Sawt Falasteen - Major rallies in rebel-held Yemen after deadly US strikes

Tens of thousands of demonstrators, many waving assault rifles, daggers or Korans, chanted "Death to America, death to Israel!" in the capital Sanaa.

There were also large crowds in Saada, birthplace of the Iran-backed Huthi movement, and demonstrations in Dhamar, Hodeida and Amran, footage from the rebels' Al-Masirah TV station showed.

"Yemen will never back down -- we defy the Americans, we defy the Zionists," said a man shouting slogans to the Sanaa crowd, who chanted back: "We are the men of the Prophet."

The protests came after the first US strikes on Yemen under President Donald Trump, aimed at ending the Huthis' Red Sea harassment campaign, which killed 53 people and wounded 98 on Saturday.

The rebels, at war with a Saudi-led coalition for a decade, launched scores of attacks on ships in the vital route during the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians.

Earlier on Monday they said they had attacked the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier group twice within 24 hours. There was no comment from the United States.

Washington has vowed to keep hitting Yemen until the rebels stop attacking Red Sea shipping, with Trump warning he would use "overwhelming lethal force".

Monday's rallies were called by Huthi leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi to coincide with the anniversary of the Battle of Badr -- a celebrated military victory by the Prophet Mohammed.

- Heavy strikes -

In the capital Sanaa, controlled by the Huthis since 2014, giant Yemeni and Palestinian flags punctuated a sea of demonstrators at Al-Sabeen Square, which has hosted large-scale demonstrations on a weekly basis throughout the Gaza war.

Just two days ago the Huthi-controlled capital was hit by heavy strikes, including in northern districts frequented by the rebels' leadership.

They were the first US strikes since Trump came to office in January despite a pause in the Huthis' attacks coinciding with a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

On Sunday, US officials vowed further bombardments until the rebels ended their campaign against Red Sea shipping, while also threatening action against the group's sponsor Iran.

Huthi media reported more explosions late on Sunday, accusing the Americans of targeting a cotton facility in the Hodeida region and the Galaxy Leader, a cargo ship hijacked in November 2023.

- 'Hell will rain down' -

The United Nations urged both sides to "cease all military activity", while expressing concern over Huthi threats to resume the Red Sea attacks.

Beijing called for "dialogue and negotiation" and a de-escalation of tensions.

"China opposes any action that escalates the situation in the Red Sea," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing.

Before this weekend's targeting of the US carrier group, the Huthis had not claimed any attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when the ceasefire in Gaza began.

However, the group had threatened to resume its campaign over Israel's blocking of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.

It said it would "move to additional escalatory options" if the "American aggression" continued.

US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told ABC News that Saturday's strikes "targeted multiple Huthi leaders and took them out". The Huthis have not responded to Waltz's claim.

Trump, meanwhile, has warned the Yemeni group that "hell will rain down upon you" if it did not stop its attacks.

In a social media post he also addressed Iran, demanding it stop supporting "Huthi terrorists".

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes and said Washington had "no authority" to dictate Tehran's foreign policy.

- Costly detour -

A database set up by ACLED, a non-profit monitor, shows 136 Huthi attacks against warships, commercial vessels, and Israeli and other targets since October 19, 2023.

While the Red Sea trade route normally carries around 12 percent of world shipping traffic, Huthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa.

The United States had already launched several rounds of strikes on Huthi targets under former president Joe Biden.

Israel has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Huthi missile fire towards Israeli territory.

The rebels control large swathes of Yemen, including most of its population centres, after ousting the internationally recognised government from Sanaa.

They have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the government since 2015, a conflict that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis.

Fighting has largely been on hold since a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but the peace process has stalled following the Huthi attacks over Gaza.

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H.Nasr--SF-PST