Israel vows to escalate strikes on Yemen, pledges to eliminate Houthi leader

Israel has pledged to continue its military campaign against the Houthi movement in Yemen, officially known as Ansar Allah, in response to the group’s ongoing missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli territory.

In a strongly worded statement, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the country is prepared to eliminate Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis, if the attacks persist, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Katz issued the threat following a new wave of Israeli airstrikes on Houthi-controlled infrastructure in Yemen. According to the Israeli military, the latest strikes targeted the ports of Hudaydah and As-Salif, both located on the Red Sea in Yemen’s Al-Hudaydah province. The military claims these ports were being used by the Houthis to facilitate arms transfers.

“If the Houthis continue to fire rockets at Israel, they will face painful blows,” Katz wrote on X. “We will strike those who lead the terror, just as we did with Muhammad Deif and the Sinwars in Gaza, Nasrallah in Beirut, and Haniyeh in Tehran. We will track and eliminate Abdel-Malek al-Houthi in Yemen. We will defend ourselves with our own strength against any enemy.”

Katz referenced several high-profile Israeli operations against militant leaders. Among them were Muhammad Deif, the military chief of Hamas; Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas in Gaza; Ismail Haniyeh, head of the group’s political bureau; and Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah. Though Israel has not officially confirmed some of these assassinations, Katz included them in his remarks.

He also alluded to a recent Israeli airstrike that reportedly targeted Muhammad Sinwar, brother of Yahya Sinwar and leader of Hamas’s military wing. While his death has not been confirmed, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that the May 13 strike was aimed at him.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks on Israel until it halts its military operations in Gaza.

The current conflict erupted after Hamas launched a surprise cross-border assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Of those abducted, 57 remain in captivity in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive.

By Tamilla Hasanova