Israel prepared to take action against Houthi rebels in absence of international intervention, confirms national security adviser
Israel's National Security Adviser warns that if the international community fails to address the threat posed by Houthi rebels in Yemen disrupting Red Sea shipping, Israel is ready to take action
Israel is ready to take action against attempts by Houthi rebels in Yemen to interfere with shipping in the Red Sea if the global community does not intervene, according to Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. Hanegbi stated on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had discussed the Houthis' alleged targeting of ships with ties to Israel with US President Joe Biden and European leaders.
Boats carrying people sail near the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5.
Khaled Abdullah/Reuters
US military in talks to escort commercial ships in Red Sea amid attacks from Iranian-backed militants
"Israel is providing a window for global coordination to prevent the naval siege, but if no global arrangement is made, we will take action to dismantle it," Hanegbi stated.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by Iran, are a Shia political and military group engaged in a civil war against a coalition supported by Saudi Arabia since 2014.
After the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, there has been an increase in their maritime activities.
To protect shipping in the region, US warships have been deployed. Recently, US warships successfully intercepted multiple unmanned aerial vehicles that originated from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the southern Red Sea, as confirmed by US military officials. This incident occurred during a series of attacks on three commercial vessels.
US military officials are discussing stronger protections for commercial ships in the Red Sea shipping route due to recent missile attacks by Houthi militants from Yemen. The US is talking with members of the Combined Maritime Forces about increasing security and potentially escorting ships through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait into the Gulf of Aden.
This handout screen grab shows Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo vessel in the Red Sea off Hudaydah, on November 20.
Houthi Movement via Getty Images
No US deadline for Gaza ops: Israeli official
Hanegbi also addressed the situation in Gaza, stating that the US has not imposed a deadline for Israel to conclude its military operations in the area.
"They acknowledge that they do not have the authority to dictate the duration of the IDF's mission to accomplish its objectives," he explained.
"They both have the same goals, which means it's unlikely that we'll see results in weeks, and I'm doubtful that we'll see them within months." Previous reports from CNN state that the US officials anticipate Israel's operation in the southern part of the strip to continue for several weeks before transitioning, possibly by January, to a more localized strategy focused on specific Hamas militants and leaders, as stated by various senior administration officials.
The White House is expressing serious concern about the upcoming operations in Israel, according to a senior US administration official.
The US has urged Israel in strong and direct conversations to refrain from using the same destructive tactics in the north and to take greater measures to prevent civilian casualties.
Hanegbi stated that he believed the Hamas leadership had been unprepared for the extent of Israel's retaliation to the attack on southern Israel on October 7th, which resulted in approximately 1,200 casualties.
"I don't think Yahya Sinwar (Hamas leader in Gaza) anticipated that the IDF would be able to penetrate Gaza and eliminate over 7,000 terrorists," Hanegbi added.
"This is just a conservative estimate, the actual number could be higher since there are still unknown factors," he explained.
"We're nearing the control and command centers of Hamas in Jabalia and Shejaiya, the areas where resistance has been strongest in the northern Gaza Strip. And in the south, our operations are advancing aggressively."
As the possibility of Israel having to choose between killing Sinwar and saving the hostages arises, Hanegbi stated: "We could be facing such a heart-breaking dilemma for any decision maker, but that would mean that we have reached him." This story is still developing and will be updated.
