Israeli official says Houthis are 'more technologically advanced than perceived' – should not be underestimated

With the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza largely defeated and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon severely degraded, Iran's terror proxy, the Houthis in Yemen, has been described as the last man standing in Tehran’s year-long war against the Jewish state.

While Hezbollah is widely considered to be Iran’s most powerful proxy in the region, Yoel Guzansky, a former official on Israel’s National Security Council, told The Washington Post on Friday that the Houthis are “more technologically advanced than perceived,” and warned that they should not be “underrated.”

Guzansky explained that the large amount of military and financial assistance from the Iranian regime has enabled the Houthis to take “practical steps” in embracing their radical ideology that openly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel

“The Houthis want a war of attrition on Israel, to continue firing so that they can say, ‘We are the real resistance,’" Guzansky told The Post.

The Houthi terror group’s attacks on Israel are guided by its radical slogan, “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse be upon the Jews, Victory to Islam.”

While the Houthis are an ideologically driven terror group, Guzansky stresses that there is also an important economic reason behind the ongoing attacks on Israel. While each Houthi missile or drone attack costs a few thousand dollars, Israel’s advanced interceptions cost at least tens of thousands of dollars. By keeping up their attacks on Israel, the Houthis and Iran hope to wear down Israel and its economic resilience.

Furthermore, unlike Hamas and Hezbollah, which are both located close to Israel, the Houthis enjoy the advantage of being located in Yemen, which is more than 2,000 km (almost 1,400 miles) from Israel. The considerable distance makes it more challenging for the Israeli Air Force (IAF) to target the Houthi terror group.

Danny Orbach, a military historian at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, explained that the Houthis are embedded in civilian areas – a tactic that has been systematically used by Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, the Houthis reportedly have limited infrastructure, which further complicates retaliatory strikes from the U.S. and Israel.

In recent weeks, the Houthis have stepped up their missile attacks on Israel. While largely unsuccessful, millions of Israelis have been injured while seeking shelter during the attacks on central Israel.

The IAF struck the Houthi-controlled Sana’a Airport and power stations in retaliation for recent Houthi attacks on Israel.

“The Houthi terrorist regime is a central part of the Iranian axis of terror, and their attacks on international shipping vessels and routes continue to destabilize the region and the wider world,” the IDF stated.

“The Houthi terrorist regime operates as an autonomous terrorist group while relying on Iranian cooperation and funding to carry out its attacks.”

There is a debate among Israeli and Western leaders concerning the most effective strategy to stop the ongoing Houthi attacks against Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea.

Mossad Director David Barnea has called for strikes on Houthi's patron – the Iranian regime. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hesitated and has so far ordered military strikes directly on the Houthis in Yemen.