The Red Sea has become a flashpoint in the Middle East crisis, as the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip threatens to spread across the region.
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| A Houthi military helicopter flies over a cargo ship in the Red Sea in November. (Source: Reuters). |
In recent weeks, Yemen's Houthi movement has repeatedly attacked commercial ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the southern Red Sea, in retaliation for Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with Hamas, which is in conflict with the Jewish state.
The Houthis' actions have disrupted shipping through this vital route, and many shipping lines have opted to bypass the southern tip of Africa to enter the Mediterranean and vice versa.
On the night of December 26, Houthi continued to claim that they had launched missiles at a commercial ship belonging to MSC United in the Red Sea after the ship refused to comply with three warnings from the Islamic movement.
Meanwhile, the French news agency AFP reported that on the same day, the Pentagon announced that the US military had destroyed 12 drones, 3 anti-ship ballistic missiles and 2 ground-attack missiles fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea in just about 10 hours.
In a social media post, the Pentagon's Central Command said there was no damage to vessels in the area or casualties.
Since the Gaza conflict began in October, Houthi forces have carried out more than 100 drone and missile attacks, targeting 10 commercial vessels involving 35 countries traveling in the Red Sea, according to the Pentagon.
In another related development, also on December 26, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held talks with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi in Cairo, exchanging views on developments in the Gaza Strip and maritime security in the Red Sea.
The two diplomats also discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire and the implementation of a key UN Security Council resolution demanding unhindered and safe humanitarian access to Gaza.
According to Mr. Shoukry, Egypt is ready to consult and coordinate more with Jordan, to address common challenges and find solutions to security crises in the region.
The Security Council resolution adopted on December 22 calls for the appointment of a UN senior coordinator to facilitate coordination, monitoring and verification of the humanitarian nature of aid deliveries from non-parties to the conflict in Gaza and a mechanism to monitor aid deliveries into the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
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