Yemeni opposition officials have criticized Israel's airstrikes against the Houthis, claiming that the attacks may "lead to broader support for the Houthis," according to a message received by US senators, KAN reported on Friday.
The strikes allow the Houthis to garner public support against Israel, KAN quoted the source as saying.
The source also noted that even the killing of Houthi government members, most of whom are not considered to be "top-tier leaders" or "closely tied to military operations," is drawing mixed reactions from Yemen's public.
Israel kills Houthi PM
Houthi Prime Minister Ghalib al-Rahawi was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Sanaa in late August.
According to Army Radio, citing Israeli security sources, eight others killed in the attack were the Houthis’ political bureau director, the prime minister’s chief of staff, the group’s cabinet secretary, and its justice minister, economy and trade minister, foreign minister, agriculture minister, and public relations minister.
Since the strike, the Houthis have begun attacking Israel with seemingly renewed vigor.
Earlier this week, on Monday, the IDF intercepted three Houthi drones launched from Yemen as sirens sounded in southern Israel. Additionally, on Sunday, a drone launched from Yemen struck the passenger hall at Ramon Airport near Eilat, wounding five with shrapnel.
In response, Israel struck Sanaa, targeting Houthi army camps, the headquarters of the Houthis’ propaganda department, and a fuel storage site that was used for the regime’s military activity.
Yonah Jeremy Bob, Amichai Stein, Pesach Benson/TPS, and Reuters contributed to this report.