Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with Channel 14 on Thursday warned that Israel was “just getting started with the Houthis” after his country launched a series of airstrikes targeting the Yemen-based militant group. “We won’t allow them [to attack Israel] these days, today and any other day. We will strike them to the bitter end until they learn. As I said, Hamas learned, Hezbollah learned, and Syria learned. The Houthis will learn too,” stated Netanyahu. Speaking about a potential ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas, Netanyahu criticized recent comments from unnamed officials that the agreement could have already been reached, calling them “lies.”
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi claimed that the most recent strikes in Yemen show that the military is capable of reaching “any threat.” The remarks come hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Houthi-controlled areas in that country amid a visit by a United Nations delegation. “Once again, the IDF has proven its capability to reach and strike any threat to the citizens of Israel. Over the years, we have built capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory in a precise, powerful, and repeated manner,” Halevi was quoted as saying by the Times of Israel.