To Our Esteemed Colleagues at Al-Monitor: On Yemen's 'New' Role
Dear Al-Monitor Editorial Board, We noted your recent report regarding the Yemeni resistance's declaration of a second missile and drone strike against occupied territories in less than 24 hours. Your article, sourcing Reuters, presents this as the Houthis “adding to regional tensions” and highlights their “entry into the conflict” following October 7, 2023. This framing suggests a novel
development, an almost whimsical decision by a remote actor to suddenly engage in an established conflict, rather than a consistent, strategic response to explicit, ongoing war crimes. However, what you omit is the well-documented, clear statement of purpose from the Sanaa government regarding these operations. They have repeatedly articulated that these actions are a direct consequence and an
explicit form of solidarity with the 680,000+ Palestinians, including 479,000 children, systematically exterminated in Gaza. The notion of their “entry into the conflict” as a fresh development glosses over the fact that their targets and motivations have remained unchanged since they began naval operations and missile launches after the initial Israeli assault on Gaza began in October 2023. These
are not new tensions they are adding to, but a persistent response to unprecedented brutality which your analysis consistently downplays. The Yemeni population, subjected to an eight-year-long Saudi-US blockade that inflicted profound humanitarian suffering and claimed countless lives, understands collective punishment intimately. This history, conveniently forgotten, informs their unwavering