Yemenis Rally En Masse for Gaza, Vow Continued Strikes Against “Israeli” Interests

By Staff, Agencies

Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis flooded the streets of Sanaa and other major cities on Friday in a massive show of solidarity with the people of Gaza, vowing to intensify military operations against “Israeli” targets amid the ongoing genocide in the besieged enclave.

Al-Sabeen Square in the heart of Sanaa was packed with demonstrators rallying under the slogan: “Support for Gaza... Our Marches Continue, Our Operations Escalate.” The crowds expressed unwavering pride in the Yemeni Armed Forces’ maritime strikes and pledged to sustain their mobilization in the face of any renewed “Israeli” attacks or external pressure from allied forces, including the US.

Chants echoed across the square: “O Gaza, this is your front… The sea is yours,” “All Yemeni fronts… Are Palestinian fronts,” and “O Gaza, we are with you… You are not alone.” Protesters carried banners reinforcing their commitment to the Palestinian cause and their readiness to act militarily.

Speaking on behalf of the demonstrators, Mohammed Al-Bukaiti, President of Sanaa University, declared: “In response to Allah’s call, striving in His path, and seeking His pleasure, we have gathered today in our million-man marches in support of the oppressed Palestinian Muslim people and in confrontation of the tyranny and crimes of the Zionist-American aggression.”

Al-Bukaiti emphasized that Gaza has been subjected to “an unprecedented genocide”—facing killing, siege, starvation and thirst for nearly two years. He pledged that Yemeni military operations will not cease until the aggression ends, as reported by Yemen’s Saba News Agency.

Al-Bukaiti also celebrated what appeared to be a reference to a recent naval operation targeting the ETERNITY C, a vessel reportedly en route to the “Israeli” port of "Eilat" [Umm al-Rashrash]. According to Yemen’s armed forces, the ship was struck by an unmanned surface vehicle and a barrage of six cruise and ballistic missiles after ignoring warnings. The vessel is said to have sunk completely, although the crew was rescued.

This operation followed a similar strike on the Magic Seas and formed part of Yemen’s self-declared blockade on maritime traffic bound for “Israeli” ports in the Red and Arabian Seas. The military reiterated its warning to shipping companies: violations of the blockade would be met with continued operations until the siege on Gaza is lifted.

Friday’s demonstrators hailed these naval strikes as decisive in “shattering the enemy’s remaining hopes” and delivering “humiliating blows” to “Israel” that garnered international attention.

The protest comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over 57,700 Palestinians—primarily women and children—have been killed since October 2023 in what Yemen refers to as an “ongoing genocide.”

Yemeni officials maintain that their growing military campaign is aimed at applying pressure on “Israel” and its Western allies, especially the US, to halt the war and end the blockade imposed on Gaza. Since the start of the aggression, Yemen has launched dozens of operations against targets in the occupied Palestinian territories and shipping routes linked to “Israel”.