The leader of Yemen’s Houthi group announced on Tuesday that their forces would carry out additional attacks on Israel, potentially targeting Israeli vessels in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The Iran-aligned faction launched multiple missile and drone attacks against Israel this month, underscoring the potential for the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas to expand across the broader Middle East.
Since 2015, the Houthis have been engaged in a war against a Saudi-led coalition. They have gained prominence as a significant military entity in the Arabian Peninsula, amassing tens of thousands of fighters and possessing a substantial arsenal consisting of ballistic missiles and armed drones.
The group controls northern Yemen and its Red Sea coasts.
“Our eyes are open to constantly monitor and search for any Israeli ship in the Red Sea, especially in Bab al-Mandab, and near Yemeni regional waters,” Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a broadcast speech.
Since then, Israel has intensified its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian officials claim that more than 11,000 individuals have been killed by Israeli forces.
The conflict in Yemen has reached a standstill, with the fighting largely halted. However, both sides have not succeeded in extending a United Nations-brokered ceasefire that lapsed in October.