The leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have been targeting Israel in support of Palestinians during the Gaza war, said Thursday the group will watch closely whether the Hamas-Israel ceasefire holds before stopping those operations.
“We will remain vigilant and fully prepared, and monitor… the implementation phase of this agreement. Will this agreement actually lead to an end to the aggression on the Gaza Strip?” asked rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, adding: “This was our original goal.”
“We must be at the highest levels of vigilance and preparedness, and continue our tremendous momentum… until we see whether this agreement will achieve the desired outcome, or whether we will continue our path,” he added.
After the start of the Gaza war in 2023, the Yemeni rebels began targeting Israel with missiles and drones, as well as attacking vessels they deem linked to the country.
The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has responded by carrying out strikes in Yemen, mainly targeting infrastructure such as ports, power stations and the international airport in the capital Sanaa.
In August, Israel killed the head of the Houthi government, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, along with nearly half his cabinet in strikes on the Sanaa area.
Earlier this week, the Houthi health ministry said 319 people had been killed and 1,357 others wounded since the tit-for-tat exchange of fire began.
