Israel is expanding its frontlines targeting the 'Axis of Resistance,' an anti-American and anti-Israel coalition in the Middle East led by Iran. Just two days after assassinating Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Israel bombed the stronghold of the Yemeni Houthi rebels.
According to AFP and The New York Times (NYT), the Israeli military announced on the 29th (local time) that attacks were carried out on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah and other locations in retaliation for recent missile attacks by the Houthis. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, after observing the airstrikes from the Air Force command center, emphasized in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "Our message is clear," adding, "No matter how far, it does not matter when it comes to striking the enemy."
Since the 23rd, Israel had been focusing airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, but now it has shifted its attention to Yemen. Like Hezbollah, the Yemeni Houthi rebels have supported the Palestinian militant group Hamas by attacking Israeli-related vessels passing through the Red Sea since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict last year. The day before, the Yemeni rebels launched ballistic missiles targeting Israel's Ben Gurion Airport.
According to Al Masirah, a media outlet operated by the Houthis, the Israeli airstrikes resulted in four deaths and at least 33 injuries in Yemen. Some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. Rescue teams are still searching for people trapped under the rubble of the bombed power plant.
At the same time, Israel continued airstrikes targeting Hezbollah. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least 24 people were killed near the coastal city of Sidon due to Israeli airstrikes. This is the first time this area has been targeted by the Israeli military. On the same day, 21 people were killed and 47 injured in the Baalbek-Hermel region in eastern Lebanon. The Israeli military stated that it struck dozens of targets including rocket launch sites within Lebanon and is continuing assassination operations targeting Hezbollah’s military leadership.
Currently, the Israeli military is confident in fighting a 'three-front war' simultaneously against Hamas in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Yemeni rebels. Analysts suggest this is a strategy to provoke a response from Iran, the backer of the 'Axis of Resistance.' Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is reported to have said that Israel must not be allowed to continue attacking the countries of the 'Axis of Resistance' one after another.
The Guardian daily assessed, "The sophisticated large-scale airstrikes on Yemen were planned not only to target the Houthi rebels but also to send a message to Iran that the Israeli military has the will and capability to conduct airstrikes even at considerable distances." The NYT also noted, "With the death of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah in Friday’s Israeli airstrike, concerns are growing about a full-scale Middle East war that could involve Iran," adding, "Both Hezbollah and the Houthis are proxies of Iran."
Iran strongly warned of retaliation after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran at the end of July and the explosion that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on the 27th, but it has not yet taken military action.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden, amid rising fears of escalation in the Middle East following Israel’s airstrikes, stated, "We really must avoid a full-scale war in the Middle East," and said he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though he did not specify a timeline.
John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, confirmed in a CNN interview that the U.S. government was not aware in advance of Israel’s attempt to assassinate Nasrallah. Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a video released the previous day that he ordered the assassination of Nasrallah because no matter how much Hezbollah is destroyed, it can rebuild.
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