Former Houthi official: Attacks on Israel were 'a serious mistake'

A former Houthi official believes that the pro-Iranian militia made a serious mistake when it decided to attack Israel.

In an interview with Israel Hayom, the former official said, "The Houthis are using tens of millions of Yemenis as a human shield when they launch a rocket and kill an Israeli civilian. They will cause the port to collapse."

"Israel is not like Britain and the US, which only attack military targets. The conflict between is between Israel and the Palestinians - we have no direct conflict with Israel."

He also emphasized that the Houthis do not even have an aerial defense system capable of protecting Yemen: "Abdul-Malik al-Houthi launches these rockets while he is not even capable of bringing down a single Israeli plane. I worry that Israel may place a naval and aerial siege on Yemen - and the ones who will pay the price are the civilian population."

A Saudi researcher said that the Houthis "are not acting for the benefit of the Palestinian issue or even for Yemen. One who kills those of his own nation will not support the Palestinians in Gaza, and one who launches rockets towards Mecca will not protect Jerusalem. The militia serves Iran, as a bargaining chip for its own interests."