Joint force to counter attacks in Red Sea

GAZA/MANAMA/JERUSALEM — Several countries have agreed to jointly carry out patrols in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to try to safeguard commercial shipping against attacks by Yemen's Houthi militia.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on a visit to Bahrain, identified several countries taking part in an international force. It was unclear whether those countries are willing to do what US warships have done in recent days, shoot down Houthi missiles and drones and rush to the aid of commercial ships under attack.

"This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative," Austin said in a statement on Tuesday.

It identified participating nations led by the United States as including among others Bahrain, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.

Houthis have waded into the Israel-Palestine conflict by attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and even firing drones and missiles at Israel.

Houthi militia on Monday claimed responsibility for attacks on an oil ship and a cargo ship in the southern part of the Red Sea.

Houthis attacked two commercial shipping vessels in the southern Red Sea on Monday, the US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said in a statement. The chemical oil tanker motor vessel Swan Atlantic was attacked by a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile, it said. At about the same time in a separate incident, the bulk cargo ship MSC Clara reported an explosion in the water near its location, CENTCOM said.

There were no injuries reported by either vessel.

Crucial gateway

In addition, the Houthis have issued explicit warnings to international shipping companies, advising against engagement with Israeli ports.

Industry giant Maersk was the first to advise its fleet on Friday to halt all voyages through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a narrow sea passage near Yemen, which holds immense strategic significance, serving as a major artery for global oil shipments and as a crucial gateway to the Suez Canal.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi politburo, told Al Jazeera on Monday his group would be able to confront any US-led coalition in the Red Sea.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Monday, condemned the attacks on commercial vessels, the State Department said.

Meanwhile, Israel's assault continued in Gaza where it has vowed to annihilate Hamas.

A World Health Organization official said on Monday that the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza that Israeli troops raided last week is no longer functioning and patients including babies have been evacuated.

"We cannot afford to lose any hospitals," said Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for Gaza.

Peeperkorn also said about 4,000 displaced people taking refuge on the grounds of the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis were at risk as Israel pursues military operations there.

Early on Tuesday, residents of some areas in Khan Younis reported fierce gunbattle between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces. Israeli tanks and planes bombed areas near the city center, residents said.

The Gaza health ministry said on Monday that 19,453 Palestinians had been killed and 52,286 wounded in the Israeli assault on the Hamas-ruled enclave in more than two months of conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to achieve total victory over Hamas, whose fighters killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages in a surprise Oct 7 raid into Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

Agencies - Xinhua