Ismail Haniyeh. PHOTO: Wissam Nassar / Zuma Press
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has announced the readiness of the Israeli army to “decapitate” the leaders of Yemeni Houthi rebels, as it did with the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. This was reported by The Guardian.
“We will strike hard at the Houthis… and behead their leadership, as we did with [Ismail] Haniyeh, [Yahya] Sinwar and [Hassan] Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon. We will do the same in Hodeidah and Sanaa,” Katz said in a speech at the Ministry of Defence.
Public recognition of transactions abroad
This statement was the first official confirmation of Israel’s involvement in the assassination of Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, in Tehran on 31 July this year. According to preliminary reports, Haniyeh was killed in his home by an explosive device planted by Israeli agents.
The operation against Sinwar in Gaza on 16 October and the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, during the bombing of Beirut on 27 September confirmed the scale of Israeli actions against key figures in movements linked to Iran.
Reaction to Houthi attacks
On Tuesday morning, sirens went off in central Israel due to the launch of a rocket from Yemen, which was intercepted before reaching Israeli territory. The incident follows numerous Houthi attacks on Israel during the Gaza war. In an earlier attack on Saturday, a rocket landed in Tel Aviv, injuring at least 16 people.
The Israeli army has already carried out three series of air strikes in Yemen and promises to continue to put pressure on the Houthis until their attacks stop.
Political implications
Haniyeh’s assassination was seen as a serious blow to the Hamas leadership, but drew criticism from mediators such as Qatar and Egypt because of the risk of disrupting ceasefire talks.
As a reminder, Sinwar, who was killed in Gaza, was accused by Israel of organising the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which led to the current escalation of the conflict in the region.
