Rhino: Agencies – Yemeni Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday that the group would immediately take military action if the United States and Israel tried to forcibly displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

A ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) went into effect on Jan. 19 aimed at ending the devastating war that erupted in Gaza more than 15 months ago, but it appeared on the verge of collapse this week amid mutual accusations of violating the agreement.

US President Donald Trump angered the Arab world when he proposed a plan that included permanently displacing Palestinians from Gaza and said the US would take control of the strip and turn it into a seaside resort.

Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the group, which is allied with Iran, would intervene with missiles and drones and attack ships in the Red Sea if the United States and Israel tried to force the Palestinians out of Gaza.

“I call on the armed forces to be ready for military intervention in case the criminal Trump carries out his threat,” he said.

The Houthis have launched more than 100 attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen since November 2023 in support of armed Palestinian factions fighting Israel in Gaza, disrupting global maritime trade and causing ship diversions and losses.

The group, which controls northern Yemen, has also repeatedly fired rockets at Israel over the past year, saying it is doing so in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.