The Houthis of Yemen have entered the Israel-Hamas battle, which is raging more than 1,000 miles from their capital of Sanaa. They said on Tuesday that they had launched missiles and drones at Israel in attacks that underscore the conflict’s broader implications.

As part of an Iranian-backed “Axis of Resistance,” the Houthis have sided with the Palestinians ever since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, creating a new front in a movement that has been at war in the Gulf for eight years with a coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement the group had launched a “large number” of ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel, and there would be more such attacks to come “to help the Palestinians to victory”.

His statement confirmed the widening scope of a conflict that has unnerved states including the world’s biggest oil exporter Saudi Arabia, hardening fears of spillover as Israel seeks to destroy Hamas in its Gaza Strip stronghold.