Dramatic moment Yemeni Houthi rebels storm a mock Jewish residential area and ‘take hostages’ before firing at portrait of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu as UK promises further action if military activity continues

This is the dramatic moment Yemen’s Houthi rebels stormed a mock Jewish residential area as part of a training exercise, after the militant group’s leaders this week promised a “strong and effective response” to the allied bombings.

Aerial footage shared by the rebels showed Houthi forces conducting exercises around a training area consisting of several houses marked with the Star of David.

Men carrying Kalashnikov-style assault rifles are seen entering the makeshift compound, storming tents and shooting at a portrait of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

They then appear to practice taking hostages, using assault rifles to lead cringing actors dressed as Orthodox Jews out of the tents.

The troops are seen from above driving away from the compound before completely blowing up the site in an apparently controlled demolition.

Footage of the drills was first shared on Saturday after the Houthi leadership vowed revenge for attacks by allies in response to rebel attacks on merchant ships in recent weeks.

A joint exercise between Britain, the US and allies in the early hours of Friday morning was followed by subsequent attacks late Friday and on Saturday afternoon.

Despite the threats, Foreign Secretary David Cameron yesterday warned rebels that Britain was prepared to carry out future attacks on Houthi targets if their missiles continued to threaten the free flow of trade in the Red Sea.

Aerial footage released Jan. 13 and dated Jan. 11 — before the coalition airstrikes — also showed drone operators practicing while standing on American flags.

And during the exercises, missiles and tanks were tested near the northern border between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, in the Al-Baqaa area.

Protests erupted in Yemen last weekend as supporters of the Houthi rebels, who have been locked in a brutal civil war with the internationally recognized government since 2014, condemned the United States and Israel.

US and British warplanes, ships and submarines launched dozens of airstrikes over Yemen in the early hours of Friday morning in retaliation for repeated Houthi attacks in and around the Red Sea in recent weeks.

The Houthis called the attacks “barbaric” and said in a statement that “all US and British interests have become ‘legitimate targets’,” without elaborating.

“The Americans and the British should not believe that they will escape punishment from our heroic forces,” the Houthi Supreme Political Council said in a statement on their official media.

The Houthis, who say they stand in solidarity with Gaza, have carried out a number of rocket and drone attacks on what they consider Israeli-linked shipping in the region.

The attacks were widely condemned as commercial shipping companies sought alternative routes or halted operations altogether, raising fears that the price of essential commodities could rise significantly.

The US followed up its attack on Friday morning with another attack later that day and a third on Saturday afternoon.

The Houthi movement’s Al-Masirah TV channel incorrectly reported in the early hours of Saturday morning that Britain was involved in the second round of strikes.

Houthi media then accused Britain and the US of launching more attacks on rebel-held Hodeida on Sunday, which Western allies also denied.

Still, the airstrikes have strengthened Houthi supporters in Yemen. Houthi fighters and supporters were seen holding guns and burning British and American flags at a rally near Sanaa.

In London, some protesters marched to show solidarity with civilians killed in Gaza filmed shouting ‘Yemen, Yemen makes us proud. Turn another ship,” referring to the missile attacks on merchant ships.

The Houthi group emerged in the 1990s but gained international attention in 2014 during an uprising against Yemen’s government, leading to the ongoing civil war.

Yemen’s government subsequently resigned, sparking a humanitarian crisis crisis. Houthi forces continue to clash with a Saudi-led coalition and allies in the United States and some European powers.

The Houthis continue to receive millions in aid from Iran every year, which is the case offers help and training Hamas in Gaza and as much as $700 million a year Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Houthis have been accused of several violations of international law – in addition to attacking non-combatant merchant ships in the Red Sea – including using child carriers. soldiersis expected to account for a third of all fighters in Yemen.

Human Rights Watch published a 2018 report detailing how Houthi soldiers would take hostages, arbitrarily detain people and use torture methods to extort money from family members.

The UN too reported in 2018, the Houthis diverted food aid from distribution areas intended for civilians affected by the humanitarian crisis.

And in 2019 it was accusations the Houthis supported the restoration of slavery in Yemen, with leaders’ families holding some 1,800 civilians as slaves and servants in their personal homes.