“The Zionist regime’s crime of assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr has greatly impacted the region’s state of affairs," Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday afternoon.
"The enemy’s latest acts of aggression have targeted the Muslim Ummah’s leaders and dignitaries, who played starring roles in running up the flag of struggle against Islam’s and Muslims’ foes,” he added.
The Ansarullah chief said the recent assassinations have had a significant impact on the entire West Asia.
“The horrendous assassination of Haniyeh was met with the absolute cohesion of the Hamas resistance movement. While the enemy had wished to undermine the group’s resilience and steadfastness and wreak its decision-making power, Hamas continues its activities coherently. Despite the big loss of Haniyeh, there is no discord, weakness, or retreat from fundamental positions within Hamas.
“Al-Qassam Brigades fighters are carrying out their operations effectively, consistently, and capably,” Houthi noted.
He also hailed the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as the Hamas political chief to succeed Haniyeh, stating that his unanimous selection merely confirms that the Gaza resistance front is still steadfast in fighting off the occupying Israeli regime.
Houthi said Hezbollah’s retaliation after the Israeli assassination of its senior commander Fuad Shukr in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut is “inevitable.”
“The Israeli enemy is in a state of fear following recent assassinations of regional resistance leaders,” he said.
The Ansarullah leader also said senior Iranian officials have warned the Israeli regime of a “harsh and definite response” to Haniyeh's assassination, adding contacts are being made and messages relayed by Israel's allies to convince the Islamic Republic to limit its response in scope.
“Attempts to restrain the Islamic Republic of Iran have been met with Tehran’s full transparency as the matter has to do with the violation of its sovereignty and assassination of its official guest. Resistance groups in Lebanon, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq will continue their operations, and retaliation against the occupying regime's aggression is inevitable and unavoidable,” Houthi noted.
Houthi stressed that the delay in response to the Israeli aggression is “a purely tactical matter.”
He also took a swipe at certain Arab regimes for collaborating with the Tel Aviv regime, and intercepting the missiles that resistance factions launch at Israeli-occupied territories.
Houthi then pointed to the Yemeni military’s anti-Israel operations, stating that the country's forces are not only fighting against the usurping regime but also a number of its Western and Arab allies.
“Yemeni forces fired 16 ballistic missiles and a combat drone throughout this week. The most notable operations were the strikes against two US destroyers in the Gulf of Aden and the shoot-down of an American MQ-9 drone,” the Ansarullah leader said.
He said Yemeni naval units have so far targeted 177 Israeli-affiliated merchant vessels in the Red Sea.
“Among the dramatic and outstanding results of our operations was that the Israeli port of Eilat officially declared its bankruptcy, after complete paralysis of commercial activity and its cessation of receiving ships and containers.
“Following our success in preventing Israeli-linked ships from sailing in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden waters, the scope of our maritime operations have become fairly far-reaching,” Houthi commented.
The Ansarullah chief finally called upon all walks of the Yemeni society to take to the streets on Friday in a strong show of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza amid the relentless Israeli ground and aerial offensives.
MNA/Press TV