NEW DELHI: In a significant escalation of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Yemenโs Houthi rebels have officially declared their entry into the hostilities. They claim to have initiated a series of missile and drone attacks against Israeli positions in a show of solidarity with Palestine.
A social media post on X explained, โThis anti-Israeli, anti-Western alliance of militant groups is backed by Iran and includes:
โ Lebanonโs Hezbollah (most powerful)
โ Hamas
โ Yemenโs Houthis
โ Syria
โ Iraqi Shia Militias.โ
View The Tweet Here:
YEMENโS HOUTHIS DECLARE WAR ON ISRAEL
Earlier today, following three attacks against Israel, the Houthis took responsibility and declared war.
Who are the Houthis?
In brief, they are part of what is known as the Axis of Resistance.
This anti-Israeli, anti-Western alliance ofโฆ pic.twitter.com/621izamsS2
โ Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 1, 2023
Over the past few weeks, thousands of Lebanese civilians have evacuated southern Lebanon on their own initiative, out of fear that Hezbollah will bring war upon them.
Funerals are being held in Shiite villages in southern Lebanon for Shiites who were sent by Nasrallah toโฆ
โ Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 31, 2023
The Houthi military issued a statement aired on their television channel, Al-Masirah TV, stating, โThe Yemeni Armed Forces confirm they will continue to carry out qualitative strikes with missiles and drones until the Israeli aggression stops.โ
Abdelaziz bin Habtour, the Prime Minister of the Houthi government, emphasised their commitment to the โaxis of resistanceโ against Israel. This axis comprises Tehran-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. He stressed that they were fighting with both โwords and drones,โ according to the Agence France-Presse.
ALSO READ: Mob attack on Russian airport targets Jews aboard flight from Israel
Yahya Saria, the spokesperson for the Houthi group, explained that these aerial attacks were a response to their sense of โreligious, moral, humanitarian, and national responsibility for the people of Gaza.โ The people of Gaza are facing a mounting humanitarian crisis due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment.
It is worth noting that the Houthi rebels, who seized Yemenโs capital, Sanaa, in 2014, control significant parts of the country. In the past, they have conducted attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which have engaged in military campaigns against the Houthi rebels.
After the attack, on Tuesday, the IDF took to X and said, โThe IDF Aerial Defense Array intercepted an aerial threat that was identified in the area of the Red Sea, south of the city of Eilat, a short while ago.โ
This development has the potential to further complicate an already volatile situation in the Middle East, and it underscores the interconnectedness of regional conflicts in the region.
