Thousands of Yemenis crowded the capital Sanaa Friday to express their support for the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who say they will maintain pressure on Israel despite the imminent Gaza ceasefire.

The Middle East Forum, a conservative nonprofit focused on Islamic issues, has described Al-Husainy as “a radical anti-Semitic, pro-Hezbollah Shia imam” with “a significant history of

Israel and its allies have escalated strikes against the Houthis, trying to force the Iran-backed group to stop firing on Israel and Red Sea shipping.

Analysis: Yemen is an escalating frontline in Israel's proxy war with Iran, but Tel Aviv may struggle to achieve a military triumph against the Houthis.

"We now have credible reports that China's communist rulers are supplying arms to the Houthi Islamists in Yemen supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran," explained Clifford D. May, founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in a post earlier this month.

Israel’s military says it carried out new airstrikes in Yemen against what it said were Houthi rebel targets. Its statement Friday said fighter jets struck “on the western coast and inland Yemen,” a day after the Houthis launched three drones at Israel. The U.S. military bombed Yemen earlier this week.

Israeli warplanes bombed a power station and two ports in Houthi-controlled Yemen on Friday in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile strikes against Israel, and pro-Houthi media said at least one person had been killed and nine wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Friday with security officials to discuss Gaza ceasefire talks, an Israeli official told The Associated Press.

Yemen's Houthi militia has praised the "resistance" of Palestinians against Israel following the agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the militia-controlled Saba news agency reported citing a Houthi spokesman.

In essence, jihadist terror is a convenient form of religious sacrifice. Moreover, the jihadi rallying cry, “We love death,” is common to both Sunni and Shia insurgents. In shrieking this perverse cry, no fundamental differences arise between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria, Houthis in Yemen and Hamas/Fatah in Gaza/West Bank.

The U.S. on Friday imposed sanctions on a Yemen-based financial institution that Washington accused of financially supporting the Houthis, as President Joe Biden's administration sought to further pressure the militant group before Biden leaves office.