So spoke Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badreddine al-Houthi and Sheikh Naim Qassem
...regarding the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, while the YAF keeps rocking Israel.
First of all, two important news from yesterday (Friday 17th January 2025), which however I will not cover, as there has been extensive coverage, both on Western mainstream media (MSM) and on alternative media:
the approval of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas by the Israeli cabinet (Al Mayadeen), with ceasefire coming into effect tomorrow (Sunday 18th January 2025) at 8.30 AM local time (Al Mayadeen), when Itamar Ben Gvir will resign from Benjamin Netanyahu's government in protest of the ceasefire agreement (Al Mayadeen);
the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Iran and Russia - here is a selection of articles on this:
full text, as provided by IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency);
Al Mayadeen article with key takeaways;
Al Mayadeen article with summary and statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (see also these IRNA articles: 1, 2, 3 and 4);
IRNA article with statement by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi;
short blog post by Gilbert Doctorow;
short analysis by former CIA analyst Larry C. Johnson, focussing on a few articles;
article by Simplicius the Thinker, which, after a short analysis of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Iran and Russia, covers the “100-year partnership” between UK and Ukraine and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
On Thursday 16th January 2025 Yemeni Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badreddine al-Houthi delivered his weekly speech and commented on the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas. A long summary can be found in this article by Yemen News Agency Saba and a short one in this Al Mayadeen article; here are some highlights (all emphasis mine):
We will monitor the stages of the agreement's implementation, and any Israeli violations, massacres, or tightening of the siege will prompt immediate military support.
We will prepare for any upcoming round to support the Palestinian people with a greater level of performance and more effective action.
We will be ready immediately to provide military support to the Palestinian people.
[Even] if all the countries of the world joined together in aggression against us, we would not retreat.
The Israeli-American alliance pursued genocidal goals in Gaza, committing over 4,050 massacres.
The Yemeni response surprised the world with its effectiveness and influence, from maritime operations to missile and drone strikes reaching deep into occupied Palestine.
The mass killing of children, women, and the elderly is a war crime, not a military success.
The US was forced to support a ceasefire after facing monumental failures. Every resurgence of Palestinian operations deepens the sense of Israeli failure.
Hezbollah has offered unparalleled sacrifices in the fight against Israel, with many leaders, cadres, and fighters becoming martyrs, along with strong support from its popular base.
The resilience of the Palestinian people has been a fundamental factor in the failure of both Israel and its American backers.
[To the Palestinian people] You are not alone, and you will not be alone. God is with you, and we are with you, and we will always remain with you until the liberation of Palestine.
Based on the above, it looks like Ansar Allah will suspend its actions in support of Gaza as soon as the ceasefire is implemented, but it will restart them if the ceasefire is not respected.
The speech by the Ansar Allah leader was followed by a statement of the Yemeni Government of Change and Reconstruction, which, as reported by Al Mayadeen, emphasized its solidarity with the Palestinian people, described the ceasefire agreement as a “resounding failure” for Little Satan (a.k.a. Israel) and praised the resilience of the Palestinian people, who it said “waged a historic jihadist epic”, demonstrating “extraordinary steadfastness in defending their rights, dignity, and the Palestinian cause against unprecedented Israeli-American-British aggression”. The statement included also a warning to Great Satan (a.k.a. the Outlaw US Empire) and its British and Israeli allies against any retaliatory actions targeting Yemen and its people, saying they would be confronted “with strength and determination”.
Despite the ceasefire announcement, the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) have been carrying out several military operations:
on Wednesday 15th January 2025 a joint military operation by the missile and UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) forces of the YAF targeted the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group with cruise missiles and drones, as reported by Yemen News Agency Saba;
yesterday, Friday 17th January 2025, several military operations were carried out, as per Saba and Al Mayadeen:
the missile force targeted “vital targets belonging to the Israeli enemy in Umm al-Rashrash area in southern occupied Palestine using four winged missiles”,
the UAV force carried out two operations:
one with three drones against targets in the occupied area of Yaffa (i.e. Tel Aviv) and
another one targeting “a vital target belonging to the Israeli enemy in the occupied Ashkelon area with a drone”.
finally, the naval forces targeted the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group, marking the 7th attack by the YAF since its deployment in the Red Sea!
this afternoon the missile force targeted the Israeli Minister of Defense in occupied Yaffa (Tel Aviv) with a Dhu al-Fiqar ballistic missile, as reported by Saba and Al Mayadeen.
this evening the missile force “carried out two military operations targeting two vital targets linked to the Israeli enemy in Umm al-Rashrash area in southern occupied Palestine”, as per Saba and Al Mayadeen: one with a Dhu al-Fiqar ballistic missile and another one with a cruise missile.
It is worth noting the new wording concluding the statements issued by the YAF:
The Yemeni Armed Forces reiterate that they will stand by the side of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza and in coordination with it to deal militarily with any violations or any military escalation committed by the Israeli enemy during the period of implementing the ceasefire agreement.
Moving to Lebanon, earlier today Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem gave a televised speech addressing the 13th International Conference “Gaza: Symbol of Resistance”, commenting on the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Both Al Mayadeen and Al Manar provided a summary of his speech. Here are some highlights (all emphasis mine):
The war on Gaza is a US-Israeli genocidal scheme aimed at wiping out Palestine of the map.
The great sacrifices along with the legendary steadfastness prove that the great people of Palestine are worthful of regaining their land and they are capable of doing so. Steadfastness now is the foundation of the future.
Congratulations to the Palestinian people, to the people of Gaza and to the resistance fighters, for this agreement that has not changed from what was proposed in May 2024. This indicates the steadfastness of the resistance, and that it achieved its demands while the Israeli enemy was not able to impose its terms.
Israel is now an international pariah; its image is bleak. The condemnation of the International Criminal Court [ICC] is enough to know the extent of this great impact that the resistance of the Palestinian people has had and how it has exposed this Israeli entity. The Israelis won’t embrace stability in occupied Palestine. Wait for the coming days and months to see the repercussions. As for the internal disputes within the Zionist entity, they will increase, God willing, and there is no solution except for Palestine to return to its people.
History will record, as the field did, those who supported Gaza with sacrifices and contributed to foiling the Israeli enemy’s project. The most prominent contributors are the Islamic Republic of Iran, led by Imam Khamenei who has not missed an opportunity to emphasize standing with the Palestinian people to liberate it from the sea to the river, and has provided all kinds of military, moral, material and political support.
Lebanon and Hezbollah offered the master of the nation’s martyrs Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah along with the Hashemite cleric Sayyed Hashem Safeiddine and many other leaders, commanders, fighters, martyrs and injured people.
The confrontations against Hezbollah in Lebanon contributed to the victory of Gaza. The resistance fighters stood as an impregnable barrier against the Israeli advance on the front in legendary battles, and their honorable families protected, supported and backed them. Hezbollah and the resistance fighters have thwarted the Israeli goal of ending the resistance in Lebanon, which emerged proud and with its head held high.
The resistance in Lebanon will remain resistant to the American-Israeli project. It is persistent, strong and ready to preserve the blood of the martyrs in a bid to liberate the land and to liberate Palestine.
[Addressing Israel in relation to the ceasefire violations in Lebanon by Israel]
I call on you not to test our patience!The (ceasefire) agreement is exclusively in the south of the Litani River. Lebanon came out with its head held high, and weapons remained in the hands of the resistance fighters.
Resolution 1701 is a general framework, but plans to benefit from the resistance and its weapons are to be discussed within the defensive strategy and through national dialogue which is aimed at preserving Lebanon’s strength, sovereignty and independence. No one will be able to exploit the results of the aggression in domestic politics, as the political path is separate from the situation of the resistance.
No one can exclude us from the effective and influential political participation in the country, as we are a fundamental component in the makeup of Lebanon and its renaissance. Some of the frivolities that attempted to highlight the alleged exclusion of Hezbollah from the scene are just bubbles that will pop later, God willing.
Pay attention to part emphasized in the third paragraph: it suggests that Hezbollah may have something in the pipeline…
The new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also spoke the necessity of “Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied territories in the south within the deadline [26th January 2025] set by the agreement reached on 27th November [2024]” in a meeting with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as reported by Al Mayadeen, which also quoted a statement by the presidential office:
Israel's continued violations on land and in the air... blowing up homes and destroying border villages, completely contradicts what was stated in the ceasefire agreement.
The same Al Mayadeen article in the link above reports violations by the Israel “Defense” Forces in south Lebanon: looting, gunfire and explosions in the town of Mays al-Jabal, infiltrations and gunfire near the outskirts of the town of Yaroun, infiltrations in Bint Jbeil, raids near Maroun al-Ras and a detonationin the al-Dabash neighbourhood on the outskirts of Bint Jbeil.
I will conclude this article returning briefly to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas with the following statement released this afternoon by the latter (from this post on the Resistance News Network (Unofficial) Telegram channel - all emphasis original):
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
On the Occupation Government's Approval of the Ceasefire Agreement in Gaza.
Al-Aqsa Flood Battle showcased the unity of our great people with their victorious resistance and shattered the arrogance of the enemy.
This battle brought us closer to the end of the occupation, liberation, and return, by Allah’s will.
We forced the occupation to halt its aggression against our people and withdraw, despite Netanyahu's attempts to prolong the war and commit further massacres.
The occupation failed to achieve its aggressive goals and succeeded only in committing war crimes that disgrace humanity.
The blood of our martyrs from this genocide war will not be wasted or forgotten. The enemy’s leaders and soldiers will be pursued and held accountable for their crimes, no matter how long it takes.
The urgent duty now is to immediately begin lifting the siege, providing relief, sheltering our people, tending to their wounds, facilitating the return of the displaced, and initiating reconstruction and rebuilding. This has been a priority for our leadership since day one.
The Humanitarian Aid Protocol, agreed upon under the supervision of mediators, ensures the implementation of relief, shelter, and reconstruction measures.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)
Saturday, 18 Rajab 1446 AH
Corresponding to January 18, 2025
UPDATE: Additional reading from the Strategic Culture Foundation website:
Israel lost the war in Gaza from every perspective by Lucas Leiroz.
UPDATE (19/01/2025): Saba and Al Mayadeen have reported that overnight the UAV Force, Missile Force and Naval Force of the YAF carried out a joint military operation against the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group with drones and missiles, marking the 8th attack by the YAF since its deployment in the Red Sea. The YAF statement concluded with the following warning for Israel, US and UK:
The Yemeni Armed Forces warn the enemy forces in the Red Sea of the consequences of any aggression against our country during the ceasefire period in Gaza and that they will confront any aggression with specific military operations against those forces without a ceiling or red lines.
However, the Anglo-Zionists are not heeding the YAF warning and this morning the US Air Force (USAF) has launched 4 airstrikes targeting Al-Azraqeen area north of the capital Sanaa, as per Saba. Are the Anglo-Zionists going to escalate the war against Ansar Allah in Yemen now that the ceasefire in Gaza is implemented?
thanks for posting. Thank God for the Houthies.
The Palestinians and Gazans are a Model for All humans and resistance going forwards. What they have achieved should be light the spark of flames to end imperialism once and for all, we can't let their Noble Sacrifices go to waste.
That will be an insult to the gallons of innocent blood spilled over the last 15 months. Humanity, will you finally get your act together?