The Yemeni Houthis originated from the Gaza war, and with more enemies Politics News

The Houthis have gone through a shift in their reputation since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023.

The Houthis, a rebel group from the far north of Yemen, attended the Yemeni government and the Saudi -led coalition for nearly a decade, which proves a degree of military ingenuity, but they did not have a little ability to offer power at the regional level, even during its launch in some Sometimes missiles and drones towards the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Locally, among many Yemenis, they were unpopular, and their enemies consider them a bacillus And a repressive group This wanted to end the Republic of Yemen – even when the Iranian ally defended their seizure of many Yemen as a popular revolution.

Many have changed in the past 16 months, when the Houthis have shown their capabilities – shooting offspring in Israel and causing Gaza.

For these measures, among many in the region and beyond, the Houthis have become a symbol of resistance against Israel, the West and the true representative of the Yemeni state.

Locally, it has proven that it is difficult for the group’s enemies to criticize their actions to support the Palestinians, a common position in a supportive country of the countries such as Yemen.

“The Houthi leadership is not afraid of the United States or any other Western power,” said Abdullah Yahya, a high school graduate from SANA. “Providing support to Gaza is the true measure of courage and humanity. This is why I changed my view on the Houthis.”

“They have managed to increase their popularity significantly,” Adele Dashila, a post -PhD classmate at Colombia International Centers – Amman, told Al Jazerera. “Countless people around the world feel that Gaza has been injured, and that any measure to support its residents deserves to be praise.”

On the military front, Dashila believes that the true influence of the actions of the Houthis was on the global shipping industry, and not in its attacks on Israel – which only caused limited damage.

Many shipping companies are now avoiding the Red Sea-which is a vital international shipping road-because of the Houthi attacks that the US-led revenge was unable to stop. The attacks on shipping – which, according to the outcome by the non -profit armed conflict site and the events of events (ACLED), has reached more than 200 since the beginning of the war – Increase shipping costs It led to a decrease in the shipping movement through the Soyes channel in Egypt.

In general, the Houthis grew in power and encouraged, at a time when Iran and Iranian-supporting groups appear across the broader region-such as the Palestinian group Hamas and the Lebanese Group Hezbollah-weakest.

“It is no longer satisfied with their focus on Yemen only, (the Houthis) to fill the void left by the dilapidated Iran axis,” wrote Beth Sner, a former deputy director of the National Intelligence and Jennifer Kavang. The oldest colleague and director of military analysis in the defense priorities, in an article for foreign policy last month.

More enemies

On January 16, after the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the group’s leader, Abdul Malik Al -Houthi, warned that the attacks on Israel would resume if the truce is violated, Repeated threat. On January 20, a day after the ceasefire began, the Houthi official, Kabir Muhammad Ali al -Houthi, said that the group had been possessing the missiles “100 percent accurately.”

He added: “Whoever believes that we are exaggerated must review our attacks on the ships associated (Israel).”

The Houthis have moved from a local threat to a threat that now raises a direct challenge to the Israeli and Western interests, who are now focusing on finding a way to defeat, or at least weaken the Houthis.

The United States and the United Kingdom began The bombing of Houthi targets in Yemen In January 2024, Israel also conducted its own attacks. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that his country “will” chase the Houthi leaders.

The United States has now redesigned the Houthis K. “Foreign terrorist organization” – One of the first movements by President Donald Trump during his new term in office.

A White House statement clarified that American policy was now cooperating with regional partners to eliminate the Houthi capabilities and operations and depriving them of resources.

“The redesign of the United States of the Houthi group as a foreign terrorist organization is part of the broader West campaign against Iranian agents in the region,” said Abd al -Hamad Muhammad, head of the Yemen Studies and Research Center in ABAAD, on the island.

“The redesign of the Houthis, as I expect, is an introduction to a western (broader) military operation for the weakness or cutting of the Houthi group.”

The decision angered the Houthis, who say the United States intends to exacerbate the suffering of the Yemeni people because of their support for the Palestinians.

The Houthi Political Bureau of SANA called on the “free nations” to condemn the United States’ decision, saying: “Our armed forces will remain alert and ready for any military escalation in Yemen.”

“With their appointment as a terrorist group, the Houthis have lost the opportunity to resolve the conflict in Yemen through peace talks. Muhammad said:” The West now seems more inclined to eliminate the group instead of its inclusion in a comprehensive diplomatic process. “

Khalfan Al -Tuqi, the political and economic analyst in Omani, said that the Houthis will not be allowed to “act without deterrence.” He added: “After weakening other Iranian agents in the region, the West – especially the United States and the United Kingdom – sees this is a golden opportunity to reduce the strength of the Houthi group as possible.”

Al -Touki argues that the United States, Europe, Israel and Middle East governments will give priority to weakening the Houthi group in the coming months.

We have clear evidence of what happened to Iran’s allies in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria. Now, one group backed by Iran is still greatly influencing: the Houthis. However, this group cannot maintain its power indefinitely, ”the verb.

He added: “President Trump looks at the Houthi group as a big problem. As a result, he is likely to fill the forces to target and weaken the Houthis. Although it may not be completely disposed of, their capabilities will undoubtedly decrease.”

It is difficult to defeat

However, the Houthis found themselves less – if there is anything, their ability to remain in the face of enemies is much stronger than what contributed to their belief in divine ability to overcome opponents.

But the group is likely to welcome regional welcome and an opportunity to declare victory over Israel.

“The endowment of the Gaza war will be a lifeline for the Hythonians,” said the public of the Kuwaiti academic and political researcher. “The group will cancel its classification, as it will not have any justification for continuing such attacks on shipping corridors.”

If the Gaza conflict is intensifying again, and the Houthis resumed attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea, the Yemeni group may find itself under a heavier attack than before.

Some have suggested that this could lead to the Houthis confronting a fate similar to another Iranian ally, Syrian President Bashar al -Assad, who was overthrown in December, or that the leadership of the Yemeni group can be assassinated, such as many of the Lebanese leadership, the group of Hezbollah.

But while the Houthis are in the same pro-Iranian camp, there are clear differences-including that Israel and the West seem to have the same intelligence on the Houthis as they did to Hezbollah and Hamas, and that the Houthis have already formulated years of the bombing of the Saudi-led coalition.

“The Houthi group still has great strengths-it possesses vast arsenals, thousands of fighters, fixed control over its territory, and most importantly, the weakness of its Yemeni opponents,” said Muhammad Al-Sami, a political researcher based in Tayez, and most importantly. . Journalist.

He pointed out that these factors allow the group to bear confrontations with both local and foreign forces.

“Even if the Yemeni government, backed by Western powers, launches a new attack against the Houthis, their rapid collapse – similar to what happened with the Assad regime in Syria – is not guaranteed.”