free ships – Time

Israel’s objective is to enter Rafah, the last stronghold of Hamas, and capture all the senior officials of the political and paramilitary organization which committed all kinds of brutality last October 7th. According to what we learn, for the United States the land operation of the Tel Aviv forces would be a strategic risk and this is the reason why there is a high focus on civilians and on stabilizing the humanitarian situation. To the conflict that broke out in Gaza we must also add tensions in the Red Sea, where for months now the Houthis have been jeopardizing the balance of free navigation by attacking Western ships. The rebels, however, have told China and Russia that their assets can move without fear of threats or strikes. Bloomberg News reports.

China and Russia have reached an agreement with the Houthis not to target their ships passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, following negotiations conducted in the Sultanate of Oman on navigation in the Red Sea. Iran-backed rebels began attacking shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea last November, a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the war between Israel and Hamas, which began with the October 7 attack by the Palestinian group on southern Israel.

The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing companies to reroute to longer and more expensive voyages around southern Africa. The cost of insurance for a seven-day voyage across the Red Sea has increased by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Beyond the economic damage, the raids also served to stoke fears that the war between Israel and Hamas might spread to destabilize the broader Middle East.