With Hamas and Hezbollah on the ropes, the Houthis are the most daring and effective pillar of the “axis of resistance” against Israel and the United States

The popularity of Yemeni rebels has increased sharply, both at home and in the Arab world, after October 7 and their staunch defense of the Palestinians, both by direct attacks on Israel and by disrupting navigation in the Red Sea. If the truce in Gaza ends — the first phase ends on Saturday — the Houthis, who have supported the ceasefire, have already warned that they will return to arms.

The war in Gaza has had a domino effect across the Middle East that has changed the status of key players in the region. In the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Hamas, although not eradicated after 16 months of all-out war by Israel, has been severely weakened.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah exposed its weaknesses by allowing itself to be surprised by attacks with booby-trapped pagers and by a violent Israeli bombing of its headquarters in Beirut, which killed Hassan Nasrallah, its charismatic leader of more than 30 years.