Aden (South24 Center)

The leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said his group is “inevitably heading toward a round of confrontation with Israel,” asserting that the Houthis have “emerged stronger than before after the latest round.”

He made the remarks in a televised speech aired by the group’s Al-Masirah TV channel on Tuesday evening (November 4).

Al-Houthi said his group will continue to support the Palestinians and warned against what he described as attempts to distort the image of his movement and other parties that stood against Israel over the Gaza war.

Al-Houthi also glorified “jihad” extensively in his address, and exhorted his people in favour of it, saying, “We are a targeted nation, whether we like it or not. Nothing will protect us or defend us except jihad in the path of God. Surrender, compromise, humiliation, and subservience to our enemies will not protect us from their evil or avert their danger."

His comments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensified his rhetoric against the Iran-backed group, describing it as a “serious threat” that should not be underestimated.

Speaking at the start of his cabinet meeting last Sunday, Netanyahu said: “Some view the Houthis as a mere nuisance occasionally firing ballistic missiles that we intercept, but this is not a simple matter. It is a very serious threat.”

He added that the Houthis are “an extremist movement with self-developed capabilities to produce ballistic missiles and other weapons, committed to what it calls a plan to destroy Israel.” 

Netanyahu stressed that his government “will do whatever is necessary to eliminate this threat in coordination with other fronts.”

Tensions have escalated in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait since the Houthis began targeting ships linked to Israel in the aftermath of October 7, 2023, in what they describe as “support for Gaza.”

By 2024 and 2025, Houthi escalation had evolved into direct attacks on Israel, including frequent strikes on airports and other sites, with the use of missiles and drones. While the Israeli defense system intercepted most of these attacks, some did cause damage and casualties.

In response, Israel has carried out multiple punishing airstrikes on ports, airports, and facilities in Houthi-held areas. 

On August 28, an Israeli airstrike on a building in Sanaa killed the head of the Houthi government and several ministers.

The group later announced in October the death of its Chief of Staff, Mohammed al-Ghamari, in an Israeli airstrike. He is believed to have been fatally wounded in the August 28 airstrike.

Despite the October 10 ceasefire in Gaza and the Houthis’ suspension of their attacks, observers believe that the conflict between the Yemeni militia and Israel could persist on a separate track — potentially creating a new regional flashpoint