Houthis threaten to attack 'sensitive' sites in Israel

11 Jan 2021; MEMO: Yemen's Houthis have threatened to attack "very sensitive" sites in Israel, Rai Al-Youm reported yesterday, after reports emerged that the occupation state was reenforcing its military in the south of the country ahead of a possible confrontation.

Member of the Political Bureau of the Houthis, Fadl Abu-Talib, said: "If the Israeli enemy was involved in any action against our people, our people will not hesitate to declare jihad against this enemy. We will not hesitate to launch the strongest possible attacks towards very sensitive sites for the Israeli enemy."

Abu Talib added: "The remarks of the Zionist war criminals, which stated that Yemen is a threat to the Zionist entity, have been repeated; therefore, we are recalling… that our hostility to Israel as a rapist entity and hostile to our ummah is a human and moral principle, as well as a religious obligation."

According to a report by Israeli broadcaster Kan, the Israeli military has been preparing for the possibility of a strike by Iran-backed Iraqi militias and the Houthis. These fears were heightened on the first anniversary of America's assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and the more recent targeted killing of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in late November. Tehran blames Israel for the latter and has vowed revenge.