Houthis say ceasefire agreement with US does not apply to Israel
The ceasefire agreement between Yemen's Houthis and the United States does not include protection for Israel, so attacks on Israeli ships and any other targets associated with Israel remain possible, Reuters and France24 reported.
The agreement was brokered by Oman and stipulates that none of the Houthi attacks will be directed at American ships in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
"If they [the mediators] announced a halt [to US strikes] and they are really obliged to do so, our position will be appropriate, so we will stop. But the agreement does not concern Israel in any way," Mohammed Abdulsalam, a Houthi representative at the talks, told Reuters.
As France24 reports, the group's leaders once again stated that their combat operations in Yemen are aimed at supporting "brothers in Palestine", and therefore will continue "until the aggression stops and the unjust siege of the Gaza Strip is lifted."
The Houthis have been shelling Israel and shipping in the Red Sea since the start of Israel's military offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
The termination of the US military operation in Yemen was first announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 6, unexpectedly stating that the Houthis "no longer want to fight," so the United States is "ceasing the bombing."
- On May 4, Iran's allies, the Houthis, carried out another attack on Israel, striking Ben Gurion Airport. The group said it was acting "in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza."
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to take retaliatory measures, while Tehran threatened to strike US and Israeli bases if they decide to retaliate for the attack on the airport .
- On May 5, Netanyahu's government voted to intensify the offensive against the Hamas group in Gaza to the point of capturing the entire enclave and holding its territories.
- Meanwhile, the Houthis have announced that they will impose a "comprehensive" air blockade on Israel – they will continue to attack airports.