The ratcheting up of regional tensions comes as Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz reaffirmed the country’s goal to degrade the Houthi’s military capabilities and even begin targeting the militia’s leadership
The Yemen-based Houthi rebel group claimed responsibility for a drone attack that struck the Israeli community of Ashelon on Wednesday evening, the fifth such attack on the Jewish state in the last week.
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On Tuesday, Israel intercepted a missile fired from the group. The strike came shortly after Defense Minister Israel Katz reaffirmed Israel’s goal to degrade the Houthis’ military capabilities and even begin targeting the militia’s leadership.
International focus has shifted to the long-range conflict between Israel and the Houthis as a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah and ongoing negotiations with Hamas have curtailed the fear of widespread regional conflict.
The escalating attacks spurred Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to renew the country’s diplomatic push across the eurozone and the United Kingdom to formally sanction the group and place them on a terror watch list. “The Houthis pose a threat not only to Israel but to the region and the entire world,” Sa’ar said in a statement. “The direct threat to freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes is a challenge to the international community and the world order,” the minister added. “The first and most basic thing is to define them as a terrorist organization.”
On Christmas Eve, Sa’ar requested the United Nations Security Council convene a special session to condemn the attacks and denounce Iranian complicity.
In early December, the Trudeau government designated the Houthis, which also go by the Arabic name Ansarallah, as a terror entity.
Canadian Armed Forces members have aided a military coalition, largely composed of Western nations such as America and the United Kingdom, to undermine Houthi military capabilities in Operation Prosperity Guardian.