By Afshain Afzal

There can be no doubt that Israel has claimed that it attacked Yemen’s Hodeidah port in which six people were killed and 83 others injured. Such long-distance attack creates suspicion but the Israeli Air Force has a fleet of RAM, Boeing 707s and B767 equipped with a boom refueling system similar to the KC-135. Israel is desperately waiting for US Boeing KC-46A aerial refueling tanker as part of September 2021, $927 million US-Israel foreign military sale contract. The pieces of information gathered pinpoints at US Air Base at Djibouti. There is only a minute chance that US provided Tel Aviv with KC-46A aerial refueling tanker ahead of 2025 delivery date and it might be used in the attack of Hodeidah port. But we have a statement from Central Command saying that US did not participate in the attack.

Statement in which Saudi Arabia, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no relation or involvement in targeting Al Hodeidah and the Kingdom will not allow any entity to violate its airspace. This means that Saudi space was not used in Israel's attack on Yemen's port, which also matches the information by the company dealing with imageries. The timely wise statement by Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki compelled Washington to issue a reciprocal statement that clarified US’ noninvolvement in Hodeidah port attack. Houthis are yet to be recognized and lack official status as yet, but being Muslim brethren are equally respected. It was not an attack on Houthis but Israelis have attacked the sovereignty of Yemen.

If we recall, in January 2024, Djibouti's Prime Minister Abdul-Qadir Kamil Muhammad confirmed that Djibouti rejected US demand to install anti-Yemen MIM-104 Patriot air defense system launchers and other missiles in the Red Sea but Pentagon was not permitted and were asked to use Djibouti base against Yemen.

Israelis and allies are trying to divide the Muslim leadership so that they remain each other’s enemies and keep importing costly weapons from the West. For the same reason, Israel authorities claim that they informed Saudi Arabia in advance about its attack on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Saturday and their aircraft refueled by Saudi Arabia. Riyadh denied any such permission allowing warplanes to pass through Saudi airspace to bomb Houthi targets.

The fact cannot be denied that Israeli-Western allies have decided to open new war fronts in the Muslim countries, which are supporting Independent Palestine and implementation of ICJ and ICC verdicts against Israel for their genocide and other war crimes. The latest misadventure of attack on Yemen Hodeidah port is part of the conspiracy coupled with Western propaganda through their agents and allies regarding the fake re-emergence of Al Qaida and ISIS and the deployment of foreign forces. It is high time that Muslims and allies remain united to bring peace in this world.