Donald Trump's transfer plan: Houthis make counterproposal

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi proposed a counter-offer to President Donald Trump's idea of relocating displaced Gazan civilians to other countries from the war-torn Gaza Strip, saying Israeli Jews should be relocated to the United States.

Al-Houthi claimed that the United States has very large tracts of land, ostensibly empty of residents, to which Jews can be moved. They can then be given a state as one of the United States, and this aligns with "justice and truth," according to the Houthi leader.

Al-Houthi then issued a threat and a warning that if Israel and the United States go through with the "criminal" and unjust plan to relocate Gazans to other countries, the Houthis will not stand aside and will engage in Jihad to fight back against such an effort.

Although Houthi forces have stopped firing on shipping in the Red Sea or at Israel following the ceasefire and the hostage deal, they have said that they remain in constant contact with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad on the matter. If Israel restarts the war, the Houthis say, we will restart hostilities, as well.

The Houthis are the only remaining Iranian proxy force which continues to threaten to fight Israel in support of Hamas and Islamic Jihad after over a year of war. Pro-Iranian Iraqi militias, which launched drones against Israel and sometimes even US forces, have since backed down under Iranian and also Iraqi and US pressure.

Hezbollah, meantime, has not said anything about joining in on a renewed war, even though they were the first to "assist" Hamas the day after October 7, engaging in a low-level war of attrition with Israel and a ground war this fall, after which they agreed to a ceasefire and said they'd done their part for Gaza.

So far, all Arab countries have vociferously rejected Trump's transfer plan, almost without exception.