Yemen’s Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, announced that his group is preparing military operations against Israeli-linked vessels. He had previously issued a four-day ultimatum to mediators between Israel and Hamas to facilitate the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza. This deadline is set to expire on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The Houthi group, who control much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, has launched drone and rocket attacks against Israel-linked ships since November 2023. Israel has conducted retaliatory strikes targeting Houthi military sites in Sanaa and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The group has previously targeted vessels they say are linked to Israel as support for Palestinians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The most recent strike occurred on January 10. The initial attack took place on July 20, 2023, followed by additional strikes on September 29, December 19 and December 26. The port of Hodesidah was repeatedly hit in these airstrikes.