Sanaa – Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement, on Sunday threatened to target any Israeli military presence in the so-called Somaliland region, describing it as a direct response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to recognize the breakaway Somali territory.

Al-Houthi stated that his group considers any Israeli military presence in Somaliland an act of aggression against both Somalia and Yemen, and therefore a legitimate military target. He called on countries bordering the Red Sea, as well as the Arab and Islamic world, to take concrete steps to prevent what he described as Israel’s attempt to “violate Somalia.”

He further emphasized that his movement would take all necessary measures to support what he referred to as the Somali people, rejecting any attempt to turn part of Somalia into an Israeli “foothold” at the expense of Somalia’s sovereignty, independence, and the security of the region and the Red Sea.

In an expanded warning, al-Houthi linked the issue to broader regional security concerns, arguing that any Israeli military expansion into the Horn of Africa would escalate tensions across the Red Sea corridor. He claimed such developments could threaten maritime security and deepen instability in an already volatile region, urging regional actors to respond collectively rather than individually.