Yemen Monitor / Sana’a / Exclusive:
The Houthi leader in Yemen warned that any Israeli presence in Somaliland would be considered a “military target,” according to a statement published on Sunday. This marks the latest condemnation of Israel’s move to recognize the breakaway region.
On Friday, the office of Israeli Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israeli entity has officially recognized Somaliland—which declared independence from Somalia in 1991—as an “independent and sovereign” state. Since that date, no other nation had recognized it.
In a statement published by the group’s media outlets, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said: “We consider any Israeli presence in Somaliland a military target for our armed forces, as it constitutes aggression against Somalia and Yemen, and a threat to regional security.”
The Houthi leader warned that this move carries dire consequences, stating that the recognition is a “hostile stance targeting Somalia and its African surroundings, as well as Yemen, the Red Sea, and the countries located on both shores of the Red Sea.”
Somaliland, which has sought international recognition for decades, enjoys a strategic location on the Gulf of Aden and possesses its own currency, passport, and military.
Israeli analysts believe that rapprochement with Somaliland will provide Israel with better access to the Red Sea, enabling it to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The Israeli occupation has launched repeated raids on targets in Yemen during the war on Gaza (2023–2025) in response to Houthi attacks on Israel, which the Houthis stated were in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
