Escalation of the Yemen conflict has led to increased tensions across the region, particularly with the Houthi rebels' latest missile attacks directed at Israel. The Houthis, having launched more than 200 missiles and 170 drones within the past year, continue their assaults against Israel, which they regard as part of their anti-Western ideology.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have declared their intent to address this threat head-on. Netanyahu warned, "The Houthis are making a big mistake when they continue to attack Israel," indicating Israel’s commitment to exert force against who they deem as one of Iran's remaining proxies.
The attacks intensified recently, with Houthis targeting central Israel and continuing their campaign even after successful Israeli airstrikes on Houthi positions. For many local observers, the situation is fraught with contradiction: While Hezbollah and other Iranian allies have stood down or agreed to ceasefires, the Houthis persist, illustrating their unique determination and tactical prowess.
Rooted deeply within the Houthi ideology is their slogan: "God Is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam," which rallies national support and strengthens their resolve against perceived aggressors. Observers note the truism of the conflict; according to Wolf-Christian Paes, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, "Being in constant conflict is actually strengthening their domestic cohesion, because people are not asking so much about service delivery and the economy and all of those [issues] when you’re at war." This strategy has allowed the Houthis to maintain their influence even without widespread domestic support.
Despite past military initiatives against the Houthis—including U.S. and UK efforts—those actions have not been fruitful. Houthi forces continue to adapt and evolve, becoming adept at managing guerrilla warfare techniques, especially within Yemen's challenging terrain. The previous strategies adopted by other forces, such as the Saudis, have proven insufficient. Brian Carter from the American Enterprise Institute stated, "A series of reactive half-measures has not achieved decisive effects or meaningfully degraded Houthi military capabilities."
Interestingly, the Houthis do not merely function as proxies for Iran, unlike many other militant groups within the Middle East. Their operational independence is highlighted by their autonomous funding mechanisms through smuggling and taxation. They possess their own distinct interpretation of Shiite Islam, which creates unexpected layers of complexity within the regional conflict dynamics.
Recent military assessments suggest the Houthis have made considerable gains, now positioned as leaders within the broader resistance against Israel and the United States. Knowing this, Israeli officials believe they must take more decisive action to thwart the Houthi threat, especially as relationships with the larger Arab coalition remain tenuous.
Strategically, Israeli military experts argue this may be the moment to regroup and forge stronger alliances against the Houthis. Should Israel's regional allies combine efforts with their forces, the parallel could be drawn to prior Israeli engagements with Hezbollah. By pursuing continuous high-tempo campaigns targeting Houthi leaders and military infrastructure, Israel might disrupt their operational capacity significantly.
“Every missile not fired at Israel means less need for defense against those weapons,” explained Paes. Merely adopting reactive military tactics against the Houthis, experts warn, could inadvertently bolster their standing within the region and among supporters. This creates the possibility of the Houthis continuing their aggressive posturing regardless of Israeli or allied military efforts.
Impending decisions from Israeli leadership could set significant precedents across the region. A commitment to formulating and executing detailed operational goals against the Houthis may invigorate the existing anti-Iran coalition, presenting not only militaristic solutions but also deflections of attention toward humanitarian concerns facing Yemen itself.
Should Israel fail to address the Houthi threat effectively, the ramifications could reverberate beyond their borders. The potential for new conflicts or escalated attacks would loom over the entire region; as Citrinowicz pointed out, "They’ll attack the Saudis tomorrow, and the next day they will attack Israel again over something [tied to] the West Bank." Therefore, the need for combined efforts against this persistent threat remains urgent, as the stakes have only heightened.
