The escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine has sparked global attention. In the Islamic world, there is one armed group that has spearheaded the attack on Israel, and that is the Houthis in Yemen. Why was this armed group the first to strike? What are the underlying reasons behind this?
Yemen's Houthis are a civilian group of Shiite Houthis, supported and financed by Iran. Since 2014, the Houthis have been engaged in a long war with Yemen** and a Saudi-led multinational coalition, gradually occupying much of Yemen, including the capital, Sana'a. However, the Houthis are not widely recognized by the international community, and their legitimacy has been questioned. In the first half of this year, Saudi Arabia and Iran reached a rapprochement with Chinese mediation, and Saudi Arabia began peace talks with the Houthis, but no substantial progress has been made.
In this case, the Houthis were the first to launch an attack on Israel, with three main aims:
First, politically, the Houthis want to use this to enhance their status and prestige in the Islamic world and gain more support and recognition. The Houthis have shown sympathy and support for Palestine, as well as hostility and resistance to Israel, which is in line with the prevailing sentiment in the Islamic world, and has also benefited the Houthis' relations with Iran, increasing their political legitimacy and influence.
Second, militarily, the Houthis have an asymmetrical advantage in fighting Israel, but they also have enough courage and determination. The Houthis are far from Israel, and it is very difficult for Israel to fight back, it requires air refueling, the navy is insufficient, the cost of missiles is high, and it also has to pass through Saudi airspace and territorial waters, which is very risky. The Houthis, on the other hand, can use drones and missiles to carry out long-range strikes against Israel, causing certain losses and deterrence. The drones and missiles in the hands of the Houthis are all provided by Iran, and some of them were given to Iran by China before, which has a certain performance and power. The Houthis also have anti-ship missiles that can pose a threat to Israel's navy. According to reports, Israel has sent missile ships to the Red Sea region, but probably only for demonstration and does not dare to approach Yemen, otherwise it may be attacked by the Houthis.
Third, strategically, the Houthis are carrying out Iran's will and plans to fight for Iran's interests and influence in the Middle East. Iran is Israel's sworn enemy and has been looking for an opportunity to strike at Israel, but it does not dare to do it directly, fearing retaliation from the United States. Therefore, Iran has used its own people, such as the Houthis and Allah in Lebanon, to exert pressure and provocation on Israel. The Houthis can not only strike at Israel with drones and missiles, but also cooperate with countries and organizations close to Israel, such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, through infiltration and liaison, to jointly form an encirclement and siege of Israel. Now that Israel has begun ground operations and fighting with Hamas and Allah in Lebanon is escalating, the Houthis may cross the border and enter the Gaza region for a more intense clash with Israel.
In short, the Houthis in Yemen are the first armed group against Israel, which is motivated by political, military and strategic considerations, and is also Iran's pawn and man in the Middle East. Although the harm caused to Israel by the Houthi actions is limited, it has an important exemplary effect, which may lead to the participation and support of more countries and organizations, making the situation in Israel more dangerous and difficult. It remains to be seen whether Israel will be able to rise to this challenge.