Yemen’s army accused the Houthis on Tuesday of using public fury over Israel’s Gaza conflict to organize fighters and military equipment outside key government-controlled cities under the guise of preparing to confront the Israelis.

Rashad Al-Mekhlafi, a military official with Yemen’s Armed Forces Guidance Department, said that the Houthis amassed fighters and deployed military vehicles and heavy weapons outside the central city of Marib, in the northern parts of Jouf province, and outside the besieged city of Taiz in recent weeks.

The Yemeni army is on high alert to deter predicted attacks on those fronts, he said, adding that the “Houthis took advantage of the situation in Gaza” to deploy personnel and equipment and to carry out training and military maneuvers.

The Houthis recently announced military training across territories under their control in order to prepare to fight off Israelis. They also declared the launch of drones and missiles against Israel.

According to the Yemeni army, the Houthis have used the Gaza conflict to plan a fresh military offensive against government-controlled territories.

Fighting in Yemen has generally abated since early 2022, when a UN-brokered truce went into effect, despite frequent claims against the Houthis of launching lethal drone and missile strikes and ground attacks in the provinces of Dhale, Taiz, Marib, Saada, and others.

Combatants, artillery emplacements, drone pad launchers, and bulldozers excavating trenches and erecting barricades were stationed in contested areas north of Jouf province and south of Marib city as a smaller number of Houthi fighters and military equipment have been moved outside the city of Taiz, Yemen’s army said. 

“We believe the Houthis are targeting Marib because of its importance to the national army as well as its oil fields, followed by northern areas of Jouf and the city of Taiz,” Al-Mekhlafi said. 

Yemen’s army has deployed military soldiers and weaponry in the three areas to counter any Houthi military activity.

The army said on Monday that it had foiled a new Houthi onslaught on its positions in the Taiz province’s Al-Kadahah and Maqbanah regions.

Meanwhile, the international organization Save the Children announced on Monday that it had restarted its humanitarian operations in Houthi-controlled areas following a 10-day halt, even as the Houthis continue to disregard the organization’s demands for an investigation into the death of a worker in their prison.

Late last month, the organization ceased its activities in northern Yemen in an effort to compel the Houthis to provide an explanation for the death of Hisham Al-Hakimi, 44, the organization’s safety and security director, who was held captive by the Houthis.

The reason for resuming the operations, the organization said in a statement, is to continue providing humanitarian aid to Yemen’s starving children.

“The needs of the children in Yemen are immense, and they continue to be our driving force. As we resume our operations, we remain dedicated to providing the lifesaving assistance children require,” David Wright, chief operating officer at Save the Children, said in a statement. 

The death of Al-Hakimi, who was kidnapped from Sanaa in September and held captive for 50 days, has triggered criticism and calls for an investigation from the UK, the EU, and other countries, as well as 20 international organizations operating in Yemen.