Leader of Houthi terror group calls for 'more pressure and deterrence' on 'Israeli enemy'

Former Houthi official says Tel Aviv attack was a 'grave mistake'

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The leader of the Iranian-backed Houthi terror group in Yemen stated that "more pressure and deterrence must be exerted on the Israeli enemy now."

"The Israeli enemy launched a direct attack on oil and electricity company tanks in Hodeida," Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi told the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen news outlet. "The tanks that were attacked were intended for sale to citizens by traders. The purpose of the attack is to create a picture of victory for the Israeli people and to restore deterrence."

The Houthi leader comments came after the Israeli Air Force (IAF) bombed the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah over the weekend in response to a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv that killed one Israeli and wounded several civilians. It was reportedly the first time that the IAF had directly targeted Houthi sites in Yemen.

Prior to the Israeli military response, the IDF had primarily been addressing the threat from the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, while a U.S.-led international alliance was focused on the Houthi threat.

Hodeidah reportedly plays a central role in the Iranian regime's transport of various arms to its proxy in Yemen. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked international commercial shipping in the strategically important Red Sea region since November. The Houthi terror attacks have inflicted damage on around 30 commercial vessels, sunk two and killed several international sailors.

In addition, the Houthis have also fired numerous missiles and drones against Israel.

Al-Houthi claimed that the Houthi naval attacks are an act of solidarity with Gaza, saying "the enemy will not restore deterrence against the parties supporting Gaza."

However, a former Houthi official recently told the Israel Hayom news outlet that attacking Israel’s commercial center Tel Aviv "was a grave mistake." He argued that "it would have been possible to support the Palestinians financially, with a media campaign or with humanitarian aid like other Arab countries. On the other hand, the Houthis' pursuit of a direct confrontation with Israel is a step that endangers the civilian population in the country, which is already suffering from a humanitarian crisis."

The former official blasted the Houthis for using human shields, a tactic that constitutes a war crime under international law and is also systematically used by Hamas and Hezbollah.

"The Houthis use tens of millions of Yemenis as human shields when they send a rocket and kill an Israeli civilian. They will cause the ports to go bankrupt. Israel is not like Britain and the USA, which attack (only) military targets," the former Houthi official stated, indirectly implying that Israel targets civilian areas.

The Houthis have reportedly turned the port of Hodeidah into a military facility, making it a legitimate target under international laws of war.

"The conflict is between Israel and the Palestinians. We do not have a direct conflict with Israel," the former Houthi official concluded.

U.S. security officials recently told The Wall Street Journal that Russia is considering the transfer of advanced anti-ship missiles to the Houthis in response to Washington’s military support for Ukraine.

A military analyst assessed that the transfer of advanced Russian weapons “would represent a qualitative leap” for Houthi forces.