1 week Ago
It’s morning in the Middle East. These are the latest developments The US carried out a round of strikes in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthis on Thursday morning, targeting five underground weapons storage facilities using B-2 stealth bombers. Austin said he authorized the strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden to “further degrade” the Houthis’ ability after more than a year of the Iran-backed group’s attacks on US and international vessels in the region.
The attacks come as hostilities continue to escalate in the region, with Israel’s retaliation against Iran’s recent missile attack now expected before the November 5 US election and its wars in Lebanon and Gaza ramping up. Here are the latest developments in the region: Strikes in Yemen: The US strikes, the latest in a series of back-and-forth attacks between the Houthis and the US, were carried out by B-2 Spirit bombers. This is the first time this campaign the US has used the strategic stealth bomber, which is capable of carrying far heavier loads of bombs than fighter jets, to target the Houthis since October 7.
Humanitarian crisis in Lebanon: About 400,000 children are among the 1.2 million displaced people due to the conflict in Lebanon, UNICEF said. The WHO said there is a “very high” risk of cholera spreading in Lebanon after the deadly disease was detected in the north.
Attack on UN peacekeepers: Israeli forces fired at a UN peacekeeping position in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kela, damaging a watchtower, the UN said. The UN has said the Israeli military has fired on its peacekeepers multiple times, forcibly entered a base, stopped a logistical movement, and injured more than a dozen troops in Lebanon in recent weeks. US support for Israel: The Pentagon said its planned deployment of an advanced anti-missile system to Israel is evidence of its support for the country .
The support comes despite the Biden administration’s letter to Israel warning US aid could be in jeopardy if the humanitarian situation in Gaza doesn’t improve within 30 days. Mass starvation in Gaza: The US is watching to ensure Israel doesn’t enact a “policy of starvation” in Gaza, its ambassador to the UN said. Last week, the World Food Programme warned that no food had entered northern Gaza this month, putting 1 million people at risk of starvation.
Gaza talks stalled: Gaza hostage and ceasefire talks have stalled for a month , Qatar’s prime minister said. Qatar has been coordinating with the US and Egypt to reach a deal..
