Israel boosts security for top officials after strike on Houthi leaders

Security has been significantly heightened around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz, and other senior officials following the targeted killing of top Houthi leaders in Yemen. The move comes as the Iran-backed Houthi group has vowed revenge and threatened further attacks against Israel.

Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, has implemented “special and unusual” protective measures in response to potential retaliatory actions, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

The escalation follows an Israeli airstrike on August 28 in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, which killed Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi, the prime minister of the Houthi rebel government, along with several other high-ranking ministers. Both the Houthis and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike on August 30.

In a televised speech on August 31, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi vowed to continue attacks on Israel.

“Targeting Israel with missiles and drones” will continue, he declared, adding that Israeli strikes on Houthi-controlled areas “would not weaken the group or discourage its fighters.”

He added, “The coming days will see additional success… in thwarting the Israeli enemy’s attempts to commit crimes against our dear people or to target official institutions and cities.”

Since the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023, the Houthis have launched multiple drone and missile attacks on Israel in what they describe as support for the Palestinians.

At weekly Israeli cabinet meeting, held at a secure, undisclosed location on August 31, Netanyahu downplayed the Houthi threats:

“In every one of his speeches, [Houthi leader] al-Houthi promises he will strike Israel, that he will destroy Israel. That’s written on their flag… That promise will not be fulfilled,” he said.

“But our promise — to strike the terror regime with increased force — is being fulfilled. In a deadly blow, the IDF eliminated most of the Houthi government and additional military officials.”

He warned: “This is only the beginning… We will reach all of them.”

By Vafa Guliyeva