Stop escalating Red Sea tensions

We are very concerned about the sudden escalation of tensions brought about by the US and UK's bombing of Houthi facilities in Yemen. While we condemn the Houthi attacks on Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea, we expect the US and the UK (as great global powers) to act much more responsibly, particularly when an entire region's stability is at stake. The UN Security Council, on Wednesday, already condemned "in the strongest terms" the Houthi attacks off the coast of Yemen which have disrupted global trade. For the US and the UK to launch an attack on Yemeni territories controlled by the Houthi rebels, following the passing of such a resolution, without warning is irresponsible and only risks further escalating an already volatile situation.

Let us not forget that what the Houthi rebels have been trying to enforce with their attacks on ships in the Red Sea is for Israel to stop bombing Gaza, as well as end its ground invasion, and for Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter the besieged Palestinian territory, which nearly the whole world—except for the US and its closest allies—endorses. The primary cause for the recent escalation of conflict, deaths, and suffering in the region has been Israel's horrific aggression towards the Palestinian people, with the help and cover provided by the US, the UK, and others. Therefore, for the US and the UK to bomb Yemen for the Houthi strikes, while providing weaponry, logistical, and diplomatic support to Israel (leading to the death of more than 23,469 Palestinian civilians—thousands of whom are children) is deplorable. Such violent intervention by the US and the UK in the Middle East over the years has led to terrible consequences for the region and its people, and risks doing so again.

Whatever their motive may be, the targeting of ships in the Red Sea by the Houthi rebels is clearly in violation of international law. However, one would expect the US and the UK to not have such a knee-jerk reaction to a rebel group fighting in a country suffering from the world's worst humanitarian crisis, even before Israel escalated its attacks on Gaza. We call on all sides, particularly the US and the UK, to exercise restraint and not escalate the situation any further, in the interest of establishing peace and stability in the region.