Israel-Hamas War

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a thwarted Houthi missile attack against Israel, the U.S. decision to revoke four African nations’ duty-free status, and King Charles III’s visit to Kenya.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Tuesday that it had intercepted missiles and drones launched from the “Red Sea area” and targeting the southern Israeli resort town of Eilat. The Iranian-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attacks and warned of more strikes to come if “Israeli aggression” against Hamas continues, a Houthi military spokesperson said.

According to the IDF, Israel’s Arrow aerial defense system shot down a surface-to-surface long-range ballistic missile aimed at Israeli territory, and Israeli fighter jets intercepted two cruise missiles and multiple drones. This was the first time that Israel used this anti-ballistic missile system since war broke out on Oct. 7.

Tuesday’s attempted strike was the third suspected Houthi attack against Israel in the past three weeks. On Oct. 19, USS Carney, a U.S. Navy warship, thwarted multiple projectiles near Yemen’s coast that were believed to be aimed at Israel. And last Friday, the IDF accused the Houthis of launching drone strikes against two Egyptian towns along the Red Sea in their effort to target Israel.

The escalation comes as Israel continues its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces targeted Hamas’s extensive tunnel system under northern Gaza, where the IDF believes some of the roughly 235 remaining hostages taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7 are being held. Tuesday’s operation follows the IDF’s first successful rescue of a kidnapped Israeli soldier the day before. Hamas militants have freed just four other hostages thus far.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed calls for his resignation over his handling of the conflict. He reiterated that a cease-fire “will not happen,” calling it akin to surrendering to Hamas. And he sought foreign support for Israel’s fight to destroy the Islamist group.

Across the ocean, the Biden administration is struggling to garner that aid. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testified before Congress on Tuesday to appeal for more assistance for both Israel and Ukraine. “Today’s battles against aggression and terrorism will define global security for years to come,” Austin said. “And only firm American leadership can ensure that tyrants, thugs, and terrorists worldwide are not emboldened to commit more aggression and more atrocities.”

Blinken stressed the importance of aiding both countries so U.S. adversaries, such as Russia and China, cannot argue that Washington is playing “whack-a-mole” with global crises. By going soft on Moscow, Blinken said, Russian forces will enable Iranian aggression against the West, which would only further hurt Israel’s security in the long run.

• The Israel-Hamas War Has Entered a ‘New Phase.’ Here’s What to Expect. by Daniel Byman
• How Qatar Became the Middle East’s Indispensable Mediator by Anchal Vohra
• How the European Project Fell Apart by Jan-Werner Müller

Special status rescinded. U.S. President Joe Biden revoked four African nations’ participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act on Monday. Gabon, Niger, Uganda, and the Central African Republic will lose duty-free access to the U.S. market beginning Jan. 1. The act is set to expire in September 2025, but the Biden administration said discussions are already underway to extend it for other qualifying nations.

According to Biden, Gabon and Niger lost membership over their failure to protect the rule of law in their countries. Both nations faced military coups this year that rattled the region. Uganda and the Central African Republic, meanwhile, have records of gross human rights violations that must first be addressed before membership is reconsidered, Biden said.

Britain’s historical reckoning. King Charles III began a four-day visit to Kenya on Monday in his first trip to a Commonwealth nation since assuming the crown. While there, he is expected to address growing calls by former colonial nations for the monarchy to recognize past abuses. Charles made history last year when he acknowledged the royal family’s history of slavery across the British Empire.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II last year sparked renewed debate on membership in the Commonwealth. The prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda as well as Jamaica vowed to hold referendums by 2025 to transition their nations to republics. In the Commonwealth’s history, only Ireland and Zimbabwe have withdrawn from the bloc.

Migrant march. Thousands of migrants traveled to the U.S. border with Mexico on Monday in one of the largest such marches since last June. As many as 5,000 people from Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Venezuela hoped to avoid Mexico’s main migrant processing center near its border with Guatemala by going straight to the U.S.-Mexico border. Immigrants have reported having to wait weeks, if not months, for Mexican authorities to process a work visa.

This year, record numbers of migrants are fleeing nations with high poverty and crime rates. The Darién Gap between Panama and Colombia has seen unprecedented numbers of refugees cross the region. And facing growing pressure to combat immigration into the United States, the Biden administration has implemented numerous policies this year to combat illegal crossings.

What better way to celebrate prime spooky season than a three-day Halloween extravaganza in Dracula’s motherland, Romania? More than 80,000 people arrived in Bucharest for its West Side Hallo Fest at Lacul Morii lake this weekend, marking the country’s largest holiday festival since the fall of communism in 1989. The artificial lake itself is home to countless ghost stories after local authorities moved more than 11,000 graves to create it in the 1980s. Although many in the West likely associate Romania in their imaginations with ghosts and ghouls thanks to the Dracula legend, Halloween itself was largely unknown in the country before 1989. In recent decades, though, it has become popular among Romanians of all ages.