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On the evening of September 19, the night sky on the coast of the southern Red Sea resort town of Eilat in Israel was torn by an explosion.。 A drone from the Houthi armed forces in Yemen broke through the Israeli multi-layer air defense system and accurately hit the lobby of a local hotel. Smoke billowed from the scene and the glass curtain wall was shattered into dust.
Meanwhile, a “Palestine-2” high-speed hypersonic missile flew to the Israeli capital of Tel Aviv at a speed of 16 Mach, forcing millions of people in the central area to hide into a shelter, and the alarm sounded for half an hour. Tourism and energy transport lines are becoming the focus of a new round of conflict.
The strategic position of Eilat as Israel's only port facing the Red Sea is crucial. It carries about 50% of the country's crude oil transit and 60% of the country's uranium fertilizer export tasks. However, the port has been paralyzed since the Hussein armed blocks imposed on Israel in late August.
On September 7, Houthi armed forces first hit the Rammun airport in southern Israel, causing a sharp drop in flights; after the September 19 hotel attacks, the local tourist season reservations fell by 70%. The Houthi armed groups have made it clear that their goal is to “cut off Israel’s economic vitality.”
Israeli defense systems exposed vulnerabilities in the attack.Although the Israeli army claimed to have intercepted the missile using the "Arrow-3" system, the missile fragments still fell in Beit Shemesh, causing local power outages. It is worth noting that the day before the attack, Israel had just announced the completion of the research and development of the "Iron Beam" laser air defense system, but this technology, which claims to be able to intercept drones at low cost, failed to play a role in actual combat.
The Houthi armed forces used "drones + missiles" saturated attack tactics, With tens of thousands of dollars in low-cost drones, Israel is forced to spend billions of dollars a year onining air defense networks, forming a cost overlap in an asymmetric warfare.
The Houthi armed operations were not conducted in isolation. On September 20, the Israeli Defense Forces announced an expansion of ground operations in Gaza City, airstrikes on about 100 targets in the past 24 hours, killing at least 34 Palestinians.。 At the same time, the Israeli army launched air strikes in southern Lebanon, violating the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024.
Conflict spillover also involves the diplomatic field: On September 9, Israel carried out a "precision strike" against the Hamas leadership in Doha, the capital of Qatar.This resulted in the death of five Palestinians and one Qatari security personnel, triggering a formal complaint from Qatar to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Israel’s tough line is provoking international rebelliousnessOn September 21-22, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Portugal, France, Belgium and other countries successively announced the recognition of the State of Palestine, bringing the total number of recognizing states to 81 percent of the UN member states.
Netanyahu responded by calling this a "ridiculous reward for terrorism" and threatening to take countermeasures, including cutting off water and natural gas supplies to Jordan and even considering closing the French consulate in Jerusalem. However, This isolation could further aggravate Israeli economic difficulties.The EU has partially suspended its trade agreement with Israel, withdrawing its annual trade preferential tariffs of around €15 billion.
The situation in the Gaza Strip continues to deteriorate. Internet and telephone services in Gaza City have been disrupted, causing 800,000 residents to be disconnected from the outside world.In the course of the Israeli push to the city center, the coordinated tactics of infantry, tanks and air forces have forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee south along the Rashid Road, many carrying only a small amount of luggage on the streets.
According to Gaza Health Department data, at least 61 people have died in the past 24 hours, and the total death toll in this round of conflict has exceeded 65,000.In addition, material shortages have resulted in 435 deaths from hunger or malnutrition, including four children in the last 24 hours.
The internal contradictions in Israel are equally acute. An anti-war rally broke out in Tel Aviv, and public dissatisfaction with Netanyahu grew. to The military had a remarkable anti-combat sentiment, and some soldiers refused to execute orders.
Analysts believe that Netanyahu's insistence on a tough policy is related to his face of corruption allegations and pressure from the far-right alliance, trying to divert domestic attention through military action. However, the ongoing conflict has strained Israeli troops, and casualty data has been classified as "highly confidential" to avoid damaging morale.
The continued strikes by the Houthi armed forces have re-shaped the Red Sea shipping pattern. Shipping giants such as Maersk suspended the Red Sea route, and merchant ships bypassing the Good Hope Corner increased the one-way journey by 6,400 nautical miles, with costs rising by 30 percent. The London Stock Exchange Group estimates that each detour ship will incur an additional cost of $1 million.
The more profound impact lies in the restructuring of regional forces: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a joint defense agreement, clarifying that third-party attacks on any country are treated as “aggression.” Arab countries are accelerating preparations for the establishment of a joint defense front, which indicates that the U.S.-led Middle East security system is facing challenges.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has acknowledged that “Israel is in some sort of isolation” and needs to be prepared for “self-sufficiency.” But the reality is that multi-line warfare is consuming its resources. This containment strategy cut off Israel's maritime lifeline, and Eilat Port actually fell into bankruptcy.
This conflict highlights the fragility of the economic lifeline in modern warfare.The Houthi armed forces are carrying out precision strikes at low technical costs, while Israel’s dependent high-cost air defense systems are difficult to cope with.
Most countries in the international community have turned to support the "two-state solution." If Israel continues to act unilaterally, it may face more serious isolation. However, at present, none of the parties have shown willingness to compromise. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza and shipping risks in the Red Sea continue to escalate, and the prospect of a peaceful solution in the short term is bleak.
References:
Drone hits hotel in southern Israel 2025-09-19 Source: CCTV International
"Israeli media: Houthi armed drone hits Ramon Airport in southern Israel" September 7, 2025 Source: Xinhuanet