Sanaa – SABA:
Following the expiration of the deadline set by the leadership in Sanaa for mediators to pressure the Israeli enemy into allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza—where civilians have been facing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe for over 15 months due to the Zionist aggression—the Yemeni Armed Forces announced the resumption of the ban on all Israeli ships.
The armed forces confirmed that the ban took effect immediately upon the announcement on Tuesday evening. It prohibits all Israeli ships from passing through the designated operational zones, including the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden. This decision comes after the mediators failed to compel Israel to reopen the crossings and allow aid into Gaza.
With the ban now in effect, any Israeli ships attempting to pass through the designated areas will be targeted. The move underscores Yemen's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause and its commitment to taking concrete actions to end the blockade on Gaza, particularly in response to Israel’s ongoing defiance and insistence on suffocating the besieged enclave.
In his speech on Monday evening, the leader of the revolution, Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, reaffirmed that Yemeni military measures would be implemented immediately after the deadline if aid crossings were not opened. He also confirmed that the Yemeni armed forces were fully prepared to carry out operations against the Zionist enemy should the blockade continue.
The decision to grant a four-day ultimatum was seen as both a final warning to the mediators and a decisive step to compel the Israeli entity to abide by ceasefire agreements and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza without conditions.
The leader’s warnings come amid Israel’s continued obstruction of agreements, its efforts to impose a new reality in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories by tightening the blockade, and its attempts to prevent aid deliveries.
Analysts suggest that the resumption of Yemeni naval operations could further cripple Israel’s already struggling economy amid the prolonged war. The severe damage inflicted on Israeli-occupied ports has already led to significant financial losses, and a renewed blockade could exacerbate economic setbacks far beyond what Israel has endured since the beginning of its aggression on Gaza.
Despite Palestinian resistance forces adhering to the first phase of the agreement—including the release of Israeli captives—the occupation continues to stall its commitments while escalating military aggression and enforcing the blockade. Analysts view this as an attempt to enforce forced displacement on Gaza’s residents.
As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens, the international community and Arab regimes remain silent, failing to take meaningful steps to halt Israeli violations or exert genuine pressure on the Zionist regime to comply with international law.
While the Islamic and Arab nations possess numerous means to take concrete action in support of Palestine, as emphasized by the revolutionary leader, they continue to issue mere statements of condemnation, which have no real impact. The current stage, he stressed, demands serious and effective measures rather than symbolic expressions of solidarity.
"The entire Arab and Muslim world can take significant political and economic steps to support the Palestinian people through real and practical initiatives. Simply issuing statements of hope, calls, and appeals achieves nothing in reality and produces no tangible results against the blatant American and Israeli aggression," Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated.
The official and popular stance in Yemen remains firm: any further Israeli escalation in Gaza will be met with decisive retaliatory measures, reinforcing the principle of "blockade for a blockade," a strategy that has proven effective in pressuring Israel into retreating in multiple instances.
Israel’s obstinacy comes at a time of escalating regional tensions, particularly in Syria, where Western and American maneuvers are fueling further conflicts that serve only the Zionist project—one that threatens the entire region.
Observers warn that Israel’s continued aggression in Gaza, coupled with its stalling in implementing agreements, is pushing the situation back to square one and increasing the likelihood of an expanded military confrontation that could engulf other areas in the region.
Given Israel’s refusal to lift the blockade on Gaza, it was expected that the Yemeni Armed Forces would resume their navigation ban on Israeli ships—a move for which the Zionist entity and its backers must now bear the consequences.
E.M