Israel has confirmed that it had assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and issued a warning to Yemen’s Houthi leadership, threatening similar action, Anadolu reported.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking on the country’s public broadcaster, delivered the warning following a ballistic missile attack by the Houthis two days earlier. Israel’s air defence systems failed to intercept the missile, which hit Tel Aviv, injuring 20 people and damaging numerous apartments, according to Haaretz. The Houthis also claimed responsibility for drone strikes on two military targets in central and southern Israel that same evening.
Katz stated, “As the Houthi terrorist organisation continues to launch missiles at Israel, I want to send a clear message: We will decisively cripple the Houthi group in Yemen, the last remaining faction of its kind.”
The Houthis have intensified their attacks in solidarity with Gaza, which has faced ongoing Israeli military action since October 7, 2023. The group has targeted Israeli cargo ships and allied vessels in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, vowing to sustain operations until the assault on Gaza ends.
In response, a US-led coalition has conducted airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen throughout 2024, citing retaliatory measures for Red Sea attacks.
Katz further warned that Israel would destroy Houthi strategic infrastructure and eliminate its leaders, drawing comparisons to the assassinations of Yahya Sinwar, Hassan Nasrallah, and Ismail Haniyeh. He cited operations in Al Hudaydah and Sana’a as parallel to actions in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon.
Israel’s recent assassinations include the September 27 killing of Nasrallah in a Beirut airstrike, Sinwar’s death in southern Gaza on October 17, and Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran in July. Katz’s comments marked Israel’s first public acknowledgement of Haniyeh’s assassination.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed over 45,300 people, predominantly women and children, since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.
International bodies have taken action against Israel, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
