The Yemeni Houthis said a ceasefire agreement reached with President Donald Trump‘s United States will not deter the group’s attacks on Israel.
Newsweek contacted the Israel Defense Forces for comment.
Why It Matters
The statement comes after an announcement halting the U.S. military campaign in Yemen and suspending Houthi attacks on American vessels. The Iran-backed Houthis have shown growing defiance despite more than nine weeks of airstrikes aimed at deterring attacks in the Red Sea and on Israel.
The fact that the Houthis are pledging to continue attacks on Israel despite the ceasefire with the United States also indicates the U.S. focus on protecting Red Sea shipping routes rather than on defending its ally, Israel.
Houthis and Israel Trade Strikes
“Yemen’s operations will not stop, and the preliminary understanding with the Americans has nothing to do with our position on supporting Gaza,” Mohammed Abdul Salam, the group’s official spokesperson told Yemeni media.
Shortly before a U.S-Houthi ceasefire agreement was reached on Tuesday, the Israeli military bombed the airport in Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa, saying it had disabled the airfield and set aircraft ablaze, according to The Associated Press.
All flights to and from the airport have been suspended until further notice due to damage caused by the Israeli attack, the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah Channel reported Wednesday. The attack came in in retaliation for a missile launch that temporarily disrupted air traffic at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.
The group has warned international airlines that it has imposed a ban on navigation to and from Israel, urging companies to halt all flights to the Ben Gurion Airport or risk endangering the safety of the aircraft and passengers.”
The Houthis said they started their actions in response to Israel war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant groups October 2023 attacks on Israel.
U.S.-Houthi Truce Wins Arab Support
Arab countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt welcomed the new agreement with the U.S., which was mediated by Oman.
Trump announced a halt to U.S. bombing in Yemen, saying the Houthis will stop attacks on American targets. Trump stated that the Houthis requested the ceasefire after his administration had successfully degraded the group’s capabilities.
The Houthis contradicted that narrative. The head of the Houthi-run Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat told the Yemeni Saba News Agency Wednesday that the group indirectly informed the U.S. that “continuing escalation will impact Trump’s visit to the Middle East“, referring to his plan to visit several regional allies this month.
Over the past nine weeks, the U.S. military said it has destroyed hundreds of Houthi targets in Yemen, including missile launch sites, radar systems, and drone facilities. However, officials acknowledged setbacks, including the loss of two F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets from USS Harry S. Truman, as well as downed MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The Reaper drone losses were estimated at around $200 million, according to The Associated Press, while the fighter jets were valued at nearly $60 million each, according to media reports. CNN reported that the cost of the military offensive in Yemen was nearing $1 billion in just thre first three weeks.
What People Are Saying
Houthi Spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam told Al-Masirah Channel, translated from Arabic: “Whoever gets involved in aggression against Yemen will face the same consequences and losses suffered by the Americans. We advise everyone to focus on supporting Gaza and delivering aid—that is the solution to the region’s problems.”
President Donald Trump: “We had some very good news last night. The Houthis have announced that they are not—or they announced to us at least—that they don’t want to fight anymore. They just don’t want to fight. And we will honor that. And we will stop the bombings. And they have capitulated, but more importantly, we will take their word. They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore. And that’s the purpose of what we were doing.”
Israel Defense Forces on X: “The Houthi terrorist regime has been operating for the past year and a half with Iranian guidance and funding to harm Israel and its allies, undermine regional order, and disrupt global freedom of navigation. The IDF is determined to continue to act and strike with force anyone who poses a threat to the residents of the State of Israel, and at whatever distance is required.”
What Happens Next
While the ceasefire looks set to ease pressure on Red Sea shipping, it leaves Israel and the Houthis in confrontation.
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