The Middle East has always been the focus of world politics, where various forces are intertwined, colliding and playing. In recent years, a new force has emerged in the Middle East: the Houthis. The Houthis are a Shiite armed group in Yemen that has been at war with Saudi Arabia and Yemen** for years and controls most of Yemen. The Houthis not only play an important role within Yemen, but also show a strong influence in the geopolitics of the Middle East. Its close ties with Iran make it Israel's new enemy. The recent series of actions by the Houthis have aroused great concern from the international community and brought new challenges to Israel.
First, the rise of the Houthis is a new strategic variable in the Middle East. The Houthis have been growing in strength over the past few years, not only fighting fiercely with coalition forces inside Yemen and Saudi Arabia, but also firing missiles and drones into Saudi Arabia's territory, causing huge losses in Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have also taken advantage of Yemen's strategic position to threaten the security of shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, affecting the international and energy sectors. The rise of the Houthis has upset the original balance of power in the Middle East and brought new uncertainties to peace and stability in the Middle East.
Second, the rise of the Houthis is a new strategic challenge for Israel. The Houthis have very close ties with Iran, which is considered to be the main supporter and leader of the Houthis. Iran has always been Israel's worst enemy, and it is trying to expand its influence in the Middle East to confront Israel. The Houthis, as allies of Iran, have also shown hostility towards Israel. On December 9, the Houthis announced that if food and medicine from the Gaza Strip were not accessible, any ship trying to reach Israel would become a "legitimate target." This statement shows the threat posed by the Houthis to Israel and the solidarity of the Houthis with Hamas and other Palestinian forces. The threat of the Houthis is not limited to Gaza, but could also extend to Israel itself. The Houthis have a large arsenal of missiles and drones, which are constantly increasing in range and accuracy, and have the potential to inflict strikes on important Israeli targets. The rise of the Houthis has made Israel's security environment in the Middle East more complicated, and has also brought new difficulties to Israel's defense and countermeasures.
Finally, the rise of the Houthis is a new focus of international attention. The actions of the Houthis have not only affected the situation in the Middle East, but also caused concern in the international community. Western countries, especially the United States and European countries, are uneasy about the threat of the Houthis, fearing that the Houthis will endanger their interests in the Middle East and that the Houthis will exacerbate the instability and conflict in the region. As a result, Western countries began to consider whether to take military action against Yemen in order to curb the threat of the Houthis. However, there is also a significant risk that such a move could exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and could trigger an Iranian response that could further escalate tensions in the Middle East. The international community has not yet formed a unified position and strategy on how to deal with the rise of the Houthis, which has also brought a new test to peace and stability in the Middle East.
In short, the rise of the Houthis is a new strategic variable in the Middle East, which has brought new repercussions to the situation in the Middle East and new challenges to Israel and the international community. The actions of the Houthis will greatly affect the future development of the Middle East region and will also become the focus of attention of the international community. How to effectively deal with the rise of the Houthis is an important issue facing the Middle East region and the international community.