January 23, 2025
By Nasser Kandil
• The Yemeni jambiya – a dagger traditionally worn at the waist, symbolises strength and resilience. This emblem has become a powerful representation of Yemen’s solidarity with Gaza amidst the genocidal war and starvation imposed on it, exacerbated by global and Arab silence. Yemen emerged as one of Gaza’s staunchest supporters, striking deep into the occupying entity with missiles and drones, even as a ceasefire was negotiated. Yemen also imposed an effective commercial blockade on the entity, preventing ships from reaching its ports via the Red Sea.
• As the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect, Yemen halted its attacks. However, concerns linger about Israeli manipulation of the agreement and the possibility of Tel Aviv sabotaging negotiations to end the war, thereby disrupting the second phase of the agreement and potentially reigniting hostilities. With growing opposition within the occupying entity to ending the war, the question arose: what about Yemen?
• The Yemeni leadership addressed this by declaring that the blockade on ships remains in place and that navigation through the Red Sea for prohibited vessels will not resume until all phases of the agreement are fully implemented. They also affirmed that Yemen would resume targeting the occupying entity’s depths if Israel reneges on the agreement or returns to its aggression against Gaza.
• Yemen proved to be Gaza’s strategic trump card in forcing an agreement by challenging Washington and Tel Aviv on a strategic level. Despite relentless U.S. efforts to subdue Yemen and compel it to withdraw support for Gaza, Yemen stood firm, making the resolution of the U.S.’s embarrassing Yemeni dilemma a precondition for any truce with the resistance. Only by agreeing to end the war could the occupying entity ensure Yemen’s cessation of hostilities.
• Now, Yemen serves as a guarantor of the agreement’s implementation, preventing Tel Aviv from reneging on its terms and tampering with its stages. The fear of Yemen’s missiles and drones remains a critical factor in assessing the risks of returning to war, raising the key question: How will Yemen respond, and can Tel Aviv endure the consequences if Yemen resumes its attacks? This concern is amplified by repeated failures to deter Yemen, despite the extensive resources deployed by the U.S. in an unsuccessful effort to win the confrontation.
