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Houthis ready to resume attacks on Israeli ships from March 11, group’s leader warns

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier suspended humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and ordered closure of all border checkpoints

DUBAI, March 10. /TASS/. Yemen’s Houthis are ready to resume attacks on Israeli ships from March 11, when an ultimatum to provide access for humanitarian aid to Gaza expires, said the group’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

"We reiterate that the ultimatum from earlier remains in force. Our armed forces are ready to resume operations. Military measures will be applied right after the deadline expires, if aid does not start flowing into the Gaza Strip," he said on Al Masirah television in an address to his supporters.

On March 7, the Houthi leader said the group would resume "naval operations" against Israel if aid deliveries to Gaza are not unblocked within four days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier suspended humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and ordered closure of all border checkpoints. According to Israeli officials, the measure was a response to Hamas' refusal to accept US special envoy Steve Witkoff’s plan to extend the Gaza ceasefire.

Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis, also known as the Ansar Allah group, said they would strike Israeli territory and prevent ships affiliated with that country from passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait until the operation in the Palestinian enclave ended. Houthi drones and missiles have attacked dozens of civilian ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023.

In response to these attacks, the US and UK announced preparations for Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Afterward, the UK and US started carrying out regular strikes on Houthi military sites in various Yemeni provinces.