A demonstration by Houthi supporters yesterday in Sanaa in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza (European)
Agence France-Presse quoted Palestinian sources as saying that a “rare meeting” was held last week between leaders of the Palestinian resistance factions and the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) to discuss “mechanisms for coordinating resistance actions” against Israel.
The agency did not mention any of the names of those sources that it said it had spoken to yesterday evening, Friday, but it attributed one of them - who refused to mention his name - as saying that “an important meeting was held last week in which senior leaders from the Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine participated. With the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement to discuss coordination mechanisms between these factions regarding resistance actions in the next stage.”
According to a second source who also requested to remain anonymous, according to the agency, “The Ansar Allah movement confirmed during the meeting that it will continue its operations in the Red Sea against ships heading to the enemy state (Israel), to support the Palestinian resistance. The meeting also discussed the complementary role of Ansar Allah with the Palestinian factions.” "Especially with the possibility of Israel invading Rafah."
The agency did not specify the location of the meeting, or the names of the leaders of the Palestinian factions or the Houthi group participating in it.
The revelation of this meeting comes after Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of the Ansar Allah Houthi group, announced the day before yesterday, Thursday, that the scope of attacks on ships linked to Israel had been expanded to include those that avoid crossing the Red Sea and sail in the Indian Ocean via the Cape of Good Hope, in the far south of the African continent.
Since last November 19, the Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, which they say are linked to Israel or heading to its ports.
The Houthis place their attacks within the framework of supporting the Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to brutal Israeli aggression since last October 7.
The Houthi attacks prompted many shipping companies to divert their ships via the Cape of Good Hope, prolonging the journey between Asia and Europe for at least a week and increasing the cost of transportation.
To try to deter the Houthis and “protect” maritime navigation, since January 12, American and British forces have launched strikes on sites they say belong to them in Yemen.
Following the Western strikes, the Houthis began targeting American and British ships, considering that the interests of these two countries had become "legitimate targets."
Source: Al Jazeera + French