Yemen’s entry into the Gaza war; Dimensions and consequences.
40 days after the start of the Zionist regime’s genocide against the Gaza Strip, Yemen entered the Gaza war by attacking Zionist ships or ships bound for the occupied territories. Yemen’s action was the only practical action to support the people of Gaza against the crimes of the Zionist regime. In this article, the dimensions and consequences of this Yemeni action are briefly examined.
The Zionist war against Gaza started on October 7. After the continued attacks of the Zionist regime and the inability of the international community to stop these attacks, the National Salvation Government of Yemen based in Sana’a repeatedly warned that it would take action against the Zionist regime if the war continued.
Finally, this warning became operational on November 19 with the attack on ships related to the Zionist regime. From November 19 to late February 2024, Yemenis carried out at least 57 attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The continuation of the Zionist regime’s genocide in Gaza, as well as the comprehensive support of the United States and the three countries of France, Germany, and Britain, along with the deadly silence of the Arab countries, were the three main factors that caused the Yemenis to go to war against the Zionist regime. The action of the Yemenis was more valuable because this country was engaged in an asymmetric war with Saudi Arabia for 8 years since 2015, a war that caused Yemen to be at the top of the global humanitarian disaster before the Gaza war.
Consequences of Yemeni action
The actions of the Yemenis had several important consequences. The first consequence was that the Yemenis showed their military capability by launching missile and drone attacks against ships bound for the occupied territories. These attacks showed that a new actor has emerged in the military and security scene of West Asia.
The second message was that with these attacks, the Zionist regime was under pressure. After the war on the Gaza front in the south and Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the north, this regime had to go to war with the Yemenis. Getting involved in several war fronts has resulted in more public opinion pressure inside the occupied territories.
Another important consequence was that the Zionist regime did not take action against Yemen because it could not fight on the third front. Therefore, the United States along with several other countries took military action against Yemen. America’s action proved that human rights have no practical meaning.
The fourth consequence of the Yemenis’ action was the intensification of the economic pressures of the Zionist regime. As a result of the Gaza war, the Zionist regime faced an increase in economic problems, including unemployment and inflation. The attack on the ships related to the Zionist regime was an attack on the economic artery of this regime. According to the World Bank’s estimate, 34% of the Zionist regime’s gross domestic product depends on trade in goods. This regime imports and exports nearly 99% of its exchange goods through waterways and shipping.
A major part of this import includes food items that cannot be produced in the occupied lands, and these three components clearly showed Yemen where to target. The immediate impact of Yemen’s attack on the sea trade of the Zionist regime showed itself in changing the route of the ships and choosing longer routes.
Tel Aviv was also forced to resort to expensive air transportation, and in the meantime, the insurance policy rates of ships that carried goods needed by the Zionist regime increased every day. It is estimated that since the beginning of the Yemeni attacks, the main port of occupied Palestine in Eilat has decreased in activity by 85%.
Another important consequence was America’s failure to build a consensus against Yemen. The Americans warned Yemen about the continuation of attacks against ships bound for the occupied territories, but the Yemenis did not pay attention to these warnings.
Finally, America formed a coalition of 10 countries and carried out attacks against Yemenis. The American coalition was formed in a situation where Bahrain was the only Arab country that became a member of this coalition. The frequent trips of American officials to the West Asian region and their meetings with Arab officials did not lead to the membership of other Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, in the anti-Yemen coalition. America even added Ansarullah to its terrorist list once again, but this action did not stop Yemeni attacks on ships bound for the occupied territories.
This failure, along with the costs that America paid for accompanying and supporting the Zionist regime in the genocide of the people of Gaza, and in various cities of the world, people condemned the support of this crime by holding anti-American demonstrations, made America one of the main losers of the Gaza war. This issue is also one of the reasons for the growing gap between Joe Biden’s administration in America and Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet.
Another important point about Yemen’s action is that the importance of Yemen’s geopolitics was highlighted, and at the same time, this action caused the world’s public opinion to pay more attention to the Zionist regime’s genocide in Gaza.
Every year, about 17,000 commercial and oil ships pass through the Bab al-Mandab strait to transport goods and oil between Asia and Europe. Approximately 50 ships are traveling in this area every day, and most of the operations of the Yemeni forces take place in this area in the south of the Red Sea.
Another important consequence was that the attack on the ships associated with the Zionist regime once again illustrated the popular support of the National Salvation Government of Yemen. Even though the people of Yemen went through 8 years of war and suffered heavy human and material losses, they supported the National Salvation government’s action in attacking the ships bound for the occupied lands and condemned the attacks of America and its allies against Yemen. The presence of millions of Yemeni people in the weekly demonstrations, especially in Saada and Sana’a, was a kind of demonstration of the power of the National Salvation Government of this country both in front of internal rivals and in front of the external enemy.