Yemen’s Houthis promise ‘military surprises’ in Red Sea operations

“Our military operations will continue and advance and we have surprises that our enemies will not expect at all,” al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday.

Yemeni forces have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against Israeli and Israel-bound ships since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s war on Gaza.

Al-Houthi stated 54 ships have been targeted in Yemeni operations in support of Gaza so far, adding rarely does any ship associated with the Israeli enemy pass through Bab al-Mandab.

“We have launched 384 missiles and drones at the ships that were moving towards the occupying regime in the Red Sea.”

The United States and Britain began striking Yemen last month in order to dissuade the country from targeting Israeli ships which carry arms and logistics for the onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Al-Houthi said the Americans and the British have received “painful blows” from the Yemeni armed forces in retaliation.

“The American and British attacks have not affected our military power in any way. On the contrary, the process of increasing and expanding our attacks continues.”

“The Americans are now admitting their failure to achieve their aggressive goals against our country and are surprised by our strength,” he added.

Al-Houthi said what insures the navigation security in the Red Sea is for any country not to participate in the Israeli aggression against Gaza.

He said the Americans and those who drag the United States towards the militarization of the Red Sea are the ones who undermine international navigation.

Al-Houthi also criticized the silence of the regional countries on the “crimes committed by the Zionists against the Palestinians”.

He added if Muslims and Arabs helped the people of Gaza, “these people could finish off the enemy in the war fronts”.

“Why is the Islamic Ummah’s level of support for the Palestinian people not the same as that of the United States and the West for the Zionist enemy?” he asked.

Arab countries, al-Houthi stressed, cannot shirk their responsibility, “because this has serious consequences for them”.

“Genocide and heinous crimes in Palestine reveal the truth of Zionists’ hatred of Muslims, especially Arabs. The Arabs are the first to be targeted by the Zionist Jews and they should act quickly… unfortunately, among the Arabs, they are very indifferent to the conspiracies against them.”

Al-Houthi also added most Arab-Islamic countries have not done anything about the Israeli threat to the Islamic Ummah, adding “Iran was the first country to support Palestine against the Zionist enemy”.

The Islamic Ummah, he said, should wake up from its slumber and fulfill its responsibilities with wisdom and insight.

“The Islamic Ummah should learn from the resistance of Iraq, which defeated America. The Ummah should learn from the efficiency and effectiveness of the Yemen front, which even the enemy has admitted.”

Al-Houthi also touched on the developments in southern Lebanon and the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel on the northern borders of the occupied Palestinian territories.

“The south Lebanon front has proven its efficiency with the operations of Hezbollah which has scored many victories. The war and conflict continues, and its real consequences will be the despair of the enemies and their inevitable defeat,” he said.

Al-Houthi added the Americans have lent enormous support to Israel in its war on Gaza, and they are the ones who have prevented a ceasefire despite widespread international demands.

“The behavior of Western countries, especially America, is in complete contradiction with their slogans about human rights.”

Al-Houthi stated the dimensions of Israeli crimes, in which the US is directly involved, is beyond any imagination and breaks all taboos.

“The West makes contradictory decisions about human rights, and the aggression against Gaza proves the truth of this claim. America’s decisions about humanity and human rights are the most contradictory,” he continued.

The Houthi leader said Israel has failed in forcing the Palestinian to migrate from Gaza despite killing, destroying and starving the people.

“The occupying regime has also failed miserably in eliminating Gaza fighters and returning its captives despite the massive support of the Americans.

“Although five months have passed since the invasion and siege of Gaza, the resistance fighters in Gaza are fighting bravely and effectively against the enemy,” he continued, adding the “occupiers have committed 2,735 massacres in the genocidal war targeting civilians in Gaza, including the latest massacre on al-Rashid Street”.

“As a result of the aggression in Gaza, there are more than 100 thousand martyrs, wounded, missing and prisoners.”

He touched on the outbreak of infectious diseases in Gaza, saying they have infected about one third of the population of the besieged strip.

Most of the children in Gaza suffer from hunger and disease, with the occupiers continuing to deprive them of food and intensify the siege, he added.

According to al-Houthi, the aid allowed to Gaza does not meet 5% of the population’s needs, while trucks are prevented from entering the Gaza Strip.

“The occupying regime continues the hunger war in Palestine, which has led to the death of some children who were forced to eat animal feed instead of flour due to starvation.”

“All the people of Gaza are going through a real tragedy, and what is happening in the north of the Gaza Strip is beyond a disaster,” he said.

Nevertheless, the people of Gaza and their resistance are steadfast in spite of the support of the West for Israel and the despair of the Arabs, and according to the occupiers, they have dealt significant damage to Israel, al-Houthi noted.