedoc of the French Navy, and the USS Virginio Farsen of the Italian Navy. In addition, the US Navy's USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has also been deployed from the Persian Gulf to the vicinity of the Gulf of Aden to strengthen its control over the Red Sea.

However, why didn't Israel go to the Gulf of Aden on its own to escort its own merchant ships?The reason, perhaps, lies in the current state of the Israeli Navy. Israel's most advanced surface combat ship, the Saar-6 class frigate, is less than 2,000 tons on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, making it difficult to face a possible Houthi attack in the Red Sea. On the other hand, Israel has negotiated with the Houthis on the situation in the Red Sea, offering that the Houthis will stop their attacks on Israeli ships as long as Israel allows unhindered humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. It also shows that Israel is seeking a negotiated solution rather than a unilateral act of force.

With Operation Prosperity Defender, the United States and other Western countries have not only strengthened their military presence in the Gulf of Aden, but may also take further actions to reduce the cost pressures imposed on them by the two wars. Although the current escort operation has only strengthened the escort force, it cannot be ruled out that there may be a larger-scale military operation in the future. This series of measures is intended to demonstrate the West's ability to dominate regional affairs and its control of international energy markets.

In general, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is no longer an independent incident in the Middle East, but has evolved into a regional crisis. Local clashes between Israel and Hamas will continue as Operation Guardian of Prosperity unfolds, and the situation in the Red Sea region will become more complicated. The future is still unclear, but the current move shows that Western countries attach great importance to energy security, which could also trigger a new round of geopolitical turmoil.

Related Pages