The Houthi group in Yemen announced on Thursday that it is preparing for "a fourth round of escalation" if the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip continues.

This came in a speech delivered by the group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, according to the group's news agency, "Saba".

Al-Houthi stated: "If the Zionist enemy (Israel) continues to be obstinate along with the Americans against the Palestinian people, then there is a fourth round we are preparing for in confrontation with this usurping enemy," without providing further details.

He added that "the Yemeni people have made significant progress in escalating and developing military capabilities to confront the forces of global hegemony and arrogance led by America, Britain, and the Zionist entity, and their aggression against the Yemeni and Palestinian peoples," according to Anadolu Agency.

Last October, the first phase of the Houthis' military escalation began with targeting sites in southern Israel with missiles and drones, before the group moved to the second phase in November by targeting vessels linked to Israel.

The third phase involved targeting American and British ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea since the beginning of this year.

The Houthi leader clarified that "if the negotiations in Gaza succeed and the situation calms down, it does not mean the end of the battle, but rather the completion of a round of escalation."

He continued: "When we reach the end of this round, the conflict with the Israeli enemy will remain ongoing."

He affirmed that "the conflict with the Israeli enemy is inevitable, as it is one of occupation, usurpation, and aggression, and the conflict with it will not end except with its removal from all of Palestine and its purification."