No Respite in Middle East as Hamas Fires Rockets Into Israel on New Year's Eve

New Year’s Eve festivities did not halt conflict in the Middle East, as Hamas fired rockets into Israel during the evening of the last day of the year. 

According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), Hamas fired two rockets into civilian areas of Southern Israel.

“Hamas continues to threaten our civilians and just fired 2 rockets, triggering sirens in southern Israel,” said the IDF. “We will continue operating to bring our 100 remaining hostages home and dismantle Hamas.”

Israel has been actively fighting Hamas since the latter’s ghastly October 7, 2023 attacks that left over 1,000 Israelis dead and 250 taken as hostages into Gaza. 

According to IDF intelligence reports, Hamas is still holding 101 Hostages in Gaza, 37 of which died in Hamas’ hands. 

Simultaneously, Israel has been combatting Iran-backed Hezbollah and Houthi terrorist forces. 

The United States has actively supported Israel throughout its multi-front conflicts and most recently directly struck Houthi targets across Yemen. 

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), US Navy ships and aircraft struck a Houthi command and control center and weapons production and storage facilities. 

CENTCOM alleged such sites were “used in Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”

Additionally, the US destroyed a Houthi coastal radar site and seven cruise missiles and Houthi drones over the Red Sea.

Houthi forces have executed daily drone and missile attacks against commercial shipping ships believed to have direct or indirect links to the US, Israel, or any of their allies and have recently increasingly directly attacked Israel’s civilian population.

The US warned it would be expanding its operations to counter Houthi threats last week after the IDF executed a series of unilateral strikes against the Houthis. 

Israel justified its attacks as countering the “exploitation of civilian infrastructure for military purposes” by the Houthis, whom Israel categorizes as “a central part of the Iranian axis of terror.”