Danger over airport too…war with Houthis to increase trouble for Israel? Report says…

Amid the looming threat of an Iran-Israel war, an Israel-Houthi war is also likely on the horizon as the Jewish state countinues to intensify its campaigns against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Israel-Houthi war: Israel could pay a heavy price if its conflict with the Houthi group in Yemen continues to escalate as the Iran-backed rebels could hit key targets inside the Jewish state, even its important airports like the Ben-Gurion Airport, the country’s main international airport, a new report has warned.

According to a N12 report quoted by the Jerusalem Post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to intensify military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, which involves both military and intelligence gathering operations, could create new problems for Israel, such as the Yemeni rebel group carrying out an attack on the Ben-Gurion Airport, and conducting more ballistic missile and drone strikes on the country.

Houthis can strike inside Israel

The N12 report, which came days after the Houthis successfully conducted a ballistic missile strike on Tel Aviv following airstrikes by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Yemen, revealed that the IDF is preparing to launch more strikes against the Tehran-backed rebel group in coordination with its allies, the United States and the UK.

As per the report, the IDF is also mulling military operations in Iran, which would further escalate tensions in the Middle East as the Houthis are close allies of Tehran, and have a large stockpile of missiles and drones, which they can use to target Israel.

The report warned that Houthi attacks can penetrate deep into Israel, as was witnessed a few days ago when the Yemeni rebel group fired a ballistic missile towards the Ben Gurion airport which they claimed struck its intended target even as the IDF asserted that the aerial threat was intercepted before it entered Israeli airspace.

The N12 report also warned that repeated tit-for-tat attacks could eventually lead to a direct military confrontation between Yemen and Israel, or even a full-blown Iran-Israel war,

Who are the Houthi rebels?

The Houthi rebels are an Islamic political and military organization active in Yemen who emerged in the 1990s when they rebelled against ruling regime in Yemen and were supported by Iran.

The Houthi movement, officially named the  ‘Ansar Allah’ or ‘helpers of Allah’, is prominently made up of Zaydi Shias, and their leadership is largely drawn from the Houthi tribe, hence the name, Houthis. The Houthi rebels has played a central role in the Yemeni civil war, and the group main objective is to depose the Yemen government and impose strict Islamic laws in the Arab country.

The Houthi Shias are minority in Yemen, around 35 percent, with Sunni Muslims forming a majority of the country’s population (around 60 percent). However, the Houthis have gained widespread influence in Yemen over the years, thanks in large to the generous financial and military aid received from Iran.