Israel Vows Forceful Response to Repeated Houthi Attacks: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel would deliver a “forceful response” to the repeated attacks by Yemen’s Houthi forces. Speaking at a public event in Tel Aviv on Monday, Netanyahu addressed the Houthis and any parties aiming to harm Israel, stating unequivocally, “Any attack against Israel will not go unanswered. There will be a forceful response.”
While the Prime Minister did not provide specifics on the nature of the response, he emphasized that Israel would not tolerate further assaults on its territory. Netanyahu also remarked that the Houthis, who have been repeatedly firing at Israel, had already suffered significant retaliatory strikes from both Israel and its American allies.
The Houthis, based in Yemen, have launched numerous long-range missiles and drones towards Israel, as well as targeting Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea. These attacks, which began in solidarity with Palestinians during the ongoing Gaza conflict, have prompted both Israeli and US-led naval forces stationed in the Red Sea to conduct deadly airstrikes against Houthi-controlled areas and infrastructure in Yemen.
Yemen’s Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, claimed responsibility for 26 attacks on Israel and 33 strikes on the US Navy’s aircraft carrier and warships in the Red Sea since mid-March. According to his televised address on the group’s al-Masirah TV, the Houthi forces launched 30 ballistic missiles and drones targeting Israel, while the strikes on the USS Harry S. Truman and its escorts involved 122 missiles and drones.
Although many of the Houthi projectiles have been intercepted by Israeli defense systems before reaching their targets, the continued escalation has raised tensions in the region.
