Israel's war on Gaza threatens to ignite a war in the region (Reuters)
British political science professor Toby Mathiesen warned that the United States of America and its European allies face serious challenges in the Middle East, due to the war on Gaza, which threatens to undermine the West’s influence in this region.
Mathiesen added, in an interview with the French magazine L'Express, that this war began between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Israel, but its scope soon expanded to include Hezbollah in Lebanon, armed organizations in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen, who prevented the passage of ships heading towards Israel through... The Red Sea, and launched several armed attacks against it, while the United States and Britain responded by bombing targets in Yemen.
He continued that despite the existence of ideological differences between most of these organizations and the Hamas movement, the goal is the same, which is to confront Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, while Iran seeks to seize this opportunity politically to present itself as an influential regional power in the region, as the British expert put it. .
A uniting issue
Mathiesen explained that the liberation of Palestine is a common goal for Arab public opinion in its various sects, and now the Houthi group is very popular in the Arab world, due to its attacks on ships heading to Israel, and its entry into a conflict with the great powers over Gaza, as its leaders soon confirmed that their attacks would not It ends only with the end of Israel's war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
What makes the situation more dangerous for the West - Mathiesen continues - is that the matter is not about regular armies that can be besieged and influenced, but about armed organizations composed of individuals who are ready to sacrifice for the cause of Palestine.
Total war
He stressed that the escalation that could spark a comprehensive regional war depends on the reactions of Israel and the United States, as all it takes is one strategic mistake for the catastrophe to erupt.
He continued that the strategy of Washington and London so far is limited to carrying out air strikes against Houthi targets, but this policy entails risks after Iran threatened a violent response if its forces were attacked.
He stated that ending the conflict through diplomatic means is the only way that will end the cycle of violence, enhance stability, and perhaps revive the credibility of the United States in the Middle East, a credibility that has had many impurities attached to it after everyone saw how the United States embraces Israel and covers up everything it does in Gaza.
Source: French press