Photo: Saleh Habra in an interview with Jamal Alawadhi editor in chief of YOL in Sada governorate in 2012.

Aden- In a post that stirred widespread debate on social media, Saleh Habra, former head of the Houthi political bureau and deputy chairman of the National Dialogue Conference, sharply criticized the group’s military policy of launching missiles and drones toward Israel under the banner of “supporting Gaza,” arguing that the consequences are catastrophic for Yemeni civilians.

Habra asked bluntly: “Isn’t it complicity in the crime when we launch a drone at the enemy, knowing that the retaliation will be the destruction of our neighborhoods and the death of our people?” He noted that such operations are usually met with heavy bombardments on Sana’a and other areas, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties buried under the rubble.

The former Houthi official described Yemen’s dire humanitarian conditions, marked by “shortages of medicine, a lack of hospitals, no ambulances or rescue teams,” along with the authorities’ inability to protect residents or rebuild the homes of the poor. He warned that the continuation of these policies risks “destroying Yemen’s future and dragging it a hundred years backwards.”

“Yemen Is No Longer Livable”

In his post, Habra voiced fears that worsening conditions could push Yemenis to seek migration abroad in search of a dignified life. “How can people live under bombardment while suffering salary cuts, and with airports and land and sea crossings closed?” he asked, adding that those cheering such operations “would not endure them for even a single week.”

Questioning Political Effectiveness

Habra stressed that these strikes would not change Israel’s position on Gaza. On the contrary, he argued, they “destroy Yemen and make it another Gaza, without easing the suffering of Palestinians.” He maintained that Yemen, mired in crisis and divided within itself, is “incapable even of defending itself—so how can it possibly force Israel to change its stance?”

A Call for Reassessment

The former leader described such actions as “immature” and reflecting “indifference to the people’s suffering.” Still, he clarified that his statement does not mean abandoning solidarity with Gaza, but rather supporting it “in ways consistent with our circumstances and reality, for God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.”

With this statement, Saleh Habra has opened the door to a sensitive internal debate over the effectiveness of Yemen’s regional military entanglements—and whether they truly serve the Palestinian cause or merely deepen the tragedies endured by ordinary Yemenis after years of war.