In the aftermath of Operation White City, Israel's strategic strike on Houthi targets in Yemen, reactions across the Arab world have revealed deep regional divisions. While Saudi commentators appeared to welcome the action, Hamas rushed to express solidarity with the Houthis, who vowed continued attacks on Israeli targets.
Video: The Israeli strike in Yemen on Dec. 19, 2024
Rassan Charbel, editor at a leading Saudi newspaper, penned a pointed commentary this morning: "Netanyahu, at his most imperious, gazes across the region from Mount Hermon before dispatching his aircraft to strike Houthi positions in Yemen. What must Tehran be thinking as it witnesses Israeli strikes on Sanaa this morning? Do these fresh Israeli strikes on Yemen represent one of the final communications to Iran?"
On social media platform X, IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee crafted an acrostic spelling out "Sanaa," cleverly mimicking and mocking the Houthi spokespersons' practice of writing targeted Israeli locations in the same style.
ص
ن
ع
ا
ء— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) December 19, 2024
When senior Houthi official Mohammed Ali al-Houthi decried the Israeli strike as a "war crime," Adraee responded with sharp irony: "He attacked me and cried. He preceded me and complained."
Hamas issued a strong condemnation of Israel's attack on Houthi positions in Yemen. "We stand in complete solidarity with Yemen and our brothers in the Ansarallah movement as they face Zionist, American, and British aggression," the organization declared in an official statement.
Within Yemen, Houthi activist Mohammed bin Radwan asserted that Saudi commentators were celebrating what he termed "the Israeli-Saudi strike on the capital, Sanaa." Saudi activist Abdul Rahman al-Otaibi countered with derision: "Where is Israel? How could it be attacking Sanaa? You claimed victory over the US and Israel just a year ago, and now you position yourselves as victims."
Earlier, Houthi official spokesperson Yahya Sarea announced: "We launched two ballistic missiles targeting military installations in the Jaffa area." He specified these as "Palestine-2" hypersonic missiles, adding that the launches were synchronized with "the Israeli strike on civilian facilities in Sanaa and Hodeidah province, including power stations."
The spokesperson issued a warning that they would "respond to this brutal aggression while maintaining support for Gaza and targeting all hostile positions with appropriate weaponry." He emphasized that the Israeli strike would not prevent them from fulfilling their obligation to respond to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
