Yemeni Houthis Enter Conflict Between Israel and Hamas; Concerns Rise Over Expansion of War in the Region

The Houthis of Yemen announced that they have launched drones and missiles towards Israel. The Houthis, who are part of the "Resistance Axis" supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, aligned themselves with the Palestinians following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, opening a new front for a movement that has been fighting against a Saudi-led coalition for eight years. Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Houthis, stated in a televised announcement that the group has fired "a large number" of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel and will conduct more such attacks "to help the Palestinians achieve victory." Saree mentioned that this is the third attack by the Houthis on Israel since the start of the conflict, implicitly confirming that the group was responsible for the drone attack on October 28 that resulted in an explosion in Egypt. At that time, Daniel Hagari, a spokesperson for the Israeli army, stated that the missile launch site was from "an area in the Red Sea." According to Reuters, Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's National Security Advisor, described the Houthi attacks as "intolerable," but did not elaborate on how Israel might respond. The Houthi spokesperson held Israel responsible for instability in the Middle East, stating that the "circle of conflict" in the region is expanding due to Israel's "ongoing crimes." He added that the Houthis will continue their attacks "as long as Israeli aggression does not stop." The Houthis have demonstrated their missile and drone capabilities in attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Saudi-led coalition accuses the Islamic Republic of Iran of supplying weapons, training, and financial support to the Houthis. The Houthis deny being an Iranian proxy group, claiming they produce their own weapons. Meanwhile, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's Foreign Minister, met with Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar and stated that if Israel's "war crimes" continue and the scope of the conflict expands, "no party will be spared from the impacts and consequences of it." The United States assured Saudi Arabia of its support against threats from the Islamic Republic. Images of Israeli tanks in Gaza were released, indicating that Israel is preparing to besiege the city of Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian warned of "opening new fronts in the region" against Israel.