Houthi leader calls for pressure, deterrence against 'Israeli enemy'

The leader of Ansar Allah, more widely-known as the Houthis, said that "more pressure and deterrence must be exerted on the Israeli enemy now," speaking to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen on Thursday.

Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, whose surname the group is known as, responded to a significant Israeli airstrike on the Yemeni port of Hodeida, which is under Houthi control like much of Yemen.

"The Israeli enemy launched a direct attack on oil and electricity company tanks in Hodeida," he said. "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."

Despite this, he vowed that "the enemy will not restore deterrence against the parties supporting Gaza."

The Houthis have, since the October 7 attacks, launched numerous drone and missile attacks on Israel. They joined Iranian-backed groups like Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiite militias in supporting Hamas and other Gazan terrorist groups that invaded Israel nine months ago, capturing more than 250 hostages and killing more than a thousand Israelis.

"The Israeli attack against our country will lead to a greater escalation of our actions against Israel and to the development of our capabilities as well, and the enemy will lose and bring more dangers upon itself," he added. "The Israelis who occupy Palestine need to fear and worry more than ever, and to understand that their foolish leaders are exposing them to more and more dangers."

The Israeli strike, after nine months of aggression, was conducted in response to a single drone that exploded in Tel Aviv last Friday morning, killing a civilian.

While the Houthis have disrupted international maritime shipping through the Red Sea, the US and other allies have tackled the Houthi threat until now without Israel's direct assistance.