A prominent leader of the Houthi movement has warned that the decision of the Egyptian Parliament to militarily support Saudi Arabia against its attacks on the group, in response to the Saudi bombings on Yemen in support of the internationally recognized government, amounts to "a declaration of war," in a context of intensification of the fighting following the offensive initiated by the rebels at the beginning of September.
Mohamed Ali al Huti, a relevant figure of the political wing of the movement, has indicated in a statement disseminated on social media that "the declaration of support by Egypt and its Parliament for what they describe as a defense of Saudi Arabia constitutes a declaration of war on Yemen," before adding that this move "does a favor to Israel, the occupying entity, which is waiting for an opportunity to strike Sinai and take control of large parts of Egypt."
In this line, he has maintained that Israel intends to drag Egypt into the conflict in Yemen, just as happened during the civil war between 1963 and 1970, with the expectation that "Egyptian forces will be consumed again in order to be able to strike Sinai again and expel the Palestinians there, a policy that they have already declared and that is known by the usurping occupying entity."
Al Huti has also lashed out at Saudi Arabia for its actions following the visit to Iran made on Monday by the members of the Mecca Pact -- Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan -- to discuss the regional security situation, and has emphasized that the attacks and the blockade against Yemen are framed within its intervention since 2015 in support of the internationally recognized authorities.
"The only thing Saudi Arabia must do is cease its aggression, lift its blockade against our country, and end its occupation of our homeland. These are essential steps to stop the situation and the escalation against Yemen," Al Huti has stated, adding that "Saudi Arabia has already learned from past alliances that they are not effective."
At this point, he has emphasized that this alliance "is nothing more than an attempt to resolve the crisis in Iran, which is a clear and flagrant act of aggression against the Islamic Republic" by the United States and Israel. "It is an attempt to present themselves as innocent, peaceful, and committed to peace in the region, the opposite of what they do in Yemen and in other countries," he has concluded.
"We do not fear any alliance that may be formed, but we emphasize that such alliances must be directed against the usurping entity --referring to Israel--, which is waging a war against our brothers in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and other regions, and which is even preparing for war against Egypt," Al Huti has reiterated, who has called for "a concerted effort and constant vigilance to eliminate this threat."
The pronouncement has been disseminated after the Egyptian Parliament approved on Monday to grant extraordinary powers to President Abdelfatá al Sisi to authorize the deployment of military forces in Saudi Arabia in defense against the attacks from the Houthis. The head of state, who has promised that his country will do "everything necessary" to safeguard Saudi Arabia, is thus empowered to order the sending of troops after obtaining the support of the two-thirds of the Chamber required by the Constitution.
The Houthis, who launched a large-scale offensive in western Yemen on September 3, have carried out numerous missile and drone attacks against Saudi territory, in response to the support of the international coalition led by Riyadh for the military operations of the internationally recognized Yemeni authorities.
For their part, the forces loyal to the Yemeni government recognized by the international community announced on October 4 a massive offensive to recover the areas recently taken by the Houthis and even advance towards the capital, Sana'a, controlled by the rebels since 2014.