Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on June 20, 2022. (Creidit: Ronen Zvulun/File Photo/Reuters)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (from the far-right) stated on Sunday that Israel should retaliate against Iran every time the Houthi rebels in Yemen launch missiles at Israel. "When the Houthis, a terrorist branch of Iran, launch missiles at Israel, Israel must strike back against Iran," he stated in a message posted on X.
The Israeli army announced it had intercepted a missile fired from Sanaa, the Yemeni capital controlled by the Houthis since 2014, after triggering airstrike sirens in several regions of the country. "Iran is the country that finances, arms, trains, and manages the Houthis. Iran has a lot to lose, the Houthis much less. That's why Israel must strike Iran. Only in this way will Iran understand: you do not attack the Jewish state," Bennett added.
Shortly after the start of the war in Gaza, triggered by an unprecedented attack by the Islamist Hamas movement on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis, claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinians, launched dozens of missile attacks against Israeli territory and in the Red Sea — a vital area for global trade — against ships they accused of having various links with Israel. These attacks ceased with the cease-fire that came into effect on Jan. 19, but the Houthis, who claimed responsibility for resuming their missile strikes on Israel, have promised to intensify them as long as Israel continues its airstrikes on Gaza.
The rebels had suspended their campaign during the several-week cease-fire in Gaza, which ended on March 18 when Israel resumed its bombings on the Palestinian territory.
On March 15, the United States, Israel's ally, announced a military operation against the Houthis aimed at stopping their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, an essential maritime zone for global trade. These strikes killed 53 people, including women and children, according to the rebels. Washington, for its part, stated it had killed several high-ranking Houthi officials.
