Israel Deploys Missile Boats In Red Sea In Response To Houthi Attacks

The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it had deployed missile boats in the Red Sea in response to recent attacks carried out by the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

The deployment comes a day after the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for launching attacks towards Israel and pledged to continue.

Images released by the Israeli military showed Saar-class corvettes patrolling near the Eilat port in the Red Sea. Israel views this region as a new front in the conflict as its ongoing war in Gaza has drawn retaliatory actions from Iran-aligned pro-Hamas forces throughout the region from Lebanon and Syria.

The Houthis disclosed that they had launched three drone and missile attacks against Israel since the beginning of the Hamas-Israel conflict which began on October 7 when thousands of Hamas militia invaded Israel killing at least 1,400 mostly civilians and kidnapping 239 more. Some have been intercepted by the US and Saudi Arabia and Tuesday's attacks also did not enter Israeli territory. 

Like Iran's other proxies, the Houthis have vowed to carry out additional attacks in support of the Palestinians.

The Houthi movement, which seized control of Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014 and holds significant territory in the country, considers itself part of the "axis of resistance" against Israel.

The Israeli military spokesperson emphasized that the primary focus remains on the Gaza Strip. "There are many actors in the region who operate as Iran proxies, such as the Houthis, who are trying to challenge us and distract us from the war in Gaza. We remain focused," said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.