(VitalNews.org) – The Iran-backed Huthi regime has fired rockets from Yemen, where Huthi militants seized control of the capital in 2014, into Israel as retaliation for Israel’s military action against Gaza. Following the October 7 massacres which saw Hamas terrorists murder approximately 1400 people and kidnap over 230 people, mostly civilians, Israel has undertaken a counter-offensive against Hamas-controlled Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, claims that 8,500 people have been killed by Israel’s retaliatory strikes.
The Huthi authorities have claimed credit for a series of drones fired at Eilat, an Israeli city by the Red Sea, with the Yemeni Prime Minister, Abelaziz bin Habtour describing Huthi forces as being part of an “Axis of Resistance” against Israel. This so-called axis comprises several Iranian-backed Shi’ite Muslim militias in Iraq and Lebanon.
The Houthis, whose slogan includes the phrases “death to America” and “curse the Jews,” may now be in a much stronger position in terms of firepower and ability to wreak destruction, thanks to Iran’s ongoing sponsorship, according to the University of Ottowa’s Professor Thomas Juneau. Juneau, an expert on Yemen, explained that the additional threat to Israel that the Huthis now present, along with the dangers posed by Hezbollah and Hamas, paints a worrying picture for Israel.
This particular drone attack by the Huthis, which saw a barrage of missiles aimed at the tourist hotspot of Eilat on Tuesday, October 31, was successfully intercepted by Israel’s defenses. The Israeli military told the press that all threats had been intercepted and destroyed outside of Israel’s territory, resulting in neither injury nor loss of life. The Israeli ‘Arrow’ system, an aerial defense mechanism, was used to block and shoot down the incoming attack.
This is not the Huthi’s first foray into the Hamas-Israel war. On October 19, the Huthis launched several missiles in the direction of Israel, all of which were successfully destroyed by the US navy. Iranian authorities appear to have condoned the actions of what they dub, “resistance groups”, describing the attacks on Israel as “natural”. Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah not to throw its forces in with Hamas, telling Hezbollah that to do so would be a “mistake”.
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