• Yemen’s Houthis will pause strikes on Israel but warn of renewed action if violence resumes.
• Their military actions against Israel have positioned them as a key player in the broader resistance against Israeli aggression.
With the Gaza ceasefire agreement having taken effect on Sunday, Yemen’s Houthi leadership has announced that it will suspend its military operations against Israel—provided the truce remains intact. For over a year, the Houthis have engaged in a series of missile and drone strikes against Israel, demonstrating an unexpected capacity to bypass the country’s Iron Dome defense system. Alongside these attacks, the Houthis have also waged a persistent campaign against Israeli-linked merchant vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting critical trade routes and dealing economic blows to Israel.
In a speech on Thursday, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi movement, praised Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza for their ongoing fight against Israeli military operations. He confirmed that Yemen would be closely monitoring the ceasefire’s implementation. However, he issued a stern warning that should violence resume, the Houthis are prepared to continue their military operations against Israeli and regional targets.
“If the Israeli enemy continues its genocidal massacres and escalation, we will persist in our offensive and military operations in support of the Palestinian people,” al-Houthi stated. “At any stage where the Israeli enemy returns to aggression and escalation, we will be prepared to provide support.”
General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi-led armed forces, echoed this sentiment, reinforcing the group’s commitment to responding to any breaches of the ceasefire agreement. “The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm their readiness for any developments or American-Israeli escalation against our country and we will continue to monitor the developments of the situation in Gaza and take appropriate escalation options in the event that the enemy breaks the agreement or escalates its operations against the oppressed Palestinian people in Gaza,” he declared.
The Houthis have framed their military operations as a moral obligation to halt the genocide in Gaza. Muhammad al-Bukhaiti, governor of Yemen’s Dhamar province and a senior member of the Houthi political bureau, explained that their military actions serve as leverage for Palestinian resistance groups. “Our military operations in support of Gaza serve as a leverage for Hamas, and when an agreement is reached, they will ask us to halt the military operations.”
Al-Bukhaiti added, “We support a truce, which is a shared demand between us and Hamas. In the past, they requested us to stop military operations when a ceasefire was reached, and we complied with that.”
Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel has ramped up its attacks in Gaza, reportedly killing over 100 Palestinians in the past two days alone. In response, the Houthis have continued their missile strikes. On Saturday, Gen. Saree announced the launch of a ballistic missile targeting Tel Aviv’s defense ministry. While the Israeli Air Force claimed to have intercepted the missile, the resulting debris sparked a fire in Be’er Ya’akov, halting air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport. Later in the day, another missile launch from Yemen was intercepted, according to Israeli defense officials.
The Houthis’ direct involvement in Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza has reshaped their role in regional geopolitics. Previously entangled in Yemen’s internal civil war and battling a U.S.-backed military campaign led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Houthis have now positioned themselves as a formidable regional player with the capability to strike Israel and disrupt global trade.
In December, the Houthis carried out one of their most significant attacks, striking an area within Tel Aviv and reportedly injuring over a dozen people with what they claimed was a hypersonic missile. Their ongoing assaults on Red Sea shipping routes have severely impacted maritime trade, including through the crucial Israeli port of Eilat. Moreover, the Houthis have demonstrated advanced drone warfare capabilities, launching strikes as far as Tel Aviv and targeting U.S. military assets in the region.
Israeli and U.S. forces have responded with retaliatory strikes, targeting infrastructure inside Yemen. However, these efforts have thus far failed to deter the Houthis, who claim to have improved their military strategies. Abdulmalik al-Houthi acknowledged that during the early stages of the conflict, U.S. and allied forces successfully intercepted a significant number of their missiles and drones. However, he asserted that these defenses have now been “largely neutralized” as the Houthis continue to refine their operational tactics.
“We will also continuously strive to develop our military capabilities, God willing, to achieve stronger, greater, and more effective performance in supporting the Palestinian people,” al-Houthi declared. “For us, this is an ongoing path, and we will persist on it.”
U.S. and British forces have launched their own military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen, but these airstrikes appear to have had minimal impact in weakening the group’s offensive capabilities. Meanwhile, the Houthis continue to enhance their drone and missile technology, further challenging Israel’s air defenses and regional military supremacy.
Despite facing domestic and global opposition, the Houthis’ involvement in Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza has galvanized support within Yemen. Massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place in Houthi-controlled areas, drawing what observers estimate to be millions of participants. On Friday, as the ceasefire loomed, Yemenis once again took to the streets in solidarity with Palestinians. A Houthi military spokesperson announced four additional attacks targeting Israeli sites in Jaffa, Ashkelon, and Eilat, as well as another drone strike aimed at the USS Harry S. Truman.
Israel has signaled its intent to escalate attacks on Houthi targets, including potential targeted assassinations of Houthi leadership figures. The Houthis remain a key player within the Iran-backed “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and various militias in Iraq. While Israel has inflicted significant damage on Hezbollah and Hamas, and struck key energy and port facilities in Yemen, the Houthis have so far remained largely intact.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department has intensified its financial crackdown on the Houthis, announcing new sanctions on Yemen Kuwait Bank for Trade and Investment, alleging that the institution facilitated illicit financial transactions for the group. However, these economic measures have yet to deter the Houthis from their military objectives.
Despite these challenges, Houthi leaders remain resolute in their commitment to the Palestinian cause. “We will watch the implementation of the agreement, and if there are any Israeli breaches, massacres, or attacks, we will be ready to provide military support to the Palestinian people,” al-Houthi reiterated.
With the ceasefire agreement now in effect, the coming days will determine whether the Houthis truly pause their operations or if renewed hostilities will draw them further into Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza.
