We are very concerned by the military intervention in Yemen led by the US, UK, and other forces. It represents a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. This development is a result of their governments' failure to demand a halt to the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza.
It has long been feared that the conflict would morph into a wider regional war, and current events confirm such concerns. The Middle East is now facing its most precarious situation in a generation. Western governments' reluctance to demand a lasting ceasefire in Israel and Palestine poses a serious threat, risking the potential spread of hostilities to Yemen, Lebanon, and beyond, and even raising the spectre of nuclear war.
Yemen has endured a devastating conflict for much of the past decade, marked by repeated bombings by Saudi Arabia, supported by the British government, in opposition to the Yemeni Houthis. While a truce is now in place, the Houthis control significant portions of Yemen.
The target of the attacks has been missile sites used by the Houthis, who have been disrupting shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinians. Aligned with Iran, the Houthis' actions raise the risk of the conflict spreading to Iran, with potentially devastating consequences.
The UK's involvement in this alarming attack was not subjected to parliamentary discussion, and it is imperative that Members of Parliament demand both a ceasefire and an end to this dangerous escalation.
The Houthis have explicitly stated that they would cease these attacks if a ceasefire were established in Gaza. Instead of bombing a severely impoverished country, the US and UK governments should be urging Israel to halt its attacks and implement a ceasefire.