Yemen’s Houthi rebels “will not hesitate to support Lebanon and Hezbollah”, their leader said today, as Israeli airstrikes against the Lebanese movement continued for a fourth day.

In a televised speech, rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi claimed that Israel launched the attacks in Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from “supporting Gaza and the Palestinians.”

The Houthis are part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” an alliance of pro-Iranian armed groups that also includes Palestinian Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi groups.

Yemeni rebels have already launched several drone and missile attacks against Israel, while targeting ships in the Red Sea in a “show of solidarity” with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthi leader claimed that Hezbollah is “stronger than ever” and that it has the “ability to hit any area in occupied Palestine”.

“We will never stop supporting Gaza and Palestine in general, and also Lebanon and Hezbollah,” vowed Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

Almost a year after the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip began, Israel announced in mid-September that it was shifting the “center of gravity” of military operations to its northern border, pounding Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.