Thousands of Yemenis have taken to the streets across the country to express their solidarity with Palestinians in the face of the relentless Israeli air and ground onslaught on the Gaza Strip, calling for a permanent ceasefire in the besieged coastal territory.
Protests were held on Friday in the capital Sa’ada, northern provinces of Hajjah and al-Jawf, western provinces of Hudaydah and Dhamar, central provinces of al-Bayda, and Ma’rib and the southwestern province of Ta’izz.
The participants held up pictures of leader of the Ansarullah resistance movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, and carried banners in condemnation of Israeli crimes against Gazans, where Israeli strikes have killed more than 20,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 7.
They also chanted slogans of anger directed at Israel and its staunchest military and diplomatic backer, the United States.
The Yemeni demonstrators also pledged to confront any act of aggression against their homeland.
Yemen will strike any state opening up airspace for military strikes
Meanwhile, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, highlighted that Yemeni Armed Forces will not hesitate to strike any country that would open up its airspace for US-led military strikes against the Arab nation.
Houthi told Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television news network on Thursday night that “Any country that would clear its airspace for enemy fighter jets to bomb Yemen will be dealt with properly. Yemeni Armed Forces are working to overcome challenges as they launch missile strikes against the occupying Zionist entity.”
He went on to state that the US-led maritime task force in the Red Sea was primarily formed to protect the best interests of Tel Aviv, and had no relation whatsoever with protecting international sea navigation as claimed by Washington and its allies.
Houthi stressed that Yemeni forces will continue to target Israeli-owned and Israel-bound ships in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and pose no threat to other merchant vessels cruising in the waterway.
The senior Yemeni official added that the US supports the Israeli genocidal war in Gaza, demanding all parties who feel insecure in the Red Sea and seek security to work for complete cessation of Israeli atrocities.
“The United States is militarizing the Red Sea, and adversely affecting international maritime traffic. Yemenis won’t ever stand idly by if Yemen comes under strikes by the US or any other country.
“All options are on the table to respond to any possible American act of aggression,” Houthi pointed out.
He also advised Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates not to side with Israel against those who support Palestinian people, terming it as “morally unacceptable” for Riyadh to stay neutral in the face of the calamities unfolding in Gaza.
Yemenis would not like Saudi Arabia to participate in any alliance that would support Israel, Houthi underscored.
The senior Yemeni official also said that Israel is posing serious threats to the future of Saudi Arabia, commending Egypt’s decision not to take part in the US-led alliance in the Red Sea.
