China, Iran, Egypt, US and Yemen: Five Gaza-Related Developments You Need to Know

October 22, 2023

The world is undergoing rapid developments in response to Israel's war on Gaza.

 The Palestine Chronicle

As Israel continues to escalate its war against Gaza, the region, in fact, the world, is also undergoing rapid developments in response. 

This is a summary of some of the events that could have strategic value and took place in the last 48 hours. 

Chinese Navy

According to the South Chinese Morning Post, “up to six Chinese warships have been operating in the Middle East over the past week.” 

Though the Post said that “the 44 naval escort task force has been in routine operation in the area,” the latest Chinese manoeuvers are being linked by some in the media to the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian Resistance.  

Western Unity against Gaza 

The White House has said that US President Joe Biden is in communication with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Britain to discuss the Gaza war.

What this essentially means is that the United States is continuing to formulate a unified Western strategy in support of Israel against Gaza. 

Bombing Egyptian Target 

On Sunday, the Israeli army struck an Egyptian border watchtower, later declaring that the bombing of the Egyptian side of the border was a mistake. 

Later, Egyptian army spokesman Colonel Staff Gharib Abdel Hafez accepted the Israeli version that the attack on Egypt, which resulted in injuries, was indeed an ‘accident’. 

Middle Eastern, especially Egyptian analysts reject the Israeli version of the event, saying that the attack was a warning to Egypt for refusing to accommodate Israeli plans regarding the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. 

Iran’s New Warning 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian repeated his country’s warnings that “the region had become like a powder keg as a result of the (Israeli) war in Gaza”.

His warning, this time, was not to Israel but to Washington that “all possibilities were available” if Israel continues its crimes against civilians in the Strip. 

What makes this warning different from previous ones is that Iran did not condition its direct or indirect response to a ground attack, but to the continued attacks on Gaza civilians. 

Yemeni Threats 

And finally, the Prime Minister of the interim Yemeni government in Sana’a, Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour, has threatened to target Israeli ships in the Red Sea.

Considering that the Houthi movement in Yemen has already fired missiles, possibly towards Israel, the new threat is being taken seriously by both Washington and Tel Aviv.

In fact, the Pentagon announced on Saturday that it intends to move the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower and its strike group of a cruiser and destroyers from the Eastern Mediterranean to other parts of the Middle East. 

(The Palestine Chronicle)