‘Whoever Harms Israel Will Pay a Heavy Price,’ Netanyahu Says

Friday, 20 December 2024 | Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists “are learning—and will learn the hard way—that whoever harms Israel will pay a very heavy price for it,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday after the Israeli Air Force [IAF] struck Hodeidah in response to ongoing missile attacks. 

“This morning, the Air Force attacked strategic Houthi targets in the port of Hodeidah and deep inside Yemen. We did this in response to the Houthis’ repeated attacks on Israeli civilians,” Netanyahu said.

“Last night, they attacked a school in Ramat Gan,” the Israeli leader said in the remarks published by the Prime Minister’s Office, adding that “they are not only attacking us—they are attacking the entire world.

“They are attacking international shipping and trade routes. Therefore, when Israel acts against the Houthis, it operates on behalf of the entire international community,” Netanyahu said. “The Americans understand this well, and so do many others.

“After Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are almost the last remaining arm of Iran’s evil axis. They are learning—and they will learn the hard way—that whoever harms Israel pays a very heavy price for it,” the prime minister said.

IAF jets attacked Houthi terrorist targets in Yemen overnight Wednesday, after intercepting a missile the enemy fired at central Israel.

According to the Israel Defense Forces [IDF], the IAF retaliatory strikes were carried out in two waves by 14 fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes. The jets were already en route when the Houthis launched the missile at around 2:35 a.m.

“Over the past year, the Houthi terrorist regime has been operating with the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias, in order to attack the State of Israel and Israeli civilians,” the IDF said.

“The conducted strikes degrade the Houthi terrorist regime, preventing it from exploiting the targets for military and terrorist purposes, including the smuggling of Iranian weapons to the region,” the military added. “The IDF is determined to continue operating against all threats posed to the citizens of the State of Israel, wherever necessary.”