Sana'a –A newly released report by the United Nations Panel of Experts on Yemen has revealed that the Houthi movement has strategically exploited the war in Gaza to expand its regional influence, accelerate recruitment efforts, and escalate internal repression across areas under its control.

The report, submitted to the UN Security Council and reviewed by multiple media outlets, states that the Houthis have used the Palestinian conflict to justify increased military activity in the Red Sea and to rally public support under the banner of resistance. 

This narrative, the panel notes, has enabled the group to mobilize thousands of new recruits, particularly youth, while intensifying ideological indoctrination and militarization of civilian institutions.

According to the experts, the Houthis have also tightened their grip on dissent, launching waves of arrests, surveillance, and intimidation against journalists, activists, and tribal leaders who oppose their policies. 

The report highlights a sharp rise in human rights violations, including arbitrary detention and forced disappearances, since the onset of the Gaza conflict.

The panel further warns that the group’s growing alignment with Iran and Hezbollah has emboldened its regional posture, posing a broader threat to maritime security and regional stability. 

“The Houthis are leveraging the Gaza war not only for propaganda but to entrench their power and suppress internal opposition,” the report concludes.

The findings come amid heightened international concern over the spillover effects of the Gaza conflict and renewed calls for de-escalation and accountability in Yemen.