Military field developments in Yemen, the West Bank and Lebanon

In a lightning operation, the Yemeni army regained “Bab al-Mandab” and the city of Mokha and its port, yesterday, in a dramatic shift with the head of the Presidential Command Council, Rashad al-Alimi, launching the “Yemen Dawn” operation to restore state institutions and end the control of the Houthi group, while violent battles continued in the southern countryside of Taiz, amid the Houthis’ flight from the areas to which they had advanced.

The "Homeland Shield" forces, the "Giants' Brigades" and the "Tihamiya Resistance" forces, backed by the popular resistance, took control of the city of Mocha, west of Taiz Governorate, after violent battles they fought with the terrorist Houthi militias supported by the Iranian regime. The Yemeni forces, with air support, were able to control the city of Mokha after confrontations with the Houthi militias that had controlled the city since the beginning of last September.

The sources said that the battles that took place in a number of locations surrounding the city of Mokha used various types of weapons, and resulted in deaths and injuries among the Houthis and the capture of dozens.

According to government sources, the armed forces are continuing their qualitative military operations to restore state institutions, liberate the capital, Sanaa, and end the coup by the terrorist Houthi militias.

In parallel with the ground attack, the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government announced the participation of 100 combat aircraft during the first hours of the operation, and the destruction of 324 targets, which it described as “high value,” while continuing air support for forces on the ground and securing the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

In addition, the official spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Colonel Majid Al-Nuzaili, announced the start of a strategic attack on Sanaa using advanced military capabilities, amid anticipation of an attack from all axes and fronts.

Today (Monday), the Israeli army killed a Palestinian and wounded others in the West Bank, in light of a security escalation with the beginning of the comprehensive closure of the West Bank on the third anniversary of the October 7 war.

The Israeli army opened fire on a car near the entrance to the town of Bani Naim, southeast of Hebron, in the south of the West Bank, on the pretext of an attempt to carry out a ramming attack, killing one man and wounding two. Local sources reported that Mahmoud Idais (41 years old), from the city of Yatta, south of Hebron, was the one who was immediately shot dead.

The Palestinians accused the army of executing him in cold blood simply on suspicion that his car was speeding.

Security and local sources told the official Palestinian News Agency that the occupation forces fired live bullets directly at the vehicle near the entrance to Bani Naim, while the Red Crescent said that the occupation forces prevented its crews in Hebron from reaching the casualties inside the vehicle.

The Israeli army responded with a later statement in which it said that its force had spotted a vehicle driving suspiciously with three suspects on board. After that, the vehicle accelerated towards a force vehicle and collided with it.

The statement added: “There were no casualties among our forces. In response, the force opened fire at the suspicious vehicle, and injuries were detected. The forces began combing operations and closed roads and nearby villages.”

The incident increased tension in the West Bank, which has witnessed clashes, raids, Israeli assassinations, and Palestinian operations in the past few weeks.

The Israeli authorities closed the West Bank, along with the crossings leading to the Gaza Strip, on Monday, in a measure that will continue until Wednesday, coinciding with the third anniversary of the attacks on October 7, 2023.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said, in a statement, that he approved the army’s recommendation to impose a closure in light of what he described as an “evaluation of the security situation,” and on the occasion of the commemoration of the events of October 7.

Israel fears a Palestinian escalation on the anniversary of the October attacks, and also fears, according to Israeli media, that Palestinian security personnel will participate in such attacks, which is an old scenario.

Israeli Channel 14 said that the army and security establishment are preparing to present operational plans to the Central Region Command to deal with the “gun coup” scenario to the next Ministerial and Security Council meeting.

“Gun coup” is the term given by the security services to a scenario in which the authorities use their guns against Israel and the settlers.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese Army will begin joint training with the British Army, according to what the two parties announced, with elements from the armies of the United States, France, and Italy participating in this unusual maneuver that extends for 3 weeks, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

Britain is one of the main countries supporting the Lebanese Army, and has provided it over the years with millions of dollars in support, including training thousands of members to secure the land borders.

The army stated in a statement on Monday that the joint exercises, called “Pegasus CEDAR 2026,” aim to “enhance the capabilities of military units and raise the level of coordination between the Lebanese army and friendly armies.”

According to the army, the maneuver includes “reconnaissance and raid training, fighting in built-up areas, helicopter landing operations, and mortar shooting.”

In addition to British soldiers from the Royal Scottish Regiment and members of the Airborne Regiment in the Lebanese Army, “members from the armies of the United States and Italy are participating in the training, with elements from the armies of France, Cyprus, Qatar, and Jordan joining as observers,” according to what the British embassy announced in a statement on Monday.

She said that the training, which was preceded by a similar exercise in 2023, aims to “strengthen bilateral defense relations and improve operational readiness.”

The Lebanese army, which suffers from a lack of equipment and technical capabilities, faces many challenges in terms of completing its deployment in southern Lebanon, according to a framework agreement concluded by the Lebanese and Israeli governments last June, which stipulated the disarmament of Hezbollah and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south.

Lebanon calls on the international community to provide additional support for the army so that it can complete its deployment and carry out its tasks.

Following a devastating war that Hezbollah and Israel fought for more than a year, which ended with a ceasefire in November 2024, the Lebanese government approved a plan to disarm Hezbollah, stipulating that weapons be restricted to the hands of legitimate forces, and tasked the army with its implementation. Lebanon subsequently received international promises to support the army to perform its missions.