The Houthis vow to target Israel in "Somaliland"

The leader of Yemen's Ansar Allah group (Houthis), Abdulmalik al-Houthi, has issued a direct military threat in conjunction with what he described as "close follow-up and monitoring" of Israeli plans to build military and intelligence influence in the separatist region of "Somaliland".

This position reflects a remarkable regional escalation in the Red Sea basin and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, driven by the opening of an unprecedented diplomatic and military channel of communication between Tel Aviv and Hargeisa, after decades of international isolation that the region has experienced since the declaration of its unilateral separation from Mogadishu in 1991.

Al-Houthi warns of an Israeli foothold

In a video speech, al-Houthi affirmed his group's steadfastness to the Palestinian cause, stressing that the recent Israeli moves in the Horn of Africa represent a direct threat to Yemeni and Islamic national security.

The Houthis announced that their forces are conducting close monitoring operations as Israel seeks to turn "Somaliland" into a security foothold with the aim of tightening control over the Gulf of Aden, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Red Sea.

Al-Houthi promised  an immediate military initiative, saying: "We will not stand idly by in the face of any Israeli positioning in Somaliland, and we will not wait for the inactionaries, but we will take the initiative at any time when the enemy makes any position, to target it by all available means."

At the same time, the Houthis issued an urgent appeal to the countries bordering the Red Sea and the Arab and Islamic countries to take a common position that prevents Israel from achieving its geopolitical goals, calling on governments to support the brotherly Somali people and protect their sovereignty from Israeli penetration.

Recognition and Embassy in Jerusalem

Identical diplomatic sources revealed that the current tension is sparked by a historic Israeli move last December, when Israel officially recognized the so-called "Somaliland" region as an "independent and sovereign state," a recognition that sparked a wave of condemnation from the federal government in Mogadishu, which considered the move a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

According to reports published by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, this breach came to compensate Tel Aviv for previous security setbacks in the region, especially after the deterioration of its relations with Eritrea and the freeze on the path of normalization with Sudan following the civil war there.

This accelerated rapprochement was embodied on June 15  , when the President of the Somaliland region, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullah, accompanied by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, inaugurated an official embassy of the region in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

The move was followed by an official visit by the president of the region to Tel Aviv, during which he met with Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, where extensive discussions were held on strengthening the military and security capabilities of the region bordering the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden.

Israel Seeks Strategic Depth Against Drones

The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing security sources, revealed that Israel sees "Somaliland" as a very important geopolitical advantage to confront the threats coming from Yemen.

During his recent visit, the President of the Kurdistan Region, Abdulrahman Mohammed Abdullah, did not rule out the possibility of establishing an Israeli military base on the territory of the region in the future to protect international shipping lanes, a statement that ignited the anger of Sana'a and the Houthis considered it a violation of the red lines.

On the other hand, the Minister of Defense of the so-called "Somaliland", Mohamed Yusuf Ali, tried to downplay the weight of the military speculation, as in remarks made on the sidelines of a business conference in Tel Aviv, denied that there are ongoing talks to establish a permanent Israeli military base at the moment, describing them   as "rumors."

However, the Israeli Minister of War confirmed that Israel  is already training and preparing the region's military and police forces, confirming that there is military and intelligence cooperation behind the scenes.

Displacement Fears and Changing Balance of Power in the Horn of Africa

The Israeli incursion into "Somaliland" comes at a time when regional and international circles are warning of dangerous demographic and political dimensions of this emerging relationship, as intelligence reports indicate that Tel Aviv may seek to direct plans for forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to areas in the African region.

These concerns came in conjunction with the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Switzerland by Washington and Tehran to end the regional war, which according to observers prompted Israel to unilaterally strengthen its influence in the vicinity of Bab al-Mandab to prevent the Houthis from imposing the equation of closing the waterways.

According to Hebrew reports, the distance between the port of Berbera in Somaliland and the Yemeni port of Aden does not exceed 250 nautical miles, which makes any military security presence of Tel Aviv there tantamount to closing the siege and building an advanced defensive and intelligence wall in the face of Houthi missiles and drones.