In the past week, the Houthi rebels have escalated threats to resume maritime actions against Israel and the U.S. and to renew missile fire toward our territory. The Israeli news site, Ynet, reported this morning (Sunday) that, according to sources in Jerusalem, the Hamas organization is the one that asked the rebels in Yemen to reinstate the siege, in order to exert pressure on Israel not to resume fighting.
In his recent weekly speech, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi threatened that if humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip does not continue within four days, they would re-initiate maritime operations against Israeli vessels. Last month, senior officials in the organization issued a similar threat, warning that if the ceasefire in Gaza or Lebanon collapses, missile fire from Yemen would be activated again.
A Stronger Response Than the Biden Administration
In Israel, officials note that there is a close collaboration with U.S. Central Command to address such a scenario, and they hope that President Donald Trump’s administration will take a “stronger response” than that of the Biden administration. It is noteworthy that the Trump administration already designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization and imposed sanctions on senior officials of the group early in its term.
Significant Damage in Yemen
During the war, Israel struck the Houthis in Yemen five times, despite the significant damage caused to the group’s infrastructure. The organization threatens another round of attacks. Last week, following the latest update from Google Maps, a detailed aerial photograph of the Hudaydah Port in Yemen was revealed, showing the heavy damage inflicted on fuel facilities and infrastructure in the area. The detailed images allowed observers to note the extensive destruction and significant impact caused in the region as a result of airstrikes conducted by the IDF during operations Long Arm, White City, and Sound of the Vineyard.
The port, considered a strategic asset for the Houthi rebels, suffered significant impacts during the strikes, and experts note that the rehabilitation of the infrastructure in the area may take a long time. The images reinforce the message that Israel has succeeded in undermining the strategic capabilities of the Houthis in the area.
