Israel Warns Houthis They Will Face the Same Fate as Hamas and Hezbollah

The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations issued a stern warning to the Houthis, calling for an end to their attacks towards Israel, while the U.S. ambassador stated that Tehran must be held accountable. The UN Security Council meeting to discuss the Houthi airstrikes on Israel was held on Monday evening, January 1. In this session, the Israeli ambassador addressed the Houthis, saying, "It seems you have not understood what has happened in the Middle East over the past year." Danny Danon warned that if the Houthis continue their attacks, they will face the same fate as "Hamas, Hezbollah, Assad, and all those who sought to destroy us." Israel has recently conducted heavy attacks on Houthi infrastructure; Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, "This is just the beginning." In recent weeks, Iranian-backed Houthis have increased their missile, rocket, and drone launches towards Israel, and Israel has carried out heavy attacks against Houthi infrastructure in Yemen twice in the past two weeks. After the second attack last Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister warned the Houthis that this "is just the beginning." The Israeli ambassador to the UN emphasized that his country will not tolerate attacks from Iranian proxy groups and asserted that Israel has the capability to strike anywhere in the Middle East, including Iran. He had previously told reporters that if "terrorists" threaten Israel from two thousand kilometers away, this distance will not prevent his country from taking action against them. Al-Arabiya reported on Monday, January 1, that three major ports in Yemen, under Houthi control, have become inoperable and "paralyzed" following the latest Israeli airstrike on December 27. According to the report, ships anchored in the ports of Hudaydah, Ras Isa, and Salif are unable to load cargo. Some of these ports have oil facilities that are vital for the Houthi economy. The U.S. called for holding Iran accountable. The U.S. representative at the UN Security Council meeting emphasized that Iran provides military support to the Houthis. Dorothy Shea, the Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the UN, stated that Iran has supplied the Houthis with long-range missiles to attack Israeli civilian infrastructure, and the Houthis' claims about using hypersonic missiles confirm this reality. Ms. Shea stated that sending these weapons to the Houthis violates UN Security Council sanctions and called for the council to respond and hold Iran accountable for its support of the Houthis. However, the Iranian ambassador to the UN rejected this accusation, stating that the Islamic Republic "supports a political solution to resolve the Yemen conflict." According to IRNA, Amir Saeed Iravani wrote in a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council that Tehran rejects any "violation of arms sanctions" or "interference in fueling conflicts in Yemen or elsewhere." Iran has politically and economically supported Houthi militants in Yemen over the years, and international forces in the region have repeatedly seized Iranian weapon-laden ships heading to Yemen. At the UN Security Council meeting, Khaled Khiyari, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East Affairs, expressed serious concern over the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East and called for an end to Houthi attacks on Israel. Vasily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the UN, condemned the Houthi missile attacks on Israel while also criticizing the attacks by Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom on Yemen. Just hours after the UN Security Council meeting, sirens sounded in central Israel, and the Israeli army reported intercepting a missile fired from Yemen. Israeli media reported that this ballistic missile was launched by Iranian-backed Houthis towards Israel, and the debris and air defense in the Jerusalem area caused no damage. Meanwhile, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a Houthi leader, threatened on Monday evening that the group's attacks on Israel would not cease. Since the beginning of the current Gaza war, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked passing ships in the region, claiming to support the Palestinians, and have launched several missiles and drones towards Israel.