[중동전쟁]
Biden: “Don’t let Hamas and Putin win”
Request for emergency budget worth 100 trillion won from Congress
Defense Lee: “Let’s go, we’ll see it from the inside soon”
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on the 19th (local time) that Yemen’s Shia Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, intercepted missiles and drones believed to be targeting Israel through the Navy destroyer ‘Kani’ operating in the northern Red Sea. The Associated Press gave significance to the fact that this shootdown marks the first shot fired by the U.S. military to defend Israel after the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas that broke out on the 7th. In fact, as it could serve as an opportunity for the United States to participate in the war, concerns about the expansion of the war will increase and opposition from the entire Arab world is expected to follow.
On the same day, U.S. President Joe Biden also made a speech to the nation at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington and announced that he would request an emergency budget from Congress for Israel and Ukraine. Political media outlets such as Axios reported that the United States also decided to send tens of thousands of 155m artillery shells, which it had intended to provide to Ukraine, to Israel. Israel has repeatedly announced its intention to soon deploy ground troops into the Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas, raising tensions throughout the Middle East.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on the 19th that the USS Carney, deployed in the northern Red Sea, intercepted three cruise missiles and a number of unmanned aerial vehicles believed to have been launched by Houthi rebels toward Israel, judging them to be “potential threats.”
On the same day, President Biden said, “We face an inflection point in history. “Terrorists” (Hamas) and “dictators” (Russian President Vladimir Putin) have something in common: they want to annihilate neighboring democratic countries, he said, adding, “We will not let them win.” He emphasized support, saying that if we do not support the two countries, America’s leadership will also suffer. Reuters reported that he proposed to Congress on the 20th a budget of $14 billion (about 19 trillion won) for Israel, $60 billion (about 81 trillion won) for Ukraine, and $7 billion (about 9.5 trillion won) for the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan. He said he would request .
The Arab world’s backlash against US support is also significant. On the 20th, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh issued a general mobilization order to protest against Israel around the world. Previously, on the 18th, the US Air Force Base in Ain al-Assad in western Iraq was also attacked by rockets and drones, believed to be the work of an Islamic militant group. A drone attack was also carried out at the Al Harir Air Force Base in northern Erbil.
Even in the West Bank and the border between Israel and Lebanon, clashes between those who support Israel and those who oppose it continue. Reuters reported on the 19th that at least 70 people were killed and 1,200 injured in clashes between the two sides in the West Bank alone after the outbreak of war. Concerns are also growing that Israel will go to war with Hezbollah, which receives full support from Iran and has troops and weapons comparable to the regular army.
Israel’s deployment of ground troops in the Gaza Strip has also begun. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited a military garrison near the Gaza Strip on the 19th and said, “Right now we are looking at the Gaza Strip from a distance, but soon we will see it from the inside,” and added, “The (entry) order will be issued.” Jaron Finkelman, commander of the southern military, also emphasized, “Now we will move the fight to their (Hamas) territory.”
Economy Minister Nir Barkat also said in an interview with ABC News that “the military has received the ‘green light’ to launch an offensive when weapons arrive from the United States.” Considering this, the deployment of ground troops is expected to occur when American weapons such as artillery shells arrive and when the effects of weather and other factors are minimal. The New York Times previously reported that the Israeli military attempted to deploy ground troops on the 14th and 15th, but postponed it because they thought air support would be difficult due to cloudy weather.
According to Bloomberg, the Israeli think tank Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) predicted that the Israeli military would carry out a ground operation in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, where Hamas headquarters is located, to kill Hamas leaders, and would carry out a surgical-style precision strike in the southern part out of concern for civilian casualties. .
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.