Yemen Accuses Houthis of Abusing Palestinian Cause for Their War Effort

A fighter loyal to the Houthis seen in Sanaa, February 28, 2021. (AFP)
A fighter loyal to the Houthis seen in Sanaa, February 28, 2021. (AFP)
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Yemen Accuses Houthis of Abusing Palestinian Cause for Their War Effort

A fighter loyal to the Houthis seen in Sanaa, February 28, 2021. (AFP)
A fighter loyal to the Houthis seen in Sanaa, February 28, 2021. (AFP)

The Yemeni government accused the Iran-backed Houthi militias of abusing the Palestinian cause to recruit more members to fight the Yemeni people and collect funds for their war effort.

Information Minister Moammar al-Eyrani warned the people against “falling victim to the Houthis’ exploitation and misinformation.”

In official statements, he said the Houthis were abusing the “Palestinian cause and tragedy of the Palestinian people in occupied territories to make political and financial gains, prolong the war in Yemen and continue to kill Yemenis.”

He added that the Houthis were trying win over the sympathy of the Yemenis over the developments in Jerusalem and the occupied territories and the suffering of the Palestinians to organize fundraisers to finance their war effort and recruit more members.

The terrorist Houthis actions against the legitimate state are no different than the practices of Israeli occupiers of Palestinian territories, he continued.

He said the Houthis and Israelis are similar in their attacks against residential areas, killing of civilians, including women and children in cold blood, destruction of homes and crackdown on religious freedoms.

The Houthis have in recent days intensified their recruitment campaigns, mainly targeting the youths, in ten Yemeni provinces under their control under the pretext of “fighting for Palestine”. In reality, the youths will be recruited to their war effort in the Marib province and other fronts.

Residents in the Ibb province confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthis have carried out such campaigns in several villages under the false slogan of “championing the Palestinian cause and liberating the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Many locals, however, did not fall for the lies and mocked the Houthis for their ridiculous slogan and false claims, added the residents.

The militias often exploit major causes in the Arab world to manipulate and deceive the Yemenis and divert their attention from the real crimes and violations they are committing everyday in the war-torn country.

For years, the Houthis have misled their followers in Saada and other regions into believing that they are fighting Israel.



Israel Strikes Hezbollah's 'Radwan Force' Deep Inside Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

Smoke rises over Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold near Syria border – AFP
Smoke rises over Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold near Syria border – AFP
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Israel Strikes Hezbollah's 'Radwan Force' Deep Inside Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley

Smoke rises over Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold near Syria border – AFP
Smoke rises over Baalbek, Hezbollah stronghold near Syria border – AFP

Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes on eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, targeting Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force in what Israeli officials described as an effort to disrupt the group’s attempts to rebuild its military capabilities.

The strikes, which followed more than 48 hours of relative calm along the Lebanese-Israeli border, marked a sharp escalation as US-brokered negotiations continue between Washington and Beirut over proposals to curb Hezbollah’s armed presence.

Military analysts said the Israeli escalation appeared aimed at sending a forceful message as US envoy Tom Barrack pushes Lebanese authorities to accept a timeline for the group's disarmament under a potential ceasefire framework.

Israeli warplanes struck targets in both the eastern and western mountain ranges of the Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Two initial raids hit areas west of Baalbek- Shmistar and Wadi Umm Ali - followed by more strikes southeast of the city.

NNA reported that 12 people were killed in the bombardment, while Reuters confirmed that five of the dead were Hezbollah members. Local media said Syrian nationals were among those killed in strikes near Hermel.

Footage shared online showed plumes of smoke rising from bombed-out sites across the Bekaa. Shrapnel shattered windows at a public high school in Shmistar where students were sitting for state exams, and a revered religious shrine - Maqam al-Nabi Ismail in Brital - was reportedly damaged. Two civilians were wounded.

In its first official response, Hezbollah condemned the airstrikes as a “major escalation” in Israel’s months-long military campaign against Lebanon. The Iran-backed group urged the Lebanese state to “break its futile silence” and called for immediate international intervention, particularly from the United States, to uphold existing ceasefire guarantees.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the strikes were intended as a “clear message” to Hezbollah, accusing the group of attempting to restore its operational capabilities along the border.

In a statement posted on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the air raids targeted Hezbollah’s Radwan force in the Bekaa, including training camps and weapons depots.

He added that militants had been conducting live-fire exercises and tactical drills at the sites, which he called a “flagrant violation” of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

According to Adraee, the Radwan unit - tasked in the past with a plan to seize territory in northern Israel - has been attempting to regroup since several of its senior commanders were killed in Israeli strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon in September 2024.

In contrast to the Bekaa, the situation along southern Lebanon remained relatively stable on Tuesday, though NNA reported that Israeli troops fired machine guns toward the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab and shot at the newly established Blat Hill position overlooking the village of Rmaich.

Retired Lebanese Brig. Gen. Hassan Jouni said the Bekaa raids were part of a “calibrated pressure campaign” tied to the ongoing negotiations.

“The timing of these airstrikes is clearly linked to the back-and-forth between Lebanon and Washington. Israel wants to remind everyone of the current balance of power and signal that military pressure will continue until Hezbollah gives up its weapons,” Jouni told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.

He said Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild its capabilities had been publicly acknowledged by the group’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, placing the Lebanese government in a difficult position between appeasing US demands and avoiding internal strife.

Another retired officer, Brigadier General George Nader, warned that Israel’s message was clear: failure to cooperate with US proposals could lead to intensified strikes.

“While some speculate about a ground invasion, I find it unlikely,” Nader told Asharq al-Awsat. “Why would Israel risk soldiers’ lives when it can strike targets from the air with precision drones and jets?”

He cautioned that unless Lebanese officials take a decisive stance, the country could face a more aggressive Israeli air campaign in the coming weeks.