Netanyahu Threatens, Houthis Respond: Which Path Will the Middle East Take?
NYN | Reports and Analyses
A drone strike targeting the city of Eilat (Umm Al-Rashrash) has caused considerable confusion within the Israeli entity, prompting tense political and military reactions, including threats and heightened media and security responses. Meanwhile, public and factional reactions continued, praising the operation and viewing it as a message of support for the Palestinian resistance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in widely circulated remarks on Wednesday evening that his regime “will strike the Houthis (Ansar Allah) as it has in the past,” asserting that Houthi attacks — referring to Sana’a forces — on Israeli cities would be met with a harsh response, in what was seen as a clear declaration of intent to attack Yemen.
For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (or Israel Katz, as in the original text) wished a swift recovery to those injured in the Eilat attack, and claimed that the Houthis (Ansar Allah) “refuse to learn the lessons from Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza,” but that they would “learn the hard way.” He warned that anyone who attacks Israel “will face a response seven times stronger.”
In response, Houthi leader Hazem Al-Asad replied to Katz’s threats by saying:
“Those who haven’t been taught by time will be taught by Yemen. You will deeply regret every drop of blood spilled in Gaza. The time for vengeance has not passed.”
On the public and media level, activists mocked the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s condemnation of the drone strike as a “deliberate targeting of civilians,” calling it hypocritical given the daily crimes committed by the occupation in Gaza and during its attacks on Yemen. They emphasized that Sana’a forces are acting in defense of both their country and the Palestinian people.
Palestinian factions also praised the operation. The Qassam Brigades reposted previous remarks by spokesman Abu Ubaida, saluting “the people of Yemen.” The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine highlighted the symbolic importance of “breaking the enemy’s prestige,” describing the Yemeni strikes as “qualitative operations” for penetrating deep into Israeli territory.
These developments come amid escalating regional and international tensions surrounding the situation in Gaza and reciprocal responses to ongoing Israeli crimes, further increasing volatility and raising the risk of broader escalation.
