Houthi Rebels in Yemen Give Israel a Four-Day Ultimatum to Lift Gaza Blockade

Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the terrorist group Houthis in Yemen, threatened on Friday that if the humanitarian blockade on Gaza is not lifted within four days, the group's maritime attacks against Israel will resume. The Houthis, who operate under the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran, have carried out over 100 attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean since November 2023. They justify their attacks as support for the Palestinians and in response to Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. During these attacks, two ships have sunk, one ship has been seized, and at least four sailors have been killed. These actions have disrupted global shipping, forcing many shipping companies to choose longer and more expensive routes via southern Africa. In his speech, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated, 'We have set a four-day deadline for the efforts of the mediators for a ceasefire in Gaza.' He added, 'If Israel continues to prevent humanitarian aid from entering Gaza and keeps the crossings closed after four days, we will resume our maritime operations against Israel.' This threat came after Israel blocked the entry of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza since March 2. Hamas has also asked Egyptian and Qatari mediators to take action to lift this blockade. The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, had previously warned in February that they would resort to military actions if the U.S. and Israel attempted to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has initiated new actions against the Houthis. Dorothy Shea, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, announced on Thursday that Washington has taken measures to reduce the capabilities of the Houthis in line with Donald Trump's executive order to return the Houthis to the list of foreign terrorist organizations. She stated at a Security Council meeting, 'The U.S. has designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, which was announced this week. We are also using targeted sanctions to deprive this group of illegal revenues.' She emphasized that U.S. sanctions are designed to allow humanitarian activities to continue and to assist Yemenis living in Houthi-controlled areas. How does the classification of the Houthis limit this group and the Iranian government? Regarding the consequences of returning the Houthis to the list of terrorist groups by the U.S. The U.S. emphasizes the need to cut off the Islamic Republic's support for 'Houthi terrorism' in Yemen. The U.S. has sanctioned seven senior Houthi officials. The designation of Ansar Allah as a 'foreign terrorist organization'; Rubio: We will not tolerate any country's engagement with terrorists.