The leader of Yemen's Houthi movement, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, announced that his organization will continue to step up its actions against Israel. This was reported on Thursday evening, December 19, by the Haaretz website, citing Yemen's SABA news agency. According to al-Houthi, the ongoing conflict between the two sides is a war, and Yemen's decision to escalate tensions with Israel is, in his view, fully justified.
Speaking about the recent airstrike on Hodeidah, al-Houthi stated, "Israeli aggression will not deter Yemen or its people from fulfilling their religious and moral duty. The operations carried out by Yemen’s armed forces will not cease until the aggression in Gaza ends and the blockade on the region is lifted."
Meanwhile, Yemen’s armed forces announced what they called a "significant operation," targeting two "critical and sensitive" military sites of the Israeli opponent in the area referred to as Jaffa (known by Israelis as Tel Aviv). Interestingly, their statement mentioned the launch of not one but two advanced hypersonic missiles, named "Palestine-2." They claimed both missiles successfully hit their intended targets. To support these claims, the Houthis shared a video on social media.
The IDF intercepted an "object" over the Mediterranean Sea near central Israel, which is believed to have been a drone from Yemen. At the same time, sirens sounded in areas bordering the Gaza Strip.