Israel’s defense minister vowed to “behead” the Yemeni group’s leadership after repelling an attack by Houthi militia members that fired a missile at the country. The missile was intercepted outside of Israel’s territory, with no casualties reported.
The Houthi group has been firing on Israel in solidarity with their Palestinian allies since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Their attacks have disrupted international trade, but experts say they have bolstered the group’s regional clout despite Israel’s focus on weakening other Iran-backed groups.
Israel’s military released an investigation into the deaths of six hostages found with shotgun wounds in a Hamas tunnel in Gaza. The findings concluded that while the hostages were “brutally murdered” by Hamas, the Israeli military’s activities in the area may have influenced their decision to kill the captives.
The Israeli military has been conducting a relentless ground and air campaign in northern Gaza, despite increased pressure from the international community and the public to end the fighting. The United States has also conducted bombing raids against targets in Yemen in an attempt to compel the Houthis to stop their attacks.
Analysts say the strikes by Israel, the US, and Britain have had a limited impact on the group and it is unclear what these powers can do to decisively stop the Houhis from shooting rockets and drones at adversaries in the region.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/world/middleeast/israel-houthis-yemen-missile.html