Media: Huthi to be put back on US terror list – Night at a glance
Published: Wednesday, Jan 17th 2024, 04:10
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Following a series of attacks by the Yemeni Houthi militia on shipping in the Red Sea, the US government wants to put the Shiite group back on the list of globally active terrorists, according to media reports. This could lead to further sanctions being imposed on the organization, which is supported by Iran and has also repeatedly fired missiles at southern Israel recently.
Meanwhile, Qatar brokered an agreement between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, according to which the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip are to receive urgently needed medication. In addition, aid supplies for the suffering civilian population will be brought to the sealed-off coastal strip, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.
Reports: USA wants to put Houthi militia back on terror list
In view of the attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Israel, Washington wants to upgrade the Houthi on the terror list. This was reported by CNN and the "Wall Street Journal" on Tuesday evening (local time), citing people familiar with the matter. The USA distinguishes between terrorists operating worldwide and foreign terrorist organizations when classifying terrorists. The distinction plays a role in the sanctions associated with the respective category.
Shortly before the end of then US President Donald Trump's term in office, his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had arranged for the Huthi to be classified in both categories in 2021. Pompeo's successor Antony Blinken reversed this shortly afterwards in order to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen. Civil war has been raging in the impoverished country since 2014. A large part of the population lives in areas controlled by the Huthi. According to the UN, millions of people are suffering from hunger.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, the Houthi militia has repeatedly attacked merchant ships with an alleged Israeli connection in the Red Sea. The USA and the UK responded with a comprehensive military strike on Houthi positions in Yemen. Major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea route, which is normally used for around ten percent of global trade. The Houthi militia in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon are part of the "axis of resistance" against Israel.
Medicine for Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip
Medicines purchased in France for the Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip are to be flown to Egypt on board two Qatari military aircraft on Wednesday, according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. From there they will be taken to the Gaza Strip.
Around 250 people were abducted in the Gaza Strip during the attack and massacre by the Islamist Hamas and other Palestinian organizations on Israel on 7 October. Currently, 136 people are still being held in the coastal strip. Israel assumes that around two dozen of them are no longer alive.
German war weapons for 20 million euros to Israel in 2023
Last year, the German government approved the export of war weapons worth 20.1 million euros to Israel. This included 3,000 portable anti-tank weapons and 500,000 rounds of ammunition for machine guns, submachine guns and other fully or semi-automatic firearms. This is according to an answer from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to a question from Bundestag member Sevim Dagdelen from the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, which is available to the German Press Agency. In total, the coalition government approved arms deliveries to Israel for 326.5 million euros - ten times as much as in the previous year.
Von der Leyen calls on Iran to de-escalate
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Iran to de-escalate following attacks on targets in Syria and Iraq. The region is highly endangered, said von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Attacking targets in Iraq without any reason was "escalatory behavior". "In this respect, everything must be done to ensure that Iran also assumes its responsibility. After all, Iran is the one behind the scenes directing many of the aggressive actions," said von der Leyen. Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired missiles at targets in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday night amid tensions in the Middle East.
Report: Tunnel network under Gaza Strip probably longer than suspected
According to a US media report, the tunnel network of the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip may be longer than previously assumed by Israel. It is estimated to be around 560 to 720 kilometers long, the New York Times reported, citing high-ranking Israeli defense officials. According to the report, Israeli estimates as recently as December assumed that the tunnel system under the Palestinian territory was around 400 kilometers long. The Gaza Strip itself has a length of around 45 kilometers and a width of around six to 14 kilometers. It is barely larger than Munich. By comparison, the subway network in the Bavarian capital covers a distance of 95 kilometers.
What will be important on Wednesday
The Gaza war is also likely to be at the center of discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In the face of crises and wars, the meeting of the world's political and economic elite in the Swiss ski resort is intended to provide a platform for exchange and cooperation. Speakers on Wednesday include UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
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