‘Will damage infrastructure, behead leaders’: Israel warns Houthis of ‘severe blow’
Foreign Minister Katz also referred to Hamas leader Haniyeh, who was killed in a missile attack on a building in Tehran where he was put up during a visit to Iran in July
After admitting publicly for the first time to killing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, Tel Aviv has warned that it will “behead the leaders” of Houthis who have rained missiles on Israel since the start of the Gaza war.
The stark warning came on Monday from Israeli defence minister Israel Katz, who said his country was determined to “deal a severe blow to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen”.
Warning to Houthis
"These days, when the Houthi terrorist organization is firing missiles at Israel, I want to convey a clear message to them at the beginning of my remarks: We have defeated Hamas, we have defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded Iran's defence systems and damaged the production systems, we have toppled the Assad regime in Syria, we have dealt a severe blow to the axis of evil, and we will also deal a severe blow to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, which remains the last to stand," Katz said.
His statement also referred to Hamas leader Haniyeh, who was killed in a dramatic missile attack on a building in Tehran where he was put up during a visit to Iran in July. Israel had never before admitting to killing Haniyeh.
Israel to behead Houthi leaders
Referring to the Houthis, Katz said Israel will "damage their strategic infrastructure, and we will behead their leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon – we will do it in Hodeidah and Sana'a".
Katz spoke an event honouring Israeli defence ministry personnel.
Houthis and Gaza war
Iran-backed Houthis based in Yemen have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea for more than a year to try to enforce a naval blockade on Israel.
They say they are attacking to express solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, which has been pounded by Israel since October 7, 2023 after the Hamas killed 1,200 people during a blitzkrieg into Israeli cities.
The country has also launched an offensive against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia in Lebanon, as well as the Houthis, who are also being bombarded by the United States.