Commentary | Houthi Aggression Against Israel Likely to Continue
Even after the Israeli attack on Saturday against targets in Yemen, it is to be assumed that the Houthis will continue to act against Israel with increased intensity and will not lay down their swords
Police in Tel Aviv following the deadly Houthi drone attack on Friday. Photo: REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes
The Israeli air defense system failed to intercept the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that struck a house in Tel Aviv, causing the death of one person and injuring nine others. The UAV was launched by the Houthi rebels, who claimed responsibility for its launch.
The Houthis continue to harass and damage merchant ships and maritime trade routes in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the entrance to the Red Sea, but in recent weeks there has been relative quiet in the southern sector, with only isolated incidents of missile and UAV fire directed at Israel from Yemen.
However, about a month ago, the head of the rebel organization, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, announced that the war against Israel had entered its fourth stage. At this stage, according to al-Houthi, his organization will carry out a coordinated attack together with the Shiite militias in Iraq, aiming to apply pressure on Israel from all directions, assist in the return of the Syrian Golan, and support Hamas in its armed struggle.
It is estimated that this move is not an independent initiative of the two organizations from the north and south but rather an Iranian-initiated and coordinated move, intended to pressure Israel to end the campaign in Gaza and assist Hamas.
The launch of the UAV towards Tel Aviv represents an escalation in the organization's activities, which until now had been limited to blocking maritime routes and firing towards the city of Eilat and the southern region.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, the IDF has operated in a defensive mode against the Houthi threat from the south, working solely to intercept aerial threats through the Air Force's air defense system and a Navy ship stationed in the port of Eilat. At the same time, the IDF relied on the protection of air routes by American and British navy ships, which intercepted many threats and even acted with their air force against targets on Yemeni soil.
Even after the Israeli attack on Saturday against targets in Yemen, it is to be assumed that the Houthis will continue to act against Israel with increased intensity and will not lay down their swords until a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas comes into effect.
