On October 16, the Houthi armed forces suddenly officially announced that their chief of general staff, Mohammed Gamari, had actually been killed in an Israeli air strike as early as the end of August, including his 13-year-old son.
As soon as this big news came out, public opinion instantly boiled. Why did the old events two months ago choose at this juncture? What's more coincidentally, Israel also "made up the knife" a few hours later, confirming that it was indeed their responsibility, and it was just when the ceasefire had just started in Gaza and the Israeli army retreated according to the agreement.
This time point is so accurately chosen that it doesn't look like a "coincidence". Who is playing information warfare? What is the calculation behind this belated "obituary"? Don't worry, we'll break it apart and crush it and tell you.
Information war begins: Two months of silence are not forgetting, but waiting for an opportunity
Things started with the air strike on August 28. At that time, the Israeli army launched an attack on Houthi targets, but only said it would attack "high-value targets" and did not explicitly name Gamari.
As a result, two months later, Houthi himself spoke, and the chief of staff and his son had already died, during which time they did not know, but hardened the news, why?
Simply put, the moment in August, Houthi was beaten by the U.S. British coalition in Hotaida, if at this time admitted that the highest military commander hanged, the morale may jump directly, the inside will become a pot, moreover, they have to hurry to find the successor, the newly appointed Madani is not well qualified, has to spend a little time to make up the squad, to stabilize the front, so, this is not a lie, it is "strategic silence".
By October, the situation began to change, the Gaza ceasefire agreement had just landed, the international community had a "peaceful life" atmosphere, the Houthis released news at this time, and so on to the global media shouted, you see, Israel not only bombed us, but also bombed our children!
From a "attacked party" to a "victim of the peace process," Houthi's actions are not brilliant, but they are indeed effective.
On the contrary, Israel was not foolish, and Katz, listening to the Houthis, immediately added: “Yes, indeed we exploded in August.”
At the beginning of the air strike, they left a hand, did not clearly announce the outcome of the war, is afraid that the situation was poured oil on the fire, now the ceasefire agreement has just been signed, the atmosphere is slightly relaxed, at this time the "rebuilding account" can neither hit the opponent, nor be placed on the label of "disrupting the agreement", one by two, the public opinion has also taken, and the moral hat is also worn.
What's more interesting is that the two sides cooperated quite tacitly. One waited for two months to say, and the other quickly "claimed". This is no accident, but an information confrontation between you and me. Whoever masters the rhythm of news release can get an extra initiative on the international stage.
Uncovering the multi-layered calculation of "timing": Not only does it blow up people, but it also blows up psychology
If it was only a military strike, the pattern would be smaller, the death of Kamari, not only a lack of a commander, but the Houthi lost one of the most understandable tactics of the Red Sea, since 2016, the Houthi attacked merchant ships, engaged in drone raids, behind which are basically Kamari's pen.
Now that this person is gone, the entire tactical system has to be rebuilt. Israel chose to announce this during the ceasefire period, which is actually a psychological warfare.
At this time, Houthi was trying to show the outside world that "we are willing to talk and we also want peace." As a result, Israel suddenly broke out the news that "your chief of general staff has died long ago", which is equivalent to destroying the situation in public. This will make the Hussein grassroots soldiers feel uneasy. They are already gone. Who is commanding us? Psychological wavering is often more deadly than blowing up an arsenal.
Let's talk about economic calculations. Don't forget that the Houthis attacked ships, which made everyone afraid to take the Red Sea route. This is the main artery of 12% of the world's trade volume. Shipping companies bypass the Cape of Good Hope, and the cost soars by 30%. Who can stand it? At this juncture, Israel's release of the news that "Gamari is dead" is also "reporting safety" to the international shipping industry. The leader who caused trouble is gone and can consider resuming flights.
This is not a military strike, but a market scream.
There is a deeper layer of geopolitical signals, Kamari's relationship with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the industry is aware of the wave of Israeli officials, and so on to the Iranian camp to speak: "Our ceasefire is not a cease-fire."
Israel did not say it would open a new battlefield, but it continued to maintain psychological pressure on its opponents by announcing its earlier results.
Moreover, don't underestimate the legal significance of this "late press conference". Katz's phrase "He died of his injuries" is very subtle, which is tantamount to blurring the time of death, thus bypassing the international accusation that "you killed people during the ceasefire".
Israel used legal rhetoric to take the lead in words and once again gained the upper hand in the information war.
The "illusion of peace" under the ceasefire agreement: an informational sequel to a war
From the surface, the ceasefire agreement in Gaza is good news, it came into force on October 13, the Israeli military withdrew according to the agreement, the people began to relocate, and the press release of the international community was written quite warm.
But the official declaration of Camry’s death, like a cold water, splashed on this “peace drama” that had just begun, which illustrates what this agreement might be just a suspension key, not a stop key.
Israel announced this, in fact, is also testing the resilience of the ceasefire agreement, the agreement does not say that it can not be published old things, but once you announce it will trigger a chain reaction, the Houthis will definitely consider retaliation, then what about other organizations?
The spark of this information war may detonate more proxy conflicts.
The reaction of the Houthis is also promising. They quickly appointed Madani to take over, and at the same time released malicious words that they would "usher in dark days" for Israel, but this was more like a gesture, and it was unlikely to launch a large-scale counterattack immediately. First, the Houthis are still reorganizing internally, and second, Madani lacks the experience of Gamari, so he is likely to choose to respond with symbolic strikes to stabilize people's hearts.
The role of the United Nations and the Chinese representatives at this time appeared to be crucial, the ceasefire agreement was signed, and the mediator had thought it could be calmed down, and the result now has to be re-imposed.
This "old and new" operation directly hit the trust base of the agreement, and if there is a similar "airstrike old account renovation" situation in the future, how much authority does the agreement still have?
From a broader perspective, the prospect of peace in the Middle East cannot beined by this "stop, blow, stop, stop" rhythm, as long as the fundamental contradictions are not resolved, as long as the information war can still control the situation, this state of "peaceful surface, dark flow" will repeatedly take place, and the real solution is not to negotiate, but to have a set of political frameworks that can make all parties feel "continue to play out".
conclusion
The death of the Hussein "one hand" is not just a military situation, but a multi-faceted confrontation of information war, psychological war, economic war, Israel chose to overturn this "old case" during the ceasefire, both a precise strike, and a letter of reminder to the peace process, only relying on the agreement is not enough, information control and strategic rhythm are equally important.
Whether the Middle East's "peace drama" can really enter the next scene, it is also to be seen whether the parties are also willing to move politically outside of the information war, the current situation seems to be calm, and every word, every news, is the beginning of the next game.