Houthi chief vows to intensify attacks on Israel, says airstrikes won’t deter them

Abdul Malik al-Houthi calls deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv a ‘major psychological blow’ to Israel, commits to stance supporting Palestinians in Gaza

The head of the Houthis in Yemen pledged on Sunday to launch more attacks against Israel, declaring that airstrikes on the port of Hodeida in western Yemen a day before would not deter the the Iran-backed group.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the Israeli strikes, which targeted fuel depots and energy infrastructure at the port, would lead to “further escalation and more attacks targeting Israel.

“Yemeni people are pleased to be in direct confrontation with the Israeli enemy, and they are steadfast and brave people,” he said in a speech, as quoted by Iranian media outlet Press TV.

The head of the Houthis in Yemen pledged on Sunday to launch more attacks against Israel, declaring that airstrikes on the port of Hodeida in western Yemen a day before would not deter the the Iran-backed group.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the Israeli strikes, which targeted fuel depots and energy infrastructure at the port, would lead to “further escalation and more attacks targeting Israel.

“Yemeni people are pleased to be in direct confrontation with the Israeli enemy, and they are steadfast and brave people,” he said in a speech, as quoted by Iranian media outlet Press TV.

Friday’s Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv, which killed resident Yevgeny Ferder, 50, has changed the rules of engagement and opened “a new phase” in operations against Israel, he said, labeling the attack as “a major psychological blow” to Israel.

“Yemen will not back down from its stance in support of Palestinians,” he said, as quoted by the Mehr news agency. “The Zionists also should know that their foolish leaders have brought them closer to growing dangers.”

The Houthi leader vowed that Yemen will continue attacking Israel in solidarity with the people of Gaza for as long as the war with Hamas in Gaza continues, and said it will “move to a new level of anti-Israel operations” in the immediate future.

“Attacking Yemen does not benefit the enemy, nor will it create deterrence for it,” he added.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree also threatened Israel, saying the rebels’ “response to the Israeli aggression against our country is inevitably coming and will be huge.”

On Sunday, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen towards the Red Sea resort town of Eilat, noting that “the projectile did not cross into Israeli territory.” The military is girding for a larger response from the group following the airstrikes.

Saree said the rebels had fired ballistic missiles toward Eilat, the latest in a string of Houthi attempts to hit the resort city.

Another Houthi spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulsalam, told Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV on Sunday that the Houthis will continue to attack Israel and will not abide by any rules of engagement.

Abdulsalam said there would be “no red lines” in the Houthis’ response to Israel. “All sensitive institutions with all… levels will be a target for us,” he said.

Saturday’s strikes destroyed five cranes and reduced the port’s fuel storage capacity from 150,000 tons to 50,000, said the US-based Navanti Group, citing merchants.

According to the Israeli military, the strike on the fuel depot was a major blow to the Houthi economy, and the cranes it took out of service there will prevent the group from bringing in more Iranian weapons via the port that have been used to target Israel, along with commercial and military ships in the Red Sea.

In Hodeida, firefighters still struggled on Sunday to contain the blaze, as thick plumes of smoke hung above the city, an AFP correspondent reported.

Fuel storage tanks and a power plant at the port were still ablaze amid “slow” firefighting efforts, said a port employee.

Strikes carried out by an American-led coalition in Yemen have only targeted Houthi military infrastructure and not sites that are also used by civilians, such as the Hodeida Port, which is also used to bring in humanitarian aid to the war-torn country, in addition to the Iranian weapon shipments.

The IAF believed that the strike would project a message to Israel’s enemies, especially Lebanon’s Hezbollah, that Israel is capable and willing to target dual-use civilian-military infrastructure and carry out what could be considered disproportionate responses to attacks.

According to the Israeli military, Yemen’s Houthis have in the past nine months fired over 220 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at Israel, the latest on Sunday morning — mostly toward the southernmost city of Eilat — in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, where Israel is battling Hamas terrorists.

The vast majority of the Iran-backed group’s projectiles have been intercepted by US forces stationed in the Red Sea and Israeli air defenses and fighter jets, or have missed their target. Before the attack on Tel Aviv early on Friday, only one Houthi projectile, a cruise missile, had successfully struck Israel, hitting an open area near Eilat in March.

Until Friday’s deadly attack in Tel Aviv, Israel chose not to respond to those attacks, preferring that the US-led coalition continue to strike the Houthis, mostly in response to the Iran-backed group’s attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea.

Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.
 

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