Israel Lobbys European Union To Put Houthis On The List Of Terrorist Organizations

JAKARTA - Israel is lobbying for the European Union to include Israel on the list of terrorist organizations, as attacks between the group and Israel and the United States escalate.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has instructed Israel's diplomatic missions in the European Union and in the UK to push for the designation of the Houthis as terrorist organizations, the Foreign Minister's office said, following an attack for the third time the Houthis this week.

"Houthi poses a threat not only to Israel but also to the region and the rest of the world," Foreign Minister Sa'ar said in a statement.

"A direct threat to freedom of navigation on one of the busiest shipping lines in the world is a challenge for the international community and world order. The first and most basic thing is to define them as terrorist organizations," he added.

It is known that no European country has included the Houthis in the list of terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Israel have done so.

Tensions between Israel and the United States and the Houthis have risen so far this month. Most recently, Israel managed to intercept the Houthi missile before entering its territory, quoted by Reuters.

Iranian-backed groups in Yemen have repeatedly fired drones and missiles at Israel as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Last weekend the Israeli military failed to intercept a missile from Yemen on Saturday (21/22) that crashed in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area. Ambulance services said 14 people were injured.

A spokesman for Iran's Houthi group said they were attacking military targets' in the Jaffa region with ballistic missiles.