As Katz Threatens Houthi Leader, Concerns Grow Over UNGA80’s Ability to Address Israeli-Houthi Conflict
Following yesterday's Houthi drone and missile strikes on a hotel in the southern Israeli city of Eilat, Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to kill Yemen's de facto leader. The escalating rhetoric and ongoing conflict raise serious concerns, prompting questions over whether the Israeli-Houthi crisis will be a top priority for the Secretary-General and other world leaders at the highly anticipated UN80 summit next week.
United Nations
Sphinx: Ahmed Ali
After yesterday’s drone and missile strikes by the Houthis in Yemen, Israeli Defense Minister Katz issued a chilling warning to the Yemeni de facto leader. In a post on X, he wrote, “Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, your time will come.”
Amid ongoing clashes between the IDF and Houthi forces, the latest Houthi incursion occurred Thursday, when an explosive drone struck a hotel in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat. Two additional drones and a ballistic missile were intercepted. While no casualties were reported, the attack was a direct retaliation for Israeli strikes launched on August 28, which killed the Houthi Prime Minister along with 11 other ministers.
Beyond his direct threat to the Houthi leader, Katz added on X, “The slogan ‘Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews’ written on the Houthi flag will be replaced by the Israeli blue-and-white flag that will fly over the capital of a united Yemen.”
Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, warned the Security Council on Monday of the “alarming intensification of hostilities between Houthis and the Israelis.” In August and September alone, aerial exchanges have directly caused 45–50 civilian deaths on both sides, a development underscoring Grundberg’s call for “an end to the escalatory cycle.”
Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordination, echoed this call, citing the “damage to critical infrastructure” and the urgent need to “return all 40 UN staff detainees” under Houthi captivity.
Secretary-General Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric emphasized that “the situation must be dealt with in a multilateral setting,” highlighting that a peaceful resolution will ‘hopefully’ be addressed during the UNGA80 High-Level Summit.
