The Israel Defense Forces recently launched an air strike on Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, killing 12 senior Houthi militants. Houthi confirmed on September 1 that they had fired missiles at Israeli oil tankers in the Red Sea; the group had also launched drones into Israel and detained at least 11 United Nations staff members.
An air strike quickly intensified the conflict, Israel said it would be committed to killing all senior Houthi officials in the future, while Houthi said it would escalate its attacks on Israel and its blockade of the Red Sea Channel。
"Committed to killing all senior Houthi officials"
On the morning of September 1 local time, Yemen's Houthi rebels released the list of senior officials of the organization who died in an Israeli airstrike on August 28 and held funerals for them.
The deceased included 12 heads and senior officials of administrative agencies such as the judiciary, administrative agencies, energy and water conservancy agencies, cultural and tourism agencies, diplomatic agencies, social affairs and labor agencies, news agencies, youth and sports organizations.
On September 1, Netanyahu said at an Israeli cabinet meeting that he personally ordered Israeli air strikes on a gathering place of senior Houthi militants in Yemen on the 28th. The attack killed and wounded many Houthi militants. He said, This attack is only the beginning of Israel's complete destruction of the Houthi armed forces. In the future, the Israeli army will strive to kill all senior Houthi officials。
Houthi armed forces retaliate in three ways
On August 31, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Hussein delivered a speech condemning the Israeli attack. Houthi said that the Israeli attack will not shake the Houthi armed forces 'determination to support the Palestinian people. The Houthi armed forces will retaliate and in the future Escalating the scale of military attacks and shipping blockade on Israel。
At 8:50 a.m. local time on September 1, Yahya Sareya, a spokesperson for the Houthis in Yemen, issued a video statement saying that the Houthis fired missiles at the Israeli tanker "Scarlet Ray" in the northern Red Sea.
British maritime security company Ambri confirmed earlier that on August 31 local time, an Israeli-owned oil tanker flying the Liberian flag reported that it was located in the Red Sea port city of Yanbo in Saudi Arabia."An explosion occurred" in the waters near the southwest. According to a comprehensive report from the British Maritime Trade Action Office and Embri, an Israeli-owned ship reported that "an unknown projectile splashed nearby and a loud noise was heard", adding that "the crew are all safe and the ship will continue to travel to the next destination."
On September 1, the Israeli army confirmed that a drone launched from Yemen was successfully intercepted before entering Israeli territory, and the Israeli side did not sound the air defense siren because it did not pose a threat.
Yemeni sources said that after Israeli air strikes killed many senior officials including the head of the Houthi administration, the Houthi intelligence department arrested dozens of people in Sana'a and other areas, including some local humanitarian workers and international aid organization staff, on the grounds that they were suspected of colluding with Israel.
34 people detained by the United Nations
On August 31, local time, United Nations Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement through his spokesperson's office, strongly condemning the arbitrary detention of at least 11 United Nations staff members by Houthi forces in areas under their control that day.
Guterres pointed out that the Houthis not only detained UN personnel, but also forcibly broke into the World Food Program office in Sana'a, illegally seized UN property, and tried to enter other UN premises.
The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said that this time, The total number of United Nations staff members detained by the Houthis brings to 34, some of whom have been held for years。Earlier this year, a United Nations staff member died while in custody in northern Sa 'ada province. Grundberg called on the Houthi armed forces to immediately and unconditionally release all detained United Nations and other international aid organization staff.
Yemeni humanitarian workers and Sana'a security officials confirmed that Houthi forces arrested multiple World Food Program staff at United Nations offices in Sana'a and Hodaydah. Houthi also detained and interrogated several UNICEF staff members.
Since the outbreak of a new Gaza conflict in October 2023, Houthis have attacked Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Houthis have also repeatedly used missiles and drones to attack Israeli targets, while Israel has repeatedly launched airstrikes on Houthis-controlled areas.