January 10, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are stepping up their strikes on ships in the Red Sea, which they say are revenge against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza.

The strikes have forced some of the world's biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend their travel through the sea and has prompted the US and UK to supply warships to the region in an attempt to deter further attacks.

While — through a combination of geography and technology — the Houthis may lack the capabilities of Hamas and Hezbollah, their strikes on commercial vessels in the Red Sea may inflict a different sort of pain on Israel and its allies.

The global economy has been served a series of painful reminders of the importance of this narrow stretch of sea, which runs from the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen to the Suez Canal in northern Egypt – and through which 12% of global trade flows, including 30% of global container traffic.

In 2021, a ship called the Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking the vital trade artery for nearly a week – holding up as much as $10 billion in cargo each day – and causing disruptions to global supply chains that lasted far longer.

There are fears that the Houthi drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels, which have occurred almost daily since December 9, could cause an even greater shock to the world economy.

The Houthis say they will only relent when Israel allows the entry of food and medicine into Gaza; its strikes could be intended to inflict economic pain on Israel’s allies in the hope they will pressure it to cease its bombardment of the enclave.

Fueling international tensions

Championing the Palestinian cause could also be an attempt to gain legitimacy at home and in the region as they seek to control northern Yemen, which they have dominated since the start of a bloody civil war almost a decade ago.

It could also give them an upper hand against their Arab adversaries, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who they accuse of being lackeys of the US and Israel.

But, there is also concern that the attacks could draw more countries into the conflict.

In December, the US announced a multinational naval task force comprising the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Norway and others, to “tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor” that “threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law.”

Read the full story.

The Iran-backed Houthis said the barrage of missiles and drones fired on the Red Sea on Tuesday was in response to a US attack on the group last week. 

The US sank three Houthi boats in the Red Sea, killing all those aboard, on December 31 after coming under fire.

It was the first time the US had targeted members of the Iranian-supported Houthi rebel group since the escalation of tensions in October.

In a statement, the Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Tuesday’s attack was a "coordinated offensive" targeting an American ship "aiding" Israel in the Red Sea. 

Saree said that the operation involved a “substantial deployment” of ballistic and naval missiles, along with drones in response to what he described as a "treacherous attack" by US forces on Houthi naval units on last week.

The group has reassured their "commitment to maintaining maritime traffic” in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, with the sole exception of vessels connected to Israel, Saree said.  

Attacks by Iran-backed militants in the Red Sea have effectively closed one of the world’s main trade routes to most container ships — vessels that carry everything from car parts to Crocs from one corner of the globe to another.

A prolonged closure of the waterway, which connects with the Suez Canal, could snarl global supply chains and drive up the prices of manufactured goods at a crucial moment in the battle to defeat inflation. The Suez Canal accounts for 10-15% of world trade, which includes oil exports, and for 30% of global container shipping volumes.

Houthi militants, based in Yemen, say they are taking revenge for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The US military and its allies have beefed up maritime security but the attacks continue, with 21 Houthi missiles and drones shot down late Tuesday.

As the crisis persists, the stakes for the global economy are rising. Retailers are already warning of delays, and the cost of shipping goods is increasing.

Six of the 10 biggest container shipping companies — namely Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, ZIM and ONE — are largely or completely avoiding the Red Sea because of the threat from the Houthi militants.

The danger to crew, cargo and vessels has forced carriers to reroute ships around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, resulting in delays of up to three weeks.

This has already significantly increased shipping costs, which could ultimately show up in consumer prices.

If the Israel-Hamas war escalates into a wider regional conflict or the Houthis decide to redirect their attacks toward oil tankers and bulk carriers — which transport crucial raw materials such as iron ore, grain and timber — the consequences for the global economy would be altogether more severe.

Read more about how shipping costs could be affected.

The UN Security Council will vote on Wednesday morning on a US-led resolution condemning the spate of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The resolution, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, "condemns in the strongest terms the at least two dozen Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels since November 19, 2023, when the Houthis attacked and seized the Galaxy Leader and its crew." 

Here's what else is in the resolution:

The text does not name Iran for its support of the Houthis. No timings were immediately given.

A Canadian surgeon who recently returned from Gaza painted a grim picture of the situation on the ground.

“We have a major lack of equipment, of the medical supplies, you know, CT scan machine, and things like that, let alone the lack of drugs (such as) ... analgesia, antibiotics,” Anas Al-Kassem told CNN, adding that he had to perform stitches on patients without anesthetics so he could conserve it for major surgeries.

His comments come as the UN said that Israeli authorities denied a planned mission by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Health Organization to deliver critical supplies into northern Gaza on January 8. It was Israel's fifth denial of a mission to a drug store and hospital since December 26, OCHA said, leaving five hospitals in northern Gaza without access to medical supplies.

The death toll in Gaza has risen to 23,210, with nearly 60,000 people also injured since October 7, 2023, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.

CNN is unable to independently confirm the figures provided by the Gaza health ministry, due to restricted access to the region and the difficulty in verifying accurate numbers amid the ongoing conflict.

Here are the latest headlines:

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for the immediate end to hostilities and rejected any attempt to relocate Palestinians from Gaza in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ramallah, according to a readout of the meeting reported by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Abbas discussed the importance of efforts to “stop the Israeli aggression” against Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the importance of “accelerating the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip,” according to the report.

He also highlighted statements made by Israeli ministers and officials that “call for the expulsion of the Palestinian people from their land,” and stressed his government’s “complete rejection of the displacement of any Palestinian citizen” in Gaza or the West Bank. 

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has advocated for Palestinians leaving Gaza – saying after criticism of his comment that it should be “voluntary” – while Israeli President Isaac Herzog Sunday told NBC that the resettlement of Palestinians out of Gaza is “outright, officially and unequivocally” not Israel’s position.

Abbas told Blinken that any plans by the Israeli government to separate or divide the Gaza Strip would be unacceptable. He said that the conflict needs to end in order for an internationally legitimate political solution, including the creation of a Palestinian state, to be implemented, according to the statement.

Blinken, in meetings with Israeli government leaders Tuesday, had said the Israeli government must move toward a two-state solution if it wants the help of Arab partners in the region with lasting security. He also stressed that Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes in Gaza "as soon as conditions allow" and must not be displaced from the enclave,

A 5-year-old girl was killed after a Médecins San Frontières (MSF) shelter in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis was hit by a “suspected tank shell,” MSF said in a statement Tuesday.

MSF says that they cannot confirm the origin of the shell, however “it appears to be similar to those used by Israeli tanks.” 

The child, who is a family member of MSF staff, underwent surgery after she was critically injured by the shell and died of her wounds the following day, MSF said.

Three others received minor injuries after the shell broke through the walls of the shelter, which is housing more than a hundred MSF staff and their families, according to MSF.

MSF said they did not receive evacuation orders to leave the shelter, despite informing the Israeli army of their location. 

“Prior to the incident, MSF notified Israeli forces that the shelter near Gaza European Hospital was housing MSF staff and their families,” the statement said. 

MSF has contacted Israeli authorities for further explanation, the group said. 

When asked about the incident, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN on Tuesday that it is “operating to dismantle Hamas military and administrative capabilities,” and that the IDF “follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.” 

Four members of MSF’s staff have been killed since the beginning of the war in addition to multiple family members, MSF said. 

At least 23,210 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including more than 10,000 children, since October 7, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Tuesday. 

Israel's rejection of coordinated aid into Gaza is "critically" stalling efforts by rights groups to curb the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where the Israeli bombardment has left more than 2.2 million people facing dehydration, starvation and deadly disease.

Israeli authorities denied a planned mission by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Health Organization to deliver critical supplies into northern Gaza on January 8, OCHA said on Tuesday.

The two UN agencies planned missions to distribute "urgent medical supplies" to a drug store in Gaza City and Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalya in northern Gaza, as well as "vital fuel" to water and sanitation facilities in the region, according to an OCHA update.

It was Israel's fifth denial of a mission to the drug store and hospital since December 26, OCHA said, adding that the sanctions have left five hospitals in northern Gaza without access to life-saving medical supplies and equipment. 

A top UN humanitarian official previously warned that depriving Gaza's population of food, water, health care and hygiene "cannot be justified."

CNN has contacted the Israel Defense Forces and COGAT, the government entity responsible for implementing policy in the Palestinian territories, for comment.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed “ongoing efforts to minimize civilian harm” and increase the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Gaza during a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the US State Department said.

Blinken met with Abbas in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday during a week-long trip to the Middle East, aimed at easing regional tensions.

According to a statement from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, the United Nations has appointed Sigrid Kaag as senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza as a part of those efforts to reduce civilian harm.

Rising death toll: Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 23,210 Palestinians since October 7 and injured another 59,167, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health — more than 1% of the enclave’s total pre-war population of 2.27 million people.

In December, US intelligence revealed nearly half of the air-to-ground munitions that Israel has used in Gaza have been unguided, as US President Joe Biden said support for Israel's military campaign would erode due to "indiscriminate bombing."

It has prompted warnings from global leaders for Israel to shift its military strategy and limit civilian casualties.

CNN is unable to independently confirm the figures provided by the Gaza health ministry, due to restricted access to the region and the difficulty in verifying accurate numbers amid the ongoing conflict.

Tax revenue: Blinken also discussed issues relating to Israel withholding tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority since the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Under existing agreements, Israel collects tax revenue on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on Palestinian imports and exports. Since October 7, the Israeli government has refused to disperse the full amount of taxes collected, which are primarily used by the Palestinian Authority to pay public employees and retirees.

He also discussed US efforts to address extremist violence in the occupied West Bank.

“The United States supports tangible steps towards the creation of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, with both living in peace and security,” the statement concluded.