Houthis ready to attack Israel if Gaza war resumes, group's leader warns

The Islamist military group Houthis are ready to mount attacks on Israel if it resumes its assault on Gaza and does not commit to the ceasefire deal, the group’s leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi said.

“Our hands are on the trigger and we are ready to immediately escalate against the Israeli enemy if it returns to escalation in the Gaza Strip,” Al-Houthi said in a televised speech, Caliber.Az reports, citing Arab media.

The Houthis, part of Iran’s anti-Israel and anti-Western regional alliance known as the Axis of Resistance, had attacked Israeli and other vessels in the Red Sea, disturbing global shipping lanes, in what they said were acts of solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians during Israel’s war with Hamas.

The Houthis have also launched missiles and drones toward Israel, hundreds of kilometres to the north.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement, reached on January 15, 2025, between Israel and Hamas, has faced significant challenges in its implementation. The deal aimed to halt hostilities, facilitate the release of hostages, and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Hamas has delayed the release of the next batch of Israeli hostages, citing alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the ceasefire will be terminated and military action will resume if the hostages are not released by February 15. President Donald Trump has also threatened severe consequences unless all Israeli hostages are freed by the same deadline. These developments have escalated tensions and raised concerns about the future of the ceasefire.

The situation for families of Israeli hostages is becoming increasingly dire, with many expressing fear and frustration over the delays. Some hostages have shared harrowing details of their captivity, intensifying the anxiety of their families. Additionally, President Trump's proposal to relocate Gaza's population to neighbouring countries for redevelopment has been met with widespread rejection from Arab nations, including Egypt and Jordan, who stress the need for Gaza's reconstruction and a political solution for an independent Palestinian state.

By Khagan Isayev