Yemenis staged a massive demonstration on Friday in the Saada province, voicing support for Palestinians in Gaza and pledging continued resistance against Israel and the United States.

Why it matters:

The rally signals ongoing grassroots support for Gaza among Yemenis, even as U.S. President Donald Trump claims the Houthis have indicated a willingness to cease hostilities and halt attacks in the Red Sea. The juxtaposition highlights a potential disconnect between U.S. political messaging and ground realities.

What he’s saying:

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that the Houthis have told the U.S. they no longer wish to fight and will stop attacks on Red Sea shipping. "They have surrendered," Trump claimed, adding that U.S. bombing campaigns would be halted immediately in response.

What they’re saying:

In a defiant speech, Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, condemned the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza and warned of divine consequences for Muslim nations that remain passive. He criticized Arab governments for their "shameful negligence" and emphasized that both religious and secular Zionists share a unified goal: establishing a Greater Israel by dominating the Islamic world.

Key points:

While Donald Trump claimed that the Houthis have agreed to cease attacks and "surrendered," the statements from Houthi leadership suggest continued resistance and a call for broader Muslim action against Israeli aggression.

Yemeni leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi framed the Israeli assault on Gaza as a religious and existential threat to the Muslim world, blaming Arab passivity and highlighting a united Zionist agenda—both secular and religious—to dominate the region.

Go deeper:

The Ansarullah movement has aligned itself with the Axis of Resistance, supporting Hamas and Palestinian forces amid the war in Gaza. Their attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes have been described as retaliatory moves against perceived U.S. and Israeli complicity in Palestinian suffering. Meanwhile, Yemeni leadership frames their struggle as both spiritual and geopolitical—anchored in religious duty and regional defiance.

 

ahmad shirzadian