Watan-The Houthi group announced on Friday the beginning of the fourth stage of escalation in support of the Palestinian people and in response to the calls of the resistance, by targeting ships heading to the occupied ports of Palestine.
Houthis Initiate Fourth Stage of Escalation
The military spokesperson for the group, Yahya Saree, stated, “The Yemeni armed forces are monitoring the developments of the battle in the Gaza Strip as a continuation of the Israeli and American aggression and preparation for carrying out a hostile military operation targeting the Rafah area. We also follow the offer presented to the resistance, in which the enemy wants to extract the prisoners’ issue without a permanent ceasefire.”
He clarified that the group has decided “to target all ships violating the Israeli navigation ban and heading to the occupied ports of Palestine in the Mediterranean Sea in any area reachable by our hands.”
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن إعلان تفاصيل المرحلة الرابعة من التصعيد في مواجهة العدوان الإسرائيلي الأمريكي على الشعب الفلسطيني في قطاع غزة. 24-10-1445هـ 03-05-2024م pic.twitter.com/meJRawhGDd
— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) May 3, 2024
Aggression on Rafah will be met with comprehensive sanctions on all ships
He also added that the implementation begins immediately, saying that in the event of the Israeli enemy’s resort to launching a hostile military operation on Rafah, “the Yemeni armed forces will impose comprehensive sanctions on all ships of companies related to supply and entry to the occupied Palestinian ports, regardless of their nationality.”
He further stated that “all ships of these companies will be prevented from passing through the area of the armed forces’ operations regardless of their destination.”
Meanwhile, he affirmed that the group “will not hesitate to prepare and be ready for broader and stronger escalation stages until the aggression is stopped and the siege on the oppressed Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted.”