How the Gaza War is related to the Houthis' seizure of a ship headed for India

The British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship Galaxy Leader, which was reported to have been captured by Houthis in the Red Sea, is depicted in a file photo.

The Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group, hijacked a ship that was headed for India on Sunday, November 19, adding a new twist to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. All 25 members of the crew were taken hostage when Huthi fighters descended from helicopters onto the ship. The rebels claim that the crew is being treated "by Islamic values."

Israel has called the hijacking "another Iranian act of terrorism" and asserted that the ship is operated by Japan and owned by the British.

Why have the Indian-bound ship's Houthis taken control of it? What responses have different stakeholders given to this? How are the Houthis connected to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and who are they?

What led to the ship's hijacking?

The ship Galaxy Leader had no cargo when it sailed from Turkey to Pipavav in Gujarat. Members of its crew hail from Mexico, the Philippines, Romania, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine.

The hijacking is consistent with the Houthis' previous declaration that should Israel continue its bloodshed in Palestine, they would attack ships associated with Israel in the Red Sea as well as the vital Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

This past week, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, the leader of the group, stated in a broadcast speech that "we are open to constantly monitor and search for any Israeli ship in the Red Sea, especially in Bab al-Mandab, and near Yemeni regional waters," as reported by Reuters.

The chief negotiator and spokesman for the Houthis, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, claimed in an online statement following the hijacking that the Israelis only speak "the language of force," according to AP. "The Israeli ship's detention is a concrete measure that demonstrates the Yemeni military's determination to fight the war at sea, no matter the cost. This marks the start," he continued.

Why is Japan involved, and how has Israel responded?

Israel has declared that neither it nor any of the crew members are Israeli owners or operators of the ship.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, "This is another act of terrorism by Iran that represents an escalation in Iran's belligerence against the citizens of the free world, with concomitant international ramifications vis-a-vis the security of global shipping routes."

According to AP, the Israeli military described the hijacking as a "very grave incident of global consequence."

The ship does seem to be connected to an Israeli billionaire, though. As per the Associated Press, the ship's owners were linked to Ray Car Carriers, which was established by Abraham "Rami" Ungar, a prominent figure in Israel, based on ownership details found in public shipping databases.

A ship connected to Ungar experienced an explosion in the Gulf of Oman in 2021. Iran was then held responsible by Israeli media.

The Japanese company Nippon Yusen was in charge of operating the Galaxy Leader. In addition to denouncing the hijack, Japanese officials have stated that they are in talks with the Houthis and are enlisting the aid of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Iran to free the ship and its crew.

What is the purpose of the Houthis' involvement, and who are they?

A civil war has been raging between the Houthis and the Yemeni government for nearly ten years. They control the northern part of Yemen, which includes Sanaa, the official capital. These days, the official government is based in Aden.

The Houthi tribe is the source of the group's name. Iran supports the Houthis, who are Zaydi Shias, while Saudi Arabia, Iran's main adversary, and the West back the Yemeni government. The early 1990s Zaydi religious revival movement is where the group got its start.

Houthis' unwavering hostility to Israel and the West is the basis for their support of "brothers and sisters in Palestine." They have tens of thousands of fighters and a massive arsenal of ballistic missiles and armed drones, making them a formidable fighting force, according to Reuters. The Houthi stronghold in Yemen is too far away from Israel for their fighters and rockets to directly threaten Israel, but they have been launching missiles in the direction of the "enemy country."

The primary risk posed by the Houthis' actions is that their participation may intensify the fighting and possibly involve Iran. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia may be forced to intervene in the conflict if Israel decides to launch rockets over the country in retaliation against the Houthis. Many other nations with an interest in the maritime trade in the area may also be involved in the seizure of vessels in the sea.

Kukis fighting for Israel and opposing Hamas far from the Northeast of India

Over 200 Kukis are prepared for battle, their community is praying for them, and they are a part of a force tasked with reacting to horrific acts of brutality committed by armed organizations - and this is happening in...Israel.

The tale of Kukis who serve in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) is obscured by the deluge of news about Israel's military response to Hamas in the international media.

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The 3,60,000 reserve soldiers that Israel has mobilized include 206 Kukis who are originally from Manipur and Mizoram. These Kukis and roughly 5,000 other members of their group reside in Israel as a result of their immigration under the nation's policy of open doors for people belonging to what Tel Aviv refers to as a "lost Jewish tribe."

And as it happens, when Hamas militants entered Israel, this small village was right in the line of fire. The majority of Kukis reside in Sderot, which is near to Gaza and experienced some of the worst violence. No one was hurt, however one family's home was destroyed by fire.

The Hebrew name for this group is Bnei Menashe, which means "children of Manasseh." Menashe was the first child of Joseph, who was regarded in Jewish tradition as the first prophet, according to Shavei Israel, an NGO that aids "lost tribe" Jewish communities emigrate to Israel.

The Bnei Menashe, according to Shavei Israel, are descended from one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, who were exiled by the Assyrian Empire more than 27 centuries ago. According to Shavei Israel, these tribes "wove through Central Asia and the Far East for centuries before settling in what is now northeastern India, along the border with Burma (Myanmar) and Bangladesh."

There are about 5,000 members of his community in India, with 4,000 living in Manipur and 1,000 in Mizoram, according to Lalam Hangshing, chairman of the Bnei Menashe Council, India. Many Kukis from this village have been uprooted by the ethnic violence in Manipur, according to Hangshing.

Over the course of 30 years, 5,000 of these Kukis have immigrated to Israel, according to Hangshing. However, they have blended in wonderfully. "Dozens of our boys are regular soldiers in the IDF," he stated. "The exact number is not put out by Israeli armed forces."

"A few days ago, I received a list of 206 boys from our community who have been called for duty, joining those who are already in the IDF," Hangshing stated. He emphasizes that "many of the boys in the IDF have received commendations".

According to Hangshing, 5,000 of these Kukis had relocated to Israel over the span of 30 years. They have, nevertheless, assimilated beautifully. "Dozens of our boys are regular soldiers in the IDF," he said. "The exact number is not put out by Israeli armed forces."

"A few days ago, I received a list of 206 boys from our community who have been called for duty, joining those who are already in the IDF," Hangshing said. The fact that "many of the boys in the IDF have received commendations" is stressed by him.

Two airports in Syria were struck by Israel, according to reports, activating air defence.

 

Syrian state media reported that Israeli strikes on Thursday targeted Syria's two main airports. This was the first such attack since a Hamas attack on Israel at the weekend sparked violent fighting.

Without going into further detail, the state media stated on the messaging service Telegram that "Israeli aggression strikes the airports in Damascus and Aleppo."

According to sources, Israel's airstrikes struck Syrian airport runways in the already-devastated cities caused by the war, triggering the nation's air defence systems.

The reports further stated that all flights into and out of Syria have been cancelled.

Flights at the airports in Aleppo and the capital Damascus, both of which are under the control of the government of war-torn Syria, have frequently been grounded as a result of Israeli strikes.

The most recent attacks occurred as Hamas and Israel continued their six-day-long heavy-fire exchange after hundreds of Hamas armed men entered Israel from Gaza on Saturday, killing more than 1,000 civilians.

These also occurred during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Israel and only hours after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called on Arab and Islamic nations to band together to combat Israel over the phone with his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad.

Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on its northern neighbour over the more than ten-year conflict in Syria, largely focusing on Hezbollah fighters, Iranian-backed troops, and Syrian army sites.

Israel seldom discusses specific operations it conducts in Syria, but it has frequently stated that it will not permit its arch-enemy Iran, which backs Assad's government, to increase its presence there.

Iran, which supports Hamas, praised Hamas' attack on Israel on Saturday even though it stated it had nothing to do with it.

"No electricity, no food, no water": Israel imposes a "complete siege" on Gaza.

Jerusalem: Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant Monday ordered a "whole siege" at the Gaza Strip because the army pounded the Palestinian territory with air strikes.

"We are placing a whole siege on Gaza... No electricity, no food, no water, no gas -- it is all closed," Yoav Gallant stated in a video message, relating to the enclave this is overcrowded with 2.three million humans.

At least seven-hundred humans had been killed in southern Israel whilst Hamas terrorists charged throughout the border on Saturday, taking pictures humans withinside the groups and cities close to Gaza earlier than Israeli safety forces started preventing back.

An envisioned 250 humans had been killed with the aid of using Hamas gunmen at a tune pageant attended with the aid of using younger Israelis and foreigners close to Kibbutz Reim, near Gaza, in step with an enterprise that helped to get better the bodies.

"We are preventing animals and are appearing accordingly," Yoav Gallant stated in Hebrew

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 586

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine to mark Defenders of Ukraine Day [Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters]

Fighting

• Ukraine said its air defence systems shot down 16 of about 30 drones launched by Russia on Sunday. Authorities said civilian infrastructure and grain storage warehouses were damaged in the Cherkasy region as well as the southern Mykolaiv and eastern Dnipropetrovsk regions.

• Russia’s defence ministry said its forces’ air defences in eastern Ukraine had intercepted five United States-made HIMARS shells, an air-launched JDAM bomb and 37 Ukrainian drones. Kyiv began a counteroffensive in June to retake Ukrainian land occupied by Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.

• Russia’s defence ministry said it shot down six Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and two Ukrainian missiles over Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

• Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said five more ships were on their way to Ukrainian seaports using a new corridor for agricultural exports after Moscow withdrew from the United Nations and Turkey-brokered Black Sea grain deal that allowed safe passage for Ukraine’s grain.

• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backpedalled on a comment by his defence minister that the United Kingdom could send military instructors to Ukraine. Grant Shapps told the Sunday Telegraph that as well as training Ukrainian troops in the UK, he wanted to deploy British instructors to Ukraine. Hours later, Sunak said there were no such plans. “That’s something for the long term, not the here and now. There are no British soldiers that will be sent to fight in the current conflict,” he said.

• After Shapps’s comments were published, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who is now deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, said any UK soldiers training Ukrainian troops in Ukraine would be seen as legitimate targets for Russian forces.

• The UK’s Ministry of Defence said leaked Russian defence spending documents suggested Moscow was “preparing for multiple further years of fighting in Ukraine. The documents said defence spending for 2024 was likely to account for 30 percent of total public expenditure.

Pakistan blames India for twin suicide blasts, death toll rises to 65

 

Sarfaraz Bugti, Pakistan's interior minister, accused India's spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of being involved in the two suicide bombings on Friday. After a bomber exploded explosives near a police car, the incident occurred near a mosque in Balochistan's Mastung area.

In the mosque, people were gathered for a procession to commemorate Prophet Mohammad's birthday. Another bomb occurred hours later in a mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing at least 5 people. As of Sunday, the death toll from the explosions has risen to 65.

In response to the explosions, Bugti stated that RAW was engaged in the suicide assault. "All civil, military, and other institutions will work together to target those responsible for the Mastung suicide attack." "RAW is engaged in the suicide attack," Pakistan's minister was reported as saying by Reuters. Yet, the minister did not give any proof or additional material to back up his assertion.

In a news conference, Bugti also asserted that the Islamic State (IS) had no organised presence in Balochistan in the past. He went on to say that the government will smash the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and any other terror organisation.

Meanwhile, General Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, paid a visit to Quetta on Saturday. "These terrorists and their facilitators, who have no connection to religion or ideology, are proxies of Pakistan's and its people's adversaries," the Army chief said in a statement during his visit to Quetta.

"The whole strength of the state and security forces will continue to confront these forces of evil... "And the armed forces, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies will not stop until the threat of terrorism has been eradicated from the country," he continued.

He went on to say that the general populace has rejected militant ideology and is "totally dedicated to peace, economic advancement, and human development, which is causing a lot of grief to forces of evil in and outside of Pakistan." General Munir also paid a visit to the CMH Quetta to speak with the victims of the attack, according to Pakistani news agency Dawn.

On Saturday, a police complaint was filed to initiate an inquiry, claiming that they submitted DNA from the suicide bomber to be analysed. A horrific suicide bomb attack near the Madina Mosque in Baluchistan's Mastung region killed 60 people and injured more than 60 more.

Another bomb attack in Khyber Pakthunkhwa killed at least five people and injured 12 more when the mosque's roof fell owing to the explosion. None of the two incidents has been claimed by a terror organisation. The Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, has denied involvement for some of the most heinous assaults in Pakistan.