Yemen’s Houthis say attacks on Israel not in ceasefire deal in ‘any way’

The group’s top negotiator has stated that no operations against Israel are included in the ceasefire agreement between Yemen’s Houthis and the United States.

Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Abdulsalam claimed on Wednesday that the Oman-mediated agreement did not include attacking Israel in “any way, shape or form.”

The deal was made public shortly after Israeli fighter jets attacked Yemen’s Sanaa airport. According to airport director Khaled al-Shaief, “environ $500 million in losses were caused by the Israeli aggression at the airport,” he told Al Masirah on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump made the announcement a day earlier, stating that any attacks on Yemen against the Houthis would end right away once the organization had agreed to stop pursuing ships in the Red Sea.

According to Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, “efforts have been made to de-escalate the two sides’ negotiations have led to a ceasefire agreement,” according to a statement released on Tuesday.

In the Red Sea, he continued, “Neither side will target the other, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping.”

shipping-related attacks

In solidarity with Palestinians who are under siege in the Red Sea, the Houthis have targeted Israel and vessels in the region since Israel began to invade Gaza in October 2023.

The Houthis halted their attacks during the liminal ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year, but they resumed in full force as a result of Israel’s decision to impose a total blockade on the enclave in early March.

The group threatened to resume shipping attacks, which had been suspended since January, leading to the US military’s response by conducting near-daily airstrikes.

Trump, however, stated that the Houthis “don’t want to fight any more” when they announced the agreement on Tuesday.

He continued, “And we will honor that, and we will stop the bombings, and they have capitulated.”

They claim that the purpose of what we were doing was to stop them from destroying ships any longer.

However, Abdulsalam informed Al Masirah TV, a news agency affiliated with the Houthi, that any US action would result in a decision as a result of the agreement.

We will resume our strikes if the American enemy resumes its attacks, he declared.

The dark experience the United States had in Yemen, he continued, is the true guarantee of the agreement.

Mahdi al-Mashat, a leader of the Houthis, added that attacks on Israel “will continue” and go “beyond what the Israeli enemy can endure.”

Eight people were hurt in a ballistic missile attack by the Houthis at Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, causing damage to a road, a vehicle, and forcing air traffic to halt.