Thousands rally in Sanaa against Israel-Hamas war, Houthis threaten to expand their campaign

Tens of thousands of Yemenis joined a recurring Friday demonstration in Sanaa in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Yemen's Houthi rebels are threatening to expand their campaign targeting ships traveling to Israel.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a military spokesman, said it was the fourth phase in their campain and would target "all ships that breached the decision that bans Israeli navigation and heading to ports of occupied Palestine in the Mediterranean sea in any area we can reach.”

It comes as the Houthis have inserted themselves into the ongoing tensions over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip through a campaign targeting ships traveling through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Many container ships are avoiding the route after the attacks began in November.

It remained unclear how the Houthis would carry out their threat. In recent weeks, the tempo of their attacks has slowed after facing weeks of U.S.-led airstrikes.

The Houthis have sunk one ship and killed three crew members on one vessel across dozens of attacks.