A Calculated Risk: Netanyahu Ups the Ante with Houthi Leadership Strike

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has significantly upped the ante in the shadow war with the Houthis by ordering a strike that killed the group’s prime minister in Yemen. Calling the hit a “fatal blow,” Netanyahu has embraced a calculated risk that could trigger wider regional conflict.
The attack was a direct response to the Houthi’s persistent military pressure on Israel, including missile barrages and attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes. The Houthis have framed their campaign as a defense of the Palestinian people during the Gaza war.
The successful elimination of Ahmed Ghaleb Al Rahwi demonstrates a new level of Israeli intelligence penetration into the secretive Houthi regime. However, the escape of the group’s top military commanders means Israel’s victory is incomplete and the Houthi threat remains potent.
The Houthis have promised to retaliate, raising fears of a new cycle of violence. Security expert Yoel Guzansky characterized the strike as “remarkable” for its complexity but warned that it targets the symptoms, not the cause, of Houthi aggression, which is their core motivation.