Houthis to end attacks on Israel after Gaza ceasefire

Yemen’s Houthis have indicated through a letter to Hamas that they will halt attacks on Israel and vessels in the Red Sea following the ceasefire in Gaza, Middle East Eye and agencies reported on November 11th.

The letter, shared on X was addressed to Hamas and was from the Houthi military chief of staff Major General Yusuf Hassan al-Madani. It appears to signal a turning point in the group’s two-year campaign against Israel and Western-linked shipping.

In the letter, al-Madani praised Hamas for what he described as an “example of Islamic steadfastness,” asserting that the group had overcome “the strongest empires of money, faith and technology.” The message also thanked Hamas for offering condolences after the death of the Houthis’ former military chief of staff, Major General Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Crucially, the letter stated that the Houthis would monitor the situation closely but would only resume operations if Israel renewed its offensive in Gaza. “If the enemy resumes its aggression against Gaza, we will return to our military operations deep inside the Zionist entity, and we will reinstate the ban on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas,” the message read.

The Houthis began launching attacks against Israel following the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. By late 2023, the group had expanded its operations to target vessels in the Red Sea, a key global shipping route linking the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. Initially claiming to target only Israeli vessels, the Houthis later struck US and Western-linked ships, while avoiding those tied to Gulf states, Russia, and China.

Russia reportedly sent advisers to support the Houthis and considered supplying advanced anti-ship missiles, while Iran provided arms and training as part of the so-called “axis of resistance.”

The Houthis paused maritime attacks in January during a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas but resumed missile launches after Israel withdrew from the ceasefire in March.

In March, Washington launched a series of airstrikes across Yemen in retaliation for the group’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The Trump administration continued its bombardment into May 2025 until a ceasefire agreement was reached with the Houthis.

The campaign was intended to curb the Houthi’s maritime operations and protect international shipping. Although a ceasefire was later established, the Houthis later clarified that Israel was excluded from the agreement.

The letter suggests a renewed willingness to de-escalate, coinciding with diplomatic efforts by Saudi Arabia, who currently have a fragile truce with the Houthis.

The Houthis rose to power after capturing the capital, Sanaa, during the 2014 civil war in Yemen. Following the intervention of forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the conflict brought most of the country to the brink of starvation and resulted in the worst outbreak of cholera in recorded history.

This latest commitment to peace with Israel by the Houthis hinges on the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Repeated flagrant violations of the agreement by Israel points toward the eventuality that the ceasefire in Gaza will collapse, presumably leading to a resumption in hostilities between the Yemen’s Houthis and Israel.

Middle East Eye and agencies, Britannica, Maghrebi.org