Houthis to Donald Trump: "We will not stand aside" if Gaza relocation program implemented 

Houthi leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi released a statement today (Thursday) threatening to renew military action if President Donald Trump goes through with his plan to relocate displaced Gazans to other countries.

Al-Houthi said that if the plan moves forward, the Houthis would act militarily, presumably against shipping in the Red Sea and against Israel: "We will act out of our duty of Jihad. We will not stand aside." Al-Houthi said that "we will intervene with missile fire and naval activities."

The Houthis began launching missiles and drones at ships crossing through the Red Sea and at Israel a short time after the war began on October 7. Although a US-led naval task force was sent to the region to protect commercial shipping through this artery, most ships rerouted around Africa, causing traffic and Egyptian revenues from the Suez Canal to dry up.

At first, Israel and the United States took a defensive approach to these attacks, shooting down drones and missiles but not - or rarely - striking back. However, as time went on and the Houthis successfully hit or came close to hitting ships or naval vessels, both countries started taking a more aggressive approach.

The United States launched ever more aggressive air strikes, and after the Houthis managed to break through with drones and missiles occasionally, causing damage and sometimes casualties, Israel retaliated with four increasingly heavy air strikes, hitting key sites such as the ports of Hodeidah and Ras Isa and the Sana'a International Airport.

After the hostage deal and subsequent ceasefire was reached in the south, the Houthis stopped firing missiles and drones, but said that they were in constant contact with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and that if the ceasefire was breached, they would not hesitate to restart the war from their end in Yemen.