Middle East Crisis

Israel-Huthi
Houthi movement fires ballistic missile at Israel

The Houthi movement in Yemen has fired a ballistic missile at Israel, several media outlets report. According to a statement from the Israeli military, the missile was shot down without anyone being injured.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel attacked the port of al-Hudayda in Yemen. According to Israel, the port is used, among other things, to receive weapons from Iran.

A spokesperson for the Houthis states that Israeli aircraft were fired upon during the attack. 

Voices on Gaza
EU: Presents sanctions against Israel on Wednesday

The EU will present a proposed package of sanctions against Israel during a press conference on Wednesday, Politico reports.

The package includes restrictions on the EU's trade agreement with Israel and sanctions against settlers in the West Bank.

To become a reality, the sanctions must first be approved by parliament. It could be difficult, not least because Germany, the union's largest country, opposes the proposal.

- If Germany had agreed to something a couple of years ago, or if they do it now, it would actually put pressure on Israel, which could perhaps lead to a less serious situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, says EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to Politico.

Escalation condemned: "Creates more bloodshed"

Israel's escalated offensive in Gaza City is condemned by the outside world. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk calls the escalation "completely unacceptable" and demands an end to the "bloodbath", writes AFP.

- The whole world is crying out for peace. Palestinians and Israelis are crying out for peace, he says.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is on the same track, writing on X: "It will only create more bloodshed, kill more innocent civilians and put remaining hostages in danger."

A spokesperson for the UN children's fund UNICEF is pressing the situation for the civilians remaining in the city.

- It is inhumane to expect nearly half a million children, maimed and traumatized after more than 700 days of relentless conflict, to flee from one hell and end up in another, says Tess Ingram according to Reuters.

Israel-Syria relations
Syria moves heavy weapons from the Israeli border

Syrian government forces have moved all heavy weapons from the southern parts of the country, military sources told AFP.

Last week, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that negotiations were underway with Israel with the aim of regaining the areas occupied by the country since the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad last year.

Israel and Syria have technically been at war since 1948, and since the fall of al-Assad, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes and a series of ground raids on its neighbors.

Sources: Israel sends weapons to Druze in Syria

Israel has sent weapons to Druze militias in Syria, and in some cases even paid the fighters' salaries, two Israeli security sources told Reuters, Haaretz reports.

The Druze have been subjected to abuse under Syria's new government, which has been accused of not doing enough to curb the violence.

When fighting broke out between Bedouins and Druze in the Syrian city of Sweida this summer, Israel intervened militarily on the Druze's side. According to Israel, it was about defending a vulnerable group, but critics have said that the country's actions are fueling ethnic conflict.