Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Thursday after the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck several targets in Yemen, the fourth Israeli counterattack against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and its most ambitious so far.
As Breitbart News reported earlier Thursday, Israel attacked the international airport in Yemen’s capital Sanaa and port facilities in Hodeida, days after the Houthis fired ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli cities.
The airstrikes came as Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi was giving a speech on television, adding insult to injury.
The aim of the attacks – particularly on the airport – appears to be to paralyze the regime and prevent it from receiving reinforcements from Iran. Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world, and does not have the money or skill base to produce and operate ballistic missiles or drones; It is completely dependent on Iranian support.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement:
Some time ago, after the approval of operational plans by the Chief of the General Staff, the Defense Minister and the Prime Minister, Indian Air Force fighter aircraft carried out intelligence-based strikes on military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime on the West Bank. and inland Yemen. The Houthi terrorist regime has repeatedly attacked the State of Israel and its civilians, including UAV and surface-to-surface missile attacks on Israeli territory.
Targets attacked by the IDF included military infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime for its military activities, including Sana’a International Airport and the Hezias and Ras Qanatib power stations in both the Gaza Strip and the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the IDF attacked military infrastructure in the ports of al-Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Qanatib on the West Bank.
These military targets were used by the Houthi terrorist regime to smuggle Iranian weapons into the region and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. This is another example of the Houthis’ exploitation of civilian infrastructure for military purposes.
The Houthi terrorist regime is a central part of the Iranian axis of terror, and their attacks on international shipping vessels and routes continue to destabilize the region and the wider world. The Houthi terrorist regime operates as an autonomous terrorist group, relying on Iranian support and funding to carry out its attacks.
The IDF will not hesitate to take action at any distance against any threat to the State of Israel and its citizens.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office released statements from himself and Foreign Minister Israel Katz – who reiterated the threat to target Houthi rebel leaders:
Prime Minister Netanyahu [translated from Hebrew],
“This evening we are lighting the second candle of Chanukah. We are in a war of liberation, the Maccabees of our time.
Some time ago the Air Force had attacked the bases of Houthi terrorist organization on the coast and Sana’a in Yemen.
We are committed to cutting off this terrorist arm of Iran’s axis of evil. We will stand firm until our work is completed.”
Defense Minister Katz [translated from Hebrew],
“We just witnessed a precision operation by the Indian Air Force when it attacked strategic Houthi positions in Yemen.
As we have said – whoever harms Israel, we will harm him. We will locate all Houthis leaders and attack them just as we have done elsewhere. No one will be able to escape the long arms of Israel. We will attack them to remove threats to the State of Israel.
IAF Commanding Officer Major General Tomar Bar said: “We have just seen a solid demonstration of what we are capable of doing, and we are capable of doing much more.” And IDF Chief of Staff Harzi Halevi said: “Once again, the IDF has demonstrated its ability to reach out and attack any threat to civilians of the State of Israel. Over the years, we have developed the ability to strike far beyond Israeli territory – accurately, powerfully, and repeatedly.
Judging by the number of statements and their content, it appears that Israel plans to continue airstrikes on Yemen in the coming days, as a series of strikes over the past several months have sought to deter the Houthis from firing on Israel. Have failed.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor and host at Breitbart News breitbart news sunday Sundays from 7PM to 10PM ET (4PM to 7PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of Agenda: What should Trump do in his first 100 daysAvailable for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s PresidencyNow available on Audible. He is the winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpollak,
