Houthis spokesperson Yahya Saria during a September 2024 press conference (video clip - @JeninNews/Telegram)
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saria in September 2024 (Source: Video Clip)

Houthis Threaten The World With All Out War If Aid Not Restored To Gaza

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The Judean Staff
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For years, the Houthis were considered the weakest link among Israel’s Iran-backed adversaries—overshadowed by the heavily armed Hezbollah in Lebanon, the battle-hardened Hamas in Gaza, and the sprawling network of Iranian militias operating in Iraq and Syria. But in a stunning turn of events, this once-fringe Yemeni insurgency has morphed into a military powerhouse, capable of waging long-range warfare and threatening not only regional stability but also Israel directly. Now, the Houthis are using this newfound strength to saber rattle Israel and the United States and both nations are taking them seriously.

According to intelligence assessments, the Houthis have seen an explosive surge in manpower, ballooning from just 30,000 fighters in 2015 to a staggering 350,000 in 2025. This meteoric rise in military strength has been fueled by deepened alliances with Tehran and Hezbollah, generous financial aid, and access to cutting-edge missile technology—placing them on an alarming trajectory toward becoming one of Israel’s most unpredictable threats.

A New Front Against Israel?

Israel’s security establishment is watching with growing concern as the Houthis, emboldened by their increasing military capabilities, ramp up their aggressive rhetoric. The recent expiration of a ceasefire with Hamas has only heightened tensions, and on Monday, the Houthis released an inflammatory statement: they were ready to resume their campaign against the Jewish state.

Nasr al-Din Amer, deputy head of the Houthis’ Media Authority, did not mince words. In a statement quoted by Shafaq News, he declared, “It’s too early to specify the scale of escalation, but at a minimum, Jaffa will be under fire.”

Such declarations are not empty threats. The Houthis have already demonstrated their ability to strike distant targets with remarkable precision. Over the past year, they have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and suicide drones at Israel, successfully reaching deep into its airspace. Although most of these attacks ended with no injuries or significant damage, the ability of the Houthis to reach Israeli airspace with their ballistic missiles is alarming and many in Israel see it as a matter of time before the rhetoric from the Islamist group translates into harm being brought upon Israeli citizens.

How Did the Houthis Rise to Power?

The Houthis’ ascension to a dominant military force is rooted in a complex web of alliances and battlefield successes. Originally a localized rebel faction, the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, plunging Yemen into a brutal civil war that persists to this day. Over the years, they have consolidated control over vast swathes of northern Yemen, transforming from a guerrilla movement into a well-equipped army.

Yemeni international relations expert Muneer Bin Wabar emphasizes the significance of this transformation. “They inherited an entire state’s military arsenal,” he told The Media Line. “At this point, the Houthis are arguably more powerful than Hezbollah, which for years was considered Israel’s most formidable non-state adversary.”

A War Chest of Billions

Unlike many insurgent groups that rely on sporadic funding, the Houthis have established a lucrative war economy. A report from the Middle East Institute estimates their annual revenues at $2 billion, sourced from illicit trade, taxation, customs duties, and Iranian oil shipments. Their illegal maritime taxation system, which extorts shipowners for so-called “safe-transit fees,” generates an additional $180 million per month—money that directly fuels their military expansion.

The Houthis are not just spending on weapons; they are reshaping Yemeni society into a militarized state. Civilians—including students and government employees—are routinely conscripted into combat roles, with many undergoing military training. Unlike Hamas, which notoriously uses civilians as human shields, the Houthis are actively transforming their civilian population into a reserve army.

Yemeni journalist Yasser Algabry explains, “They have studied what happened in Gaza and southern Lebanon, and they are preparing accordingly. This is a long-term strategy.”

Regional Implications: An Expanding Threat

The Houthis’ growing firepower has major implications for Middle Eastern stability. The group is not just a Yemeni problem—it is now a regional actor capable of influencing conflicts from Gaza to the Persian Gulf.

Their arsenal now includes the Tankil anti-ship ballistic missile, which has a 500-kilometer range and is believed to be a near replica of Iran’s Raad-500 missile. This gives them the capability to target commercial shipping lanes and military assets across the Red Sea, effectively holding global trade routes hostage.

Moreover, their deepening ties with Iran and Hezbollah raise alarms that they could serve as a launchpad for Tehran’s broader ambitions, using Yemen as a forward operating base to attack Israel and Western targets.

The Human Cost: Yemen in Crisis

While the Houthis celebrate their military expansion, the people of Yemen remain trapped in one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history. Years of war, economic collapse, and international neglect have left millions on the brink of starvation.

A Yemeni civilian, speaking anonymously, gave a grim testimony to The Media Line: “We are caught between airstrikes and ground battles. Our children are starving, and there’s no safe place to go. We are not involved in what the Houthis are doing. We are the victims.”

The internationally recognized Yemeni government, fractured and weak, has been unable to alleviate the suffering. Meanwhile, the Houthis’ focus remains fixed on militarization, rather than governance or humanitarian aid.

What Comes Next?

The Houthis’ rise presents an urgent challenge to both Israel and the broader international community. Their ability to wage asymmetric warfare, disrupt vital shipping routes, and coordinate with other Iranian proxies makes them an unpredictable and dangerous force.

Muneer Bin Wabar stresses that the world cannot afford to treat the Houthis as just another regional insurgency. “Diplomatic engagement must go beyond mere statements of concern,” he warns. “The international community must play an active role in facilitating real dialogue among Yemenis, ensuring that any peace efforts address the political, economic, and humanitarian dimensions of the crisis.”

But with the Houthis’ appetite for military confrontation growing, the window for diplomacy is rapidly closing. Israel, along with its regional and Western allies, must prepare for the very real possibility that Yemen’s insurgents-turned-warriors could soon open an entirely new front in the Middle East’s most volatile conflict.

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