Netanyahu: 'Just as we acted forcefully against Iran's axis of evil, we will act against Houthis'

On Saturday, the US military said it conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility operated by Houthis in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

By REUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 22, 2024 19:02

(Illustrative) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a backdrop of Yemen's and Iran's flags. (photo credit: Canva, MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST, SHUTTERSTOCK)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel would continue acting against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, whom he accused of threatening world shipping and the international order, and called on Israelis to be steadfast.

"Just as we acted forcefully against the terrorist arms of Iran's axis of evil, so we will act against the Houthis," he said in a video statement a day after a missile fired from Yemen fell in the Tel Aviv area, causing a number of mild injuries.

"The United States, along with other countries, views the Houthis as a threat not only to international shipping but also to the international order," Netanyahu continued.

"What I ask of you, citizens of Israel, is to exercise patience, to continue demonstrating the resilience you have shown so far, and to strictly adhere to the instructions of the Home Front Command. If you do that, we will take care of everything else."

Netanyahu again stated that the results for the Houthis would be the same as the results of other terror organizations that come against Israel as he concluded his speech.

Smoke rises from a power station following Israeli airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen December 19, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)

On Thursday, Israeli jets launched a series of strikes against energy and port infrastructure in Yemen in a move officials said was a response to hundreds of missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthis since the start of the Gaza war 14 months ago.

Israel's strike on the Houthis

On Saturday, the US military said it conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Houthis in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

Netanyahu, strengthened at home by the Israeli military's campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon and by its destruction of most of the Syrian army's strategic weapons, said Israel would act with the United States.

The Houthis have launched repeated attacks on international shipping in waters near Yemen since November 2023 in support of the Palestinians over Israel's war with Hamas.