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The US has sent messages to both Israel and Yemen's Shiite rebels, the Houthis. In particular, the representative of the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, sent a clear message to the Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) that they will not support the continuation of the operation in southern Gaza without a plan to protect civilians.
"The US does not support the activities of the Israeli military unless there is a clearly articulated plan on how to protect the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced from the north to the south because they have been asked to leave Gaza. Israel has an obligation to consider the care of residents who have already left their homes," said John Kirby, according to Haaretz.
Also, according to Kirby, the Biden administration is considering listing the Houthis as a terrorist organization citing "Houthi attacks on civilians" as well as "ship piracy in international waters."
Joe Biden's administration had officially removed the Houthis from the list of "foreign terrorist organizations" and "specially designated global terrorists" in 2021, reversing a last-minute move by former US President Donald Trump.
The UN and aid groups have criticized the designation of the Houthis as a "terrorist organization", arguing that the restrictions they create complicate the delivery of aid to the war-torn country.
The Shiite rebels, the Houthis, who control Yemen's capital Sanaa and areas in the north of the country, are backed by Iran and since the start of Israel's war in the Gaza Strip have fired rockets and drones into Israel in recent weeks, as well as American drones.
As reported by Reuters, last week the Houthi leader said his forces would carry out further attacks against Israel and could target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait between Eritrea and Djibouti on the African side and Yemen. on the side of the Arabian Peninsula.
On Sunday, they seized a cargo ship in the Red Sea, taking 25 crew members hostage, in an apparent attempt to escalate the situation against Israel amid the Gaza war.
The attack marks a new level of escalation as the Houthis have taken a prominent role among various Iran-backed groups, launching provocative attacks against Israel in response to the war against the Palestinians.
The group has claimed responsibility for previous attacks on ships, but this is the first time Yemeni fighters have taken control of a merchant ship.
The Israeli military described the hijacking as a "serious incident" but denied the Galaxy Leader was an Israeli ship and said there were no Israelis on board.
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