British Airways' suspension of Tel Aviv flights admission of success of Yemeni ops: Activist

By Sally Ahmed

The decision by British Airways to extend the suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv until the end of July, citing “security concerns,” is an implicit admission of the success of Yemeni military operations, says an activist.

In an interview with the Press TV website, Ahmed Hassan Zaid, a prominent Yemeni social media activist and influencer, said Western states have finally begun to acknowledge Yemen’s military prowess.

“The British decision is not just a security measure, but an implicit acknowledgment of the failure of the Israeli defense systems and of the success of Yemeni military operations in imposing a new regional deterrence equation,” he stated.

Zaid added that the decision comes as the West has learned from its “painful experience” in the Red Sea, where Yemeni forces have conducted powerful and calculated strikes in solidarity with the people of Palestine amid the ongoing Israeli-American genocidal war on Gaza.

Since the onset of the war in October 2023, which has killed nearly 54,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, Yemeni forces have carried out a series of operations, striking targets across the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as American ships in regional waters.

In support of its ally Israel, the US announced the formation of a maritime task force in the Red Sea in December 2023 to protect vessels bound for the Israeli-occupied territories.

The Yemeni forces responded by escalating their strikes against strategic Israeli and American targets, including US warships and aircraft carriers deployed off Yemen’s coastline.

In recent months, the Yemeni military has repeatedly and successfully targeted Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, causing chaos and forcing settlers and travelers to take cover.

Zaid stressed that British Airways’ decision “confirms that Western interests are beginning to diverge from Israeli expansionist policies,” especially regarding the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, which can “upset the balance in the region and harm international agendas.”

The activist also described the decision as an indicator of “the erosion of trust in the Zionist entity” and Yemen emerging as “a regional player that must be taken seriously.”

Amid Israel’s threats to carry out further strikes on civilian targets in Yemen, Zaid emphasized that Israeli attacks and threats will never succeed in halting Yemen’s pro-Gaza operations.

“Israel, along with its allies, knows very well that the Yemenis are not the type [of people] that can be intimidated by bombing or threats,” he said, noting that this nation endured nine years of the US-backed Saudi-led aggression and has emerged “more aware and resilient.”

“The Israeli strikes have targeted civilian infrastructure, not military targets, because it [Israel] knows that the Yemeni force can’t be easily targeted and that the cost of a direct confrontation would be high."

Zaid noted that Israeli bombings aim to “break the will” of the Yemeni nation but emphasized that the participation of millions of Yemenis in weekly demonstrations supporting Gaza and their country’s military operations is the strongest response: “no compromise, no retreat, and Gaza is not alone.”

The activist stated that the weekly million-man demonstrations are not just an “act of solidarity” with the Palestinians, but “a humanitarian and spiritual state rarely seen in today’s world.”

Zaid added that while the Yemeni people are “living under siege, and facing aggression,” they still take to the streets every Friday in the millions, “not to seek aid, but to express their loyalty to the Palestinian blood.”

This weekly “majestic scene” sends a message to the world that “Gaza is not alone,” and that there are people “who fight alongside it with their voices, hearts and weapons,” despite their own hardships.

“It’s a moral and political miracle, and a living testimony that a nation is still alive, even if the world’s conscience has died,” he told the Press TV website.

Zaid urged Arab nations to take concrete action and follow suit to “awaken the Ummah’s conscience,” warning that otherwise “history will place you in the ranks of shame.”

“There is no dignity with submission, no sovereignty with dependency. Silence is betrayal and normalization is a curse.”

The Yemeni activist also praised the steadfastness of the Palestinian people despite their suffering, stressing that “every breath you take from the air of Palestine and your presence in Palestine is a form of Jihad in itself.”

He vowed that Yemenis will continue to support the Palestinians and will never abandon them.

“Our weapon is your weapon and our blood is your blood,” he noted.

Referring to words of appreciation expressed by Palestinians for Yemen and its support for Gaza, the activist said he feels ashamed when he hears Palestinians thanking Yemen and praising it.

“We have done no favor to you at all. We don’t see the issue of Palestine as solely your cause, it’s our cause as much as it’s yours. We are the ones who should be thanking you,” he said, in a message directed at Palestinians.

Zaid stressed that the Palestinians’ resistance against the Israeli occupation spares the Ummah from a “great burden” of new Israeli aggressions on other regional countries.

“You bear the greatest burden. You are the ones who sacrificed and are sacrificing the most for our cause. Your merit encompasses all Muslims,” he said, referring to Palestinians.

“Standing with you is a gain and an honor, and we thank and praise God for allowing us to stand with you.”

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk