Stopping the Houthis from attacking Israel and Red Sea shipping will take more than military action alone, the Pentagon's top officer said on Thursday as the Iran-backed group warned of further escalation in its campaign against Israel.
Gen CQ Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the international coalition based in the Red Sea is succeeding in reducing the Houthis' military capabilities.
“But at the same point, it's going to take more than just a military operation,” Gen Brown told Pentagon reporters.
“This is an engagement with the international community … to use various tools to put pressure on the Houthis to cease this.”
On July 19, a Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv hit a house near the US embassy branch office, killing one person and marking a significant escalation in the Gaza war.
Israel retaliated by attacking the port of Hodeidah, the main entry point for aid to Yemen.
Yemen's Houthi leader, Abdul Malik Al Houthi, said a response to the Israeli strikes was “inevitable”.
The rebel chief called on supporters to form a “million man march” after Friday prayers in protest against Israel's attack and in support of the Palestinian people.
The Houthis are “focused on successfully launching an attack on Israel and this one drone that that was able to get through is something that … happened”, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said alongside Gen Brown.
“But when you consider the fact that they have tried to attack Israel some 200 plus times and this one got through, I think it speaks to the remarkable air defences that Israel has.”
On the Gaza war, Gen Brown said Israel has not provided detailed plans about what will follow the conflict, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the US Congress that Israel seeks to retain full control of the strip's security.
“As far as the day after, we have talked to the Israelis about this, how to make a transition. We've talked to them a number of times,” Gen Brown told Pentagon reporters yesterday.
“There's not a lot of detail that I've been able to see from a plan from them. This is something that we'll continue to work with them on.”
Mr Netanyahu on Wednesday gave a contentious address to Congress in which he said Israel does not seek to resettle Gaza.
“For the foreseeable future, we must retain overriding security control there to prevent the resurgence of terror, to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel,” he said.
“Gaza should have a civilian administration run by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel. That's not too much to ask.”
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
