Today’s global press highlights what is described as the “deadlock” Israeli forces are encountering in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, as well as the perceived helplessness of the United States in the Red Sea.
The Wall Street Journal’s investigation reports that Israeli forces are headed towards a deadlock in Khan Younis, and that the attempt to take control of the “labyrinth of Khan Younis tunnels” represents a treacherous adventure. The report underlines that dominating the city “signals a tightening of the grip on the already displaced vast numbers of Palestinians,” adding that this attempt “coincides with the escalation of international protests due to the large number of martyrs and wounded among Palestinian civilians, increasing pressure on Israel to change its tactics.”
Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that relief officials in Gaza believe there are pockets of famine within the territory, and that parents are “sacrificing their portions of food for their children.” Doctors conveyed to the newspaper that many children died due to lack of food and their body temperatures rising, along with many newborns living only a few days due to their mothers suffering from malnutrition.
In The Jerusalem Post, writer Daniel Goldman argued that Israel needs a new centrist political vision, noting that the current climate of unity “has succeeded in covering up the political and social fissures that simmer below the surface.” However, Goldman believes the disputes from before October 7 could easily resurface, emphasizing that if this happens, recovery “will be even more difficult.”
Haaretz’s editorial called for the “removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the West Bank explodes,” pointing out that the escalation in the West Bank and the opening of another front in the war “is a danger that must be prevented.” The newspaper also mentioned that Netanyahu’s government does nothing but “pour oil on the fire” with its verbal assaults on the Palestinian Authority, its irresponsible comparisons between the authority and Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement), and allowing more settlers to arm themselves and displace Palestinians from their land.
The Houthis Hold the Neck of the Bottle
On the other side of the conflict, the French newspaper Libération stated that commercial ships wishing to enter the Red Sea via the Bab al-Mandab Strait now have to announce they have no affiliation with Israel and include this information in their navigation statements. This is in response to conditions set by the Houthi group in order to avoid the threat and circumvent a long sea route around the African continent.
In The Washington Post, writer David Ignatius said that the Houthi group holds what could be called “bottleneck power,” as it controls the Bab al-Mandab Strait passage, allowing them to influence global supply chains. He argues that this capability “poses a significant vulnerability to the global economy, one that seems to go under-discussed,” adding that it is a weakness the United States—often proud of its role as the guarantor of freedom of navigation—seems unable to prevent.
Lastly, Foreign Affairs Magazine stated that the Gaza war “has revived the Axis of Resistance in the Middle East,” warning that hostility towards the West “could ignite the spark of extremism and political unrest once again.” The magazine noted that the only way to avert this danger “lies in ending the war in Gaza and negotiating a real and fair settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
