Houthi leader warns of military retaliation against US, Israel

Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, has issued a stark warning, stating that the Houthis are prepared to launch military strikes against US and Israeli targets should they take action against Gaza.

In a televised address, al-Houthi declared that the group was “ready to launch a military intervention at any time in case of escalation against Gaza”, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

"Should the Americans and Israelis choose to strike Gaza, whether before or after Saturday, February 15, we will retaliate," al-Houthi said. “Our hands are on the trigger,” he added.

The Houthis, who control most of western Yemen, including the capital city Sanaa, have escalated their attacks throughout the ongoing Gaza conflict, voicing solidarity with Palestinians. Since November 2023, the group has carried out over 100 attacks on both commercial and military ships in the Red Sea, and has launched missiles and drones toward Israel.

They had previously announced an intention to scale back these actions following a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, but the fragile agreement now seems to be unraveling, largely due to repeated Israeli violations.

The ceasefire deal, which is still in the first of its three phases, aimed to stop the violence but is increasingly at risk. Phase one includes a captive swap, partial Israeli troop withdrawal, and a surge of aid to Gaza. The second phase, which has not yet been fully defined, is expected to lead to a complete end of hostilities, while the third phase would focus on the reconstruction of Gaza.

Hamas has warned that it will halt the release of Israeli captives if Israel continues its violations, including killings, restricting the departure of wounded individuals for treatment, and failing to allow sufficient aid into Gaza. Hamas stated that it would honor the agreement if Israel complies with its terms.

In response to these developments, US President Donald Trump stated that if Hamas does not release all Israeli captives by noon on February 15, he would propose canceling the truce and "let hell break out."

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri rejected Trump’s comments, emphasizing that both sides must respect the ceasefire. "The language of threats has no value and only complicates matters," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed Trump’s warning, declaring that the military would "return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated." Netanyahu, after a four-hour cabinet meeting, also ordered Israeli troops to gather "inside and around the Gaza Strip," and Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, instructed the military to be at the highest level of readiness in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry has confirmed that 48,219 Palestinians have died in the conflict. The war has devastated Gaza's infrastructure, displaced the vast majority of its population, and left hundreds of thousands on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

By Vafa Guliyeva