US backs down amid Yemeni resilience, leaving Israel to fight its own battle

The US has reached a ceasefire deal with the Houthis in Yemen, ahead of a visit to Gulf dictatorships next week. It seems the Houthis’ resilience cost Washington too much money for too little gain. So the imperial power will now rely on its local enforcer Israel to continue the fight, which the apartheid state began itself with its genocide in Gaza.

Trump steps back in Yemen, but Israel steps forward

The Donald Trump administration in the US is incredibly pro-Israel. But despite Washington essentially propping up the apartheid state and its crimes against humanity, it remains the shot-caller. And because the economic bottom line matters to Trump, especially at a time when he’s scored so many own goals internationally, the costly and largely ineffective bombing of Yemen had to stop. So he apparently surprised Israel by signing the deal with the Houthis, though the settler-colonial power was already doubtful about US commitment to its campaign in Yemen.

The Houthis have been resisting Israel’s genocide in Gaza by targeting ships heading to the apartheid state. And the US and UK have been coming to Israel’s aid, but with little success and much criticism.

When a Houthi missile managed to evade interception and hit near Ben Gurion International Airport on 4 May, it was the “most significant strike” so far for the group. And it was therefore pretty clear that the efforts of Israel and its Western allies to dampen the Houthis’ will to resist weren’t working. So the following day, Israel sent around 30 warplanes to Yemen to bomb the important port of Hodeidah. Then, just hours before the US-Houthi ceasefire announcement, other Israeli planes hit Sanaa airport in Yemen. They caused “around $500 million in losses” and left it “in ruins“.

The US failed. But Israel and Houthis will continue to fight.

Trump standing down in Yemen marks a US failure to stop Houthi resistance. He simply realised it was more cost-effective and less embarrassing to let Israel fight its own battle.

The US-Houthi ceasefire reportedly doesn’t say anything about Houthis’ fight against Israel’s war-criminal regime. Chief Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam said there was no mention in the deal about ceasing resistance to Israel’s genocide in “any way, shape or form”. Far from that, the Houthis have clarified that this struggle “will continue”.

Featured image via the Canary