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SANAA: Demonstrators shout slogans and raise their assault rifles during a rally to denounce Zionist entity and in solidarity with Palestinians in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, on January 17, 2025. --AFP
SANAA: Demonstrators shout slogans and raise their assault rifles during a rally to denounce Zionist entity and in solidarity with Palestinians in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, on January 17, 2025. --AFP

Yemen’s Houthis declaim their defiance of Zionists

SANAA, Yemen: Thousands of Yemenis crowded the capital Sanaa Friday to express their support for the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who say they will maintain pressure on Zionist entity despite the imminent Gaza ceasefire. Every week for the past 15 months, people have filled the center of the rebel-held city on the day of prayer and rest to chant their backing for the Palestinians.

This week, with the ceasefire awaiting final Zionist entity cabinet approval before coming into effect on Sunday, was no different. The agreement brokered between Zionist entity and Hamas would see hostages held in war-devastated Gaza being exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Zionist entity. “We’re here to celebrate the victory (of the Palestinians) and of our missiles and drones which forced Zionist entity to halt its aggression in Gaza,” said one demonstrator, Zeid Al-Astout.

A Houthi, Khaled Al-Matri, told AFP he supported the ceasefire deal for Gaza. But he added: “We will not give in until the disappearance of the Zionist state, God willing”, before breaking into chants of “Death to America, death to Zionist entity!” Since the war in the Gaza Strip began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Zionist entity, the Houthis have fired dozens of missiles and attack drones at Zionist entity. They have also targeted shipping in the key Red Sea and Gulf of Aden waterways that are vital to world trade. The Houthis, who say their action is in solidarity with the Palestinians, have themselves seen their positions in Yemen hit by US, Zionist entity and sometimes British air strikes. On Thursday, rebel leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi in a televised address threatened to keep up their attacks if Zionist entity does not respect the ceasefire with Hamas. “We will watch the implementation of the agreement, and if there are any Zionist entity breaches, massacres or attacks, we will be ready to provide military support to the Palestinian people,” he said. It was a speech “full of defiance”, said Mohammed Albasha, founder of the US-based risk consultancy Basha Report.

He said the Houthi leader’s speech suggested “the potential mobilization of up to one million fighters and a readiness to expand operations if challenged”.

Basha said the Houthis “stand ready for future rounds of confrontation”. The Houthis, originally from northern Yemen, form part of the Iran-backed “Axis of Resistance”, which also includes Hamas and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

The Houthis ousted the Sanaa government in 2014 and later went on to seize large swathes of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country. Unlike Hezbollah, which was severely weakened in fighting with Zionist entity before a November 27 ceasefire, the Houthis “are now an indispensable member of the Axis of Resistance”, according to Thomas Juneau of the University of Ottawa. The specialist on Yemen said the Houthis have “become much more important for Iran”. Their defiance in attacking Zionist entity and its ally the United States over the Gaza war has boosted their popularity in Yemen, a poor nation of 30 million people who are strongly pro-Palestinian.

But backing for Yemen’s rebels is not universal. “The Houthis have never done anything positive. Their support for Gaza is the only thing enabling them to polish up their image,” said 36-year-old Assem Mohammed from the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port city of Hodeida.

Hanaa Abdel Rahman, a teacher who is also from Hodeida, spoke of “this emotional boost (for the Houthis) because of their support for Palestine”. She thought Houthi attacks on Zionist entity would continue, despite the Gaza ceasefire. “I expect they will continue to threaten or to retaliate,” she said, adding that she fears a conflagration in Yemen which has suffered a decade of civil war. Thomas Juneau believes the Houthi attacks may cease in the short term, but he doubts this will be permanent. — AFP

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