Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are training for an invasion of Israel, 1,200 miles away, Israel Hayom reported on Thursday.
According to defense correspondent Yoav Limor, the terrorist group recently completed training of its third cohort of elite operatives for a planned invasion it dubbed “Al-Aqsa Flood”—the same name Hamas used for its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion from the Gaza Strip.
Limor said Israel was monitoring the threat posed by a surprise Houthi maritime or land assault, which could, for example target, the southern port city of Eilat, situated on the Red Sea—which also borders Yemen.
The Israel Hayom article included a YouTube video showing Houthi terrorists training on obstacle courses and at a shooting range, which included flags of Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Israel Defense Forces’ Spokesperson’s Unit did not respond to a JNS request for comment on the Israel Hayom report by press time.
The Houthis have launched an ongoing wave of missile and drone attacks on the Jewish state that began after the Hamas-led terrorist assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The attacks included a direct missile hit near Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport on May 4.
In response, the Israeli Air Force overnight July 6 carried out a series of strikes targeting Houthi infrastructure in Yemen—including facilities at the ports of Al Hudaydah, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as a power plant.
Jerusalem has conducted several rounds of strikes against the terrorist group, including an operation on May 28 called “Golden Jewel,” targeting the airport in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital city, Sanaa.
Houthis threaten ships linked to Israeli trade
Yemen’s Houthi terrorist movement announced a new escalation against maritime traffic on Sunday, declaring that any vessel owned by companies doing business with Israeli ports could be targeted, according to a report by Reuters.
In a televised address, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated that this measure is part of the Iranian-backed rebel group’s self-declared fourth phase of operations against Israel in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Saree warned that vessels would face attacks regardless of their nationality or destination if associated companies failed to heed their warnings. He urged nations with interests in the region to pressure Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza and to lift the blockade. He linked any reduction in Houthi attacks to such actions.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began, the Houthis have launched assaults on commercial ships perceived to be linked to Israel, describing these attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians.
In May, the United States announced it had reached an agreement with the Houthis to halt a military campaign against them in exchange for an end to attacks on general shipping. However, the Houthis clarified that this deal did not apply to vessels linked to Israel.
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