Yemeni Hooti fighters have given Israel a four-day deadline to lift the blockade of food, drugs and aid to Gaza, and have threatened to resume “naval operations” otherwise.
An ultimatum issued late Friday shows possible escalation from rebel groups after the attack ended in January following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“We will notify the whole world. We are allowing a four-day deadline,” group leader Abdel Malik Al-Houthi said in a video statement.
“This deadline is to allow mediators to continue their efforts. In four days, if Israeli enemies are preventing aid invasion into Gaza, maintaining full closure of crossings and continuing to block food and drug invasions in Gaza, we will resume naval operations against Israeli enemies,” he said.
The Iran-backed Houtis has launched more than 100 attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden following Israeli war with Gaza, saying the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians in the enclave.
During that period, the fighters were forced to sink two ships, seize another, kill at least four sailors in attacks, disrupt the transport of the world, and reroute businesses on longer and more expensive journeys around South Africa.
Houthis also launched dozens of missile and drone attacks against Israel, killing at least one person and causing damage to the building, including the Tel Aviv school.
The US redesignated the Houcis as a “terrorist” organization earlier this week under President Donald Trump.
There were no immediate comments on the Hooty threat from Israel.
Hamas, meanwhile, welcomed the announcement.
“The brave decision… is an extension of their position in support and support. [the Houthis] Palestinian groups are being offered in the course of the war, 15 months of war,” the Palestinian groups said.
The Houtis, which controls most of Yemen, said in February that the US and Israel would launch military action when they attempt to force Palestinians out of Gaza.
Their ultimatum comes when Israel’s lockdown on all aid to Gaza enters the seventh day.
The siege began on March 2, when Israel was revived with a ceasefire contract and attempted to extend the first phase of the three-phase agreement, which expired last week without ending the war with Gaza.
The United Nations, rights groups and countries around the world say Israel’s blockade could constitute a war crime.
In a statement Friday, the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Israeli actions have raised prices in Gaza, causing anxiety, returning to artillery fire and starvation.
The lockdown also occurred when health officials reported that at least eight babies have been evacuated in flimsy makeshift tents but have died from the cold in the past two weeks.
“As a right of occupation, Israel has a legal obligation to ensure the provision of life essentials for Palestinians to live under their control,” Ohchr said. “The denial of entry of essentials in civilian life could be a collective punishment. Using hunger and hunger as weapons of war is a war crime.”
Palestinians say the lockdown caused a shortage of medical supplies and left hospitals where they struggled to care for the wounded in the war.
Reported by Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Tareq Abu Azzoum of Al Jazeera said he is trying to do everything possible to continue to provide critical health services.
“We’re talking about more than 100,000 injured people who were injured in Israel’s military attacks on Gaza, and now the ban has raised great concerns about two important issues: fuel and medical supplies,” he said.
“Hospitals and medical centers desperately need fuel to help their healthcare teams continue to provide services. The majority of hospitals rely on emergency generators, and now the ban on fuel trucks has entered, making the situation even worse,” he added.
“And without serious intervention, it is expected to get worse in the next few days.”
Israel’s War of Gaza killed at least 48,440 Palestinians and injured 111,845. Authorities at the enclave say the death toll is likely to be at least 61,709, as it is estimated that thousands of Palestinians have died under the tile rub.
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