«--[· Preface ·]--»
24 hours after the Yemeni Houthi armed group launched an attack on Israel, Netanyahu’s government broke its silence and finally issued a declaration of war.
“The Blood Warning.”
On September 25, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu broke the 24-hour silence and officially announced a military strike on the Houthi armed forces in Yemen.
The decision came a day before the Houthi armed drone attack on the southern Israeli city of Eilat – two drones that broke through the Israeli “Iron Dome” defense system, precisely targeting the coastal commercial district, injuring 22 people.
Demonstrators gathered outside the prime minister's residence, shouting "Netanjahu resigns" and accusing the government's "absurdity" is dragging the country into a bigger crisis.
This is not the first time a Houthi armed group has launched an attack on Israel.Since the outbreak of the Israeli conflict in 2023, the Shiite armed group that controls northern Yemen has fired 90 ballistic missiles and more than 40 drones at Israel.
The logic of its actions is clear and direct: to support the Palestinian resistance movement with "asymmetric tactics" through the strategic deterrence of the Red Sea waterway. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea made it clear that the attacks will not stop as long as Israel does not stop its blockade of Gaza.
Houthi's confidence comes from multiple supports. Hodeidah, the Red Sea port in Yemen, which it controls, guards 12% of the world's maritime trade channels. Any harassment of merchant ships may cause international shipping costs to soar. In addition, as an important part of Iran's "axis of resistance", Houthi has long received weapons technical support from Tehran.
Despite the easing of Houthi’s relations with Saudi Arabia after the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023, its stance on the Israeli issue has always been consistent with Iran.This strategy of “promotion of war and reconciliation” has forced Israel to disperse its forces across multiple fronts, indirectly mitigating military pressure in the Gaza Strip.
“The betrayal of Spain.”
Just two weeks before Netanyahu declared war, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez made a shocking move: announced a permanent arms embargo on Israel, banned Israeli military fuel vessels from landing in Spanish ports, and called Netanyahu a “war criminal.”
This is the first time that EU countries have taken such severe sanctions against Israel, marking a fundamental change in Europe's policy towards Israel. Spain's action is not an isolated case. Behind it is a pro-Palestinian agenda promoted by domestic left-wing forces and a strong condemnation of Israel's "genocidal acts" in Gaza.
The Sanchez administration has not only cut off military aid, but also substantially increased humanitarian aid to Gaza and even applied for joining the South African “genocide” lawsuit against Israel.
The rift in the European camp is widening. Following Spain, France, Belgium and other countries began to promote the "Mediterranean Humanitarian Corridor" plan to bypass Israel and deliver relief supplies to Gaza. Although Germany has not completely cut off supplies, it has quietly slowed down the pace of ammunition transportation to Israel.
More symbolically, more than 100,000 protesters in 75 cities in Italy demanded that the government suspend its commercial cooperation with Israel.This bottom-up public opinion pressure is shaping the underlying logic of Europe’s policy.
“The situation of Netanyahu...”
Netanyahu's decision to declare war is not only a compromise to domestic public opinion, but also a big gamble. Its core goal is to divert domestic conflicts-just a week before the declaration of war, he appeared in court for corruption and faced up to 10 years in prison. By exaggerating external threats, he tried to portray himself as a "wartime leader" and thus consolidate his ruling position.
This strategy has worked in the short term: polls showed a slight recovery in support after the declaration of war, but the cost of the military operation is emerging.An airstrike in Yemen’s capital Sanaa injured 48 people, provoking strong international condemnation.
What's more serious is that the Israel Defense Forces' "indiscriminate strike" strategy has led to the continued deterioration of the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The UN report states that Gaza has become "completely uninhabitable" and 700,000 civilians have been forced to evacuate their homes. This situation not only damages Israel's international image, but also may intensify anti-Israel sentiment in the Arab world.
Netanyahu’s ruling coalition has also shaken.The far-right Sharia Party and the Biblical Jewish Coalition have withdrawn from the cabinet due to the dispute over the Army Recruitment Act, leaving the ruling coalition with only 58 seats (needing 61 over half).
In order to maintain power, he had to compromise with the extremist factions to further advance military operations against Gaza, a model of “war-fighting” that is pushing Israel to the double abyss of political and military.
«--[· Countdown to Gaza ·]-»
As Netanyahu advances on the path of military adventure, the international community’s signals of interference are growing.Colombia’s President Pedro proposed the “Alliance of Three Continents” plan, calling on Asian, Latin American and European countries to join forces to protect Palestine.
Indonesian President Subianto responded by saying he was willing to send 20,000 troops into Gaza under the authorization of the United Nations.The proposal for such a multinational military intervention, although not a substantial action, has been a strategic deterrent to Israel.
The pressure at the United Nations level cannot be ignored. On September 16, the General Assembly passed a resolution with 142 votes in favor, calling for the implementation of the "two-state solution" and the deployment of a peacekeeping mission to Gaza. Although the United States and Israel voted against it, this result reflected the mainstream public opinion of the international community.
More importantly, European countries such as Spain and France are pushing for a draft peace-keeping authorization in the Security Council to try to break the U.S. “veto barrier.”
For Israel, continued military operations could be in exchange for short-term security, but would cost long-term diplomatic isolation. For the Houthi armed forces, excessive provocation could lead to Israel’s more violent retaliation and even trigger a comprehensive war in the region.
For European nations, finding a balance between preserving values and avoiding energy crises will be key to policy-making, and for the Palestinian people, the implementation of the “two-state plan” may be the only way to end suffering.
“ ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ”
When the patience of the international community is exhausted, when humanitarian disasters break the bottom line of morality, any political calculation will seem pale and powerless.