Zvi Yehezkeli, the Arab affairs commentator for i24NEWS, estimates that the Israeli attack against the Houthis in Yemen was a surprising step, but must not be the last.
"This is a surprising blow, not proportional to what they did, and that's how it should be. The question is what next? Of course, more could be done. There are many targets for the Houthis. The Houthis have given the Saudis a headache for over a decade, and they haven't been attacked like this. There is an escalation here. On the other hand, it must be said that the Houthis have been attacking us since the beginning of the war, and Israel does nothing but let the allies, America and Britain, attack the Houthis", Yehezkeli explained.
"Now a new front has opened, and alongside the question of the opening blow, we need to think about how to manage it further. How Israel will respond. The wisest thing is to manage it 'like in the hood'. We need to hit painful points. Not just ports, but also weapon depots and UAV depots," he adds.
He emphasizes that "This is not going crazy. There have been nine months of confrontation, we see Gaza devastated. The fuel queues in Hudaydah are impacting other places. They know the Israeli is a rational player, not going crazy so quickly. They know there are capabilities here. It makes an impression. 'The hood' is not just a one-day show. If Israel continues to inflict disproportionate pain on the Houthis - they will be careful. The neighborhood is watching if this is a momentary flash, they are cautious to an extent."
"The allies are saying 'guys, finish the job, that's why we made peace', they call it 'defense agreements'. Houthis are Iran in their eyes. They are applauding in their hearts, but also carefully watching. The Houthis have attacked the Emirates more than once, and in the Emirates, they know that they could be part of this game. They trust Israel," he concluded.