what to remember from Wednesday January 10

British and US forces say they have foiled ‘largest attack’ by Houthis in Red Sea, while six people die in strike on ambulance in Gaza Strip

No sign of respite in the Gaza Strip, Wednesday January 10. While the Israeli army continued its bombings, the Palestinian Red Crescent announced the death of six people, including four of its rescuers, in a strike on an ambulance. A civilian was also killed in southern Lebanon by a strike blamed on Israel. The Houthis again attacked an American ship in the Red Sea, immediately repelled by British and American forces. And talks to end this war continue, particularly between leaders of the Middle East. Franceinfo takes stock of what to remember from the day.

Houthis attack US ship in Red Sea

British and American forces shot down 18 drones and three missiles fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea on Tuesday evening, in what the British government described on Wednesday as a “largest attack” Yemeni rebels to this day. “Overnight”, the British ship HMS Diamond with American warships “successfully repelled the largest attack to date in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis”wrote British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, on the social network.

Yemen’s rebels also claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement on “large number” missiles and drones had targeted an American ship which “provided support” to Israel in its war against Hamas.

In the process, the UN Security Council on Wednesday demanded an end to “immediate” Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, calling on all states to respect the arms embargo targeting Yemeni rebels. According to this resolution, these attacks “impede international trade and undermine the rights and freedoms of navigation, as well as the peace and security of the region”.

Mahmoud Abbas “committed” to reform of the Palestinian Authority, according to Antony Blinken

The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken affirmed on Wednesday that Mahmoud Abbas was determined to reform the Palestinian Authority, in order to potentially reunify the war-torn Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. “I don’t want to speak for President Abbas, but I think what I take away from this meeting is that he is committed to doing this and he is fully prepared to move forward. ‘Before”he said in response to a question from AFP.

He made this declaration in Manama, capital of Bahrain, as part of a regional tour which had taken him just before to Israel and the West Bank. He met Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel. During this meeting, “We also spoke about the importance of reforming the Palestinian Authority, its policies and governance, so that it can effectively assume responsibility for Gaza, and that Gaza and the West Bank can be reunified under one leadership Palestinianhe said.

Antony Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s support for the creation of a Palestinian state. Far-right ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have pleaded in recent days for a recolonization of Gaza, or even the departure of Palestinians there.

Jordan’s king and Egyptian and Palestinian presidents want more ‘pressure’ to end war

King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian Presidents Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Wednesday to “keep the pressure on” to stop the war in the Gaza Strip and protect Palestinian civilians. In a statement following a meeting in Aqaba, southern Jordan, the three leaders also reaffirmed the importance “to ensure the delivery of relief and humanitarian aid to Gaza in a permanent and sufficient manner.”

According to the press release, they also warned against “attempts to reoccupy parts of Gaza or establish safe zones there”. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, from where the Palestinian Authority was driven out in 2007 by Hamas, winner of the Palestinian elections a year earlier. The three leaders said they would “oppose any Israeli plan to displace Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip“.

They agreed to “continue to work jointly in coordination with Arab countries and influential countries (…) in order to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution”.

Six dead in strike on ambulance, Red Crescent says

On the military front in Gaza, the Israeli army continued its bombings and reported operations in the areas of Maghaziet Khan Younes, with “more than 150 targets hit”, and 15 tunnels discovered. According to an AFP journalist, these areas suffered intense bombing. The Palestinian Red Crescent also announced the death of six people, including four of its rescuers, in a strike on an ambulance in the center of the Gaza Strip, which it attributed to the Israeli army.

Civilian killed in southern Lebanon by strike blamed on Israel

A civilian was killed Wednesday by artillery fire in a border village in southern Lebanon, announced the mayor of the locality and an official media outlet, attributing this bombardment to Israel. He “was killed by Israeli artillery fire while he was in the garden of his house”, said Hassan Sheyyet, the mayor of Kfarkila village municipality. The victim was “a civilian, without party affiliation”, he added, without further details. His death was also confirmed by the official Lebanese Ani News Agency.