Protesters in Yemen's capital city of Sanaa voiced their unwavering support for Palestinians in Gaza during a mass rally on Friday, saying they are not afraid of the U.S. strikes on their country and will "never abandon Gaza."
More than 300 demonstrations have been staged nationwide following the deaths of dozens of civilians in U.S. airstrikes on several Houthi-controlled provinces in Yemen over the past few months.
Washington has said its strikes are aimed at precise military targets, while the Houthis accused the U.S. of targeting civilians.
In response, the Houthis announced on Wednesday that they had shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone, the fourth drone downed since the Trump administration took office and the 18th since the war in Gaza began.
"The repeated downing of American drones in Yemeni airspace tarnishes the reputation of American drones and the U.S. arms industry. At the same time, it secures Yemen and its airspace from these aircraft. It adds to America's failures in the war, as it deepens the intelligence gap faced by the American aggression, which is waging a blind war against Yemen," said senior Houthi media official Abdulrahman al-Ahnomi at Friday's rally.
Despite ongoing military tensions, large crowds took to the streets in Sanaa and several other provinces, where demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and raised slogans expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and condemning the ongoing U.S. airstrikes.
"We took to the streets today in defiance of the American airstrikes, and we say to Trump: We are not afraid of your planes, your warships, or your missiles," protester Yahya al-Nadhari told China Global Television Network (CGTN).
"Our presence today is a message to Trump that no matter how much aggression you launch against us, no matter how many airstrikes or actions you take, we will never abandon Gaza. Gaza lives in the hearts of the Yemeni people," said Ali al-Qarmani, another protester.
The confrontation between the Houthis and U.S. forces has intensified in recent weeks. American warplanes have bombed several Houthi-controlled locations, including Sanaa. Meanwhile, the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson arrived in the Red Sea, joining the USS Harry S. Truman, which had already been deployed in the region.
In response, the Houthis have launched multiple attacks on U.S. naval assets. On Friday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement that the group had carried out new operations targeting hostile forces, including strikes on the USS Harry S. Truman and hitting two military sites in the Israeli city of Jaffa with drones.
In a televised speech delivered on Thursday, Yemen's Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi described the U.S. air campaign as a failed attempt to achieve its goals and vowed to expand operations against Israel and American interests if attacks on Gaza and Yemen continue.
He stressed that any escalation would be met with further escalation and the mass rallies in support of Gaza reflect a firm position that will not be shaken by airstrikes, no matter how intense they become.
Yemeni protesters rally to support Gaza amid continued U.S. airstrikes
