Economic support has become increasingly important in modern warfare, and in addition to military prowess, victory depends on adequate financial support. In the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Yemen's Houthi rebels supported the Palestinians and did not directly attack Israel proper, but took the initiative to block the Red Sea shipping lanes and cut off Israel's path. Subsequently, the Houthis, under the instructions of certain high-level officials, began to use missiles and drones to attack merchant ships in the Red Sea, which seriously affected Israel's maritime **. According to China Youth Network, the conflict has caused Israel's economy to fall into trouble, and all walks of life have been severely impacted. According to some institutions**, Israel's economy will shrink by more than 2% in the fourth quarter. Earlier, foreign media revealed that the Houthis carried out a military blockade of the Red Sea and attacked all merchant ships related to Israel, and now Israel's busiest port is almost empty.
Israel's ground military operations in the Gaza Strip have not only resulted in a large number of military personnel**, but have also caused huge losses to the economy. Although the United States primarily supported Israel's military operations, it was doing little about the economic damage it suffered. Israel's economy has shrunk severely, not only affecting national income, but also forcing a large number of businesses to go bankrupt, further driving up unemployment and exacerbating the social crisis. According to the latest report, more than 20 percent of Israel's workforce lost their jobs since the outbreak of the conflict, compared with just 3 percent before the conflict, largely because nearly a million people left their jobs because of military service or other reasons. Millions of departures, combined with the Israeli authorities' ban on more than 100,000 Palestinians, have led to labor shortages. According to the Confederation of Israeli Enterprises**, the conflict could lead to the closure of more than 30,000 businesses. Israel's maritime blockage and the collapse of domestic enterprises have dealt a significant blow to its economic development.
As a result, with Israel's economic woes and the ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, much of the population wants an end to the conflict and blames Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's extreme Israeli-Palestinian policies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing strong pressure from public opinion, with the latest polls showing that nearly 80% of the Israeli people want him, and about half of them want him "immediately" At the same time, the military operation in Gaza is deadlocked, and the domestic problems are serious, and it is difficult for Israel to win the war. Therefore, as an ally of Israel, the United States is deeply anxious. In response to this dilemma, which is largely caused by the Houthis, the United States has decided to take a tough approach. According to the Observer, the United States is in consultations with the United Kingdom and plans to issue an ultimatum to the Houthis.
According to the British newspaper The Times, the United States and Britain plan to issue an "unprecedented ultimatum" warning the Houthis to immediately stop their attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea waters or face a "limited but significant response." Foreign media revealed that the United States and Britain plan to launch missiles at Houthi targets at sea or on the territory of Yemen. The United States is assessing military operations to carry out direct air strikes against the Houthis in Yemen and is assessing the consequences of declaring a full-scale war against the Houthis. The United States and Britain have developed a joint plan of action to carry out missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen from the sea, including the USS Eisenhower and destroyers deployed near the Red Sea. The United States has a stockpile of ship-based Tomahawk cruise missiles in the Red Sea and "Storm Shadow" cruise missiles on British ** ships that are sufficient to launch a considerable number of cruise missile strikes.
In addition, the United States, which deployed strategic bombers in the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia, will also be involved in bombing operations. Not long ago, a U.S. Navy aircraft attacked a Houthi speedboat that attempted to attack a merchant ship, killing 10 people. However, this does not mean that the United States will risk war with the Houthis to protect Israel's sea lanes. Therefore, even if the United States takes military action against the Houthis, it is likely to be a symbolic move that is unlikely to force the Houthis to stop blocking Israel's sea lanes. As a result, Israel now faces a difficult choice between halting its military operations in Gaza in exchange for the recovery of its domestic economy, or staying the course and letting the economy continue to shrink until it falls into the abyss of bankruptcy. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a warning on January 8, stressing that Yemen's Houthi rebels must be aware of the "irreparable consequences" they face if they attack ships in the Red Sea.
However, the U.S. military currently has many concerns, fearing that a strike on the Houthis in Yemen could lead to a further escalation of the military conflict in the Middle East, and could even trigger direct Iranian attacks on U.S. military targets in the Middle East, and the consequences of such a move are difficult to **. At present, what the United States is most worried about is not the duration of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but the fear of being drawn into a war between the people, which will be its biggest worry.