Israel seeks international recognition of Houthis as terror organization
'The Houthis pose a threat not only to Israel but also to the region and the entire world,' Foreign Minister Sa'ar said, calling 'to designate them as a terrorist organization'
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar instructed Israeli foreign missions to European Union countries to advocate for them to recognize the Houthis as a terrorist group on Tuesday.
This comes after a series of attacks by the Iranian-backed Yemeni group, which have launched overnight missile attacks against Israel in recent weeks, a sharp escalation since the defeat of other groups allied with Iran.
"The Houthis pose a threat not only to Israel but also to the region and the entire world," Sa'ar said. "The direct threat to the freedom of navigation in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes is a challenge to the international community and world order. The first and most basic thing to do is to designate them as a terrorist organization."
The Houthis began launching drone and missile attacks against Israel after the Hamas-led Gazan terror rampage in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. In addition, the terrorist group began attacking maritime shipping passing through the Red Sea, launching attacks on more than 100 vessels.
The Houthis have already been declared a terrorist organization in the US, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Israel have already declared the Houthis a terrorist group.