Houthi leader threatens to renew attacks on ‘Israeli-linked vessels’ as Gaza aid blockade continues
Sanaa, March 11 (IANS) Yemen’s Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, announced that his group is preparing military operations against Israeli-linked vessels if humanitarian aid does not reach Gaza within a four-day deadline he set last week.
“We stand by our deadline for the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, and our armed forces are ready to execute operations,” al-Houthi declared in a televised speech on the group’s Al-Masirah TV channel on Monday.
The Houthi leader had previously issued a four-day ultimatum to mediators between Israel and Hamas to facilitate the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza. This deadline is set to expire on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Houthi group, who control much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, has launched drone and rocket attacks against Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and Israeli cities since November 2023, expressing support for Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
In response, Israel has conducted retaliatory strikes targeting Houthi military sites in Sanaa and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.
The Houthi attacks ceased following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. However, the group now threatens to resume operations if the blockade on Gaza is not lifted.
The Houthi group, which controls large swathes of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, has previously targeted vessels they say are linked to Israel in the Red Sea as support for Palestinians during the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Israel has targeted the Houthis in Yemen five times during the ongoing conflict. The most recent strike occurred on January 10. The initial attack took place on July 20, 2023, followed by additional strikes on September 29, December 19 and December 26. The port of Hodeidah was repeatedly hit in these airstrikes.
Since November last year, the Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen, has been conducting missile and drone attacks on what it said were “Israeli-linked” ships in regional waters and beyond, as well as targets in Israel, to show solidarity with Palestinians amid their conflict with Israelis in Gaza.
–IANS
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