This came in a statement issued by Katz's office, following the Israeli occupation army's announcement Tuesday evening that it had "intercepted" a missile it said was "launched from Yemen," the first in three days, according to the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
"Yemen's fate is like Tehran's. After we struck the head of the snake in Tehran, we will strike the Houthis in Yemen as well," Katz said in his statement, adding, "Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off," according to the same statement.
On June 13, Israel launched a 12-day aggression against Iran, with US support, targeting nuclear sites and civilian facilities, and assassinating military leaders and nuclear scientists. Tehran responded by targeting Israeli military and intelligence headquarters with ballistic missiles and drones.
On the 22nd of the same month, the United States attacked Iranian facilities and claimed to have "ended" its nuclear program. Iran responded by bombing the U.S. Al-Udeid base in Qatar, before Washington announced on June 24th a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Tehran.
In the same context, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expressed his support for strikes against Yemen, saying via the X platform, "B-2 bombers might need to visit Yemen," referring to the bombers Washington used last month to bomb Iranian sites.
Yemen's Ansar Allah group (Houthis) announced Tuesday evening that it had targeted Ben Gurion Airport with a Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile, in an operation it said "accurately hit its target" and caused "the airport to be shut down and settlers to flee to shelters."
The group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, explained that the attack was part of a "qualitative military operation" and was accompanied by three drone strikes on "sensitive targets" in Jaffa, Ashkelon, and Eilat. He affirmed the continuation of what he described as "support operations" in support of the Palestinians.
Israel repeatedly announces the interception of missiles it claims originated in Yemen, while the Houthi group asserts that it launches missiles toward Israel "in support of the Palestinians who are being subjected to genocide" in the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war of extermination in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The genocide, backed by the United States, left approximately 191,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and a famine claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
