Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a stern threat on December 23, 2024, vowing to strike the Houthi movement hard and damage their strategic infrastructure in Sana’a and Hodeidah.

In statements circulated by Israeli and international media, Gallant declared, "We will hit the Houthis decisively and target their critical infrastructure."

He added ominously, "We will cut off their leaders’ heads—just as we did with Haniyeh, Sinwar, and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza, and Lebanon. We will do this in Hodeidah and Sana’a."

This marks the first time Israel has officially acknowledged its involvement in the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran during the Iranian presidential inauguration ceremony on July 31, 2024.

Furthermore, it is also the first instance of an Israeli defense official threatening to eliminate leaders of the Houthi group, which has been internationally classified as a terrorist organization. Since November 2023, the Houthis have engaged in attacks on commercial vessels sailing to Israeli ports via the Red Sea.