Houthis Vow "Hot Summer" As Israel's National Airline Added To Target List
President of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, has warned Israel of a 'hot summer' ahead, as the militant group allied to Iran has refused to halt its missile fire on Israel in relation to the ongoing Gaza war.
Israeli airstrikes earlier this week took out the last remaining planes operated by national carrier Yemenia Airways at Sanaa international airport. The airport is completely demolished after multiple rounds of Israeli attacks, and with runways blown to pieces.
Israel has stressed this is direct retaliation for Houthi missiles which have repeatedly targeted Ben Gurion International Airport, including a ballistic missile which was sent – and intercepted – on Thursday.
'The upcoming operations will differ in quantity and quality from previous operations carried out deep inside the Israeli entity,' Yemeni sources were quoted in a regional publication as saying.
The new statement warned that this 'will include Israeli civilian aircraft on the target list' – meaning that main national carrier El Al Israel Airlines will be targeted, per Lebanon's Al-Akhbar.
Thursday night saw the Houthi military spokesman boast that a missile sent against Ben Gurion airport caused 'millions of usurping Zionists to rush to shelters and bringing the airport to a standstill.'
Israeli media has described while confirming the intercept over or near Tel Aviv, 'Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched 42 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.'
One of the Houthis' rare 'successes' was the direct impact of one of the missiles on Ben Gurion airport in early May, which injured several people fleeing the scene.
The below is the full translated statement of Ansarallah's Mahdi al-Mashat warning Israel of a 'hot summer' ahead:
'The government of the filthy Netanyahu is unable to protect you, and the coming surprises are painful. To the Zionist herds: You should wait for a hot summer. I say to all companies that continue to arrive at the Ben Gurion Airport … that they are at risk at any moment. I call on all travelers around the world to avoid traveling with companies that continue to fly [there], as they are subject to our sanctions and are not safe,' he said.
What's become clear in the wake of Trump's declared 'ceasefire' with the Houthi's in the Red Sea as that the US Navy and CENTCOM have largely pulled back their defense support to Israel in its southern region.
There were reports saying that the Pentagon was blowing through costly ammunition at an alarming pace in defense of Israel, and the decision was made to withdraw from the Red Sea theatre.
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