But while the Houthis are in the same pro-Iranian camp, there are clear differences – including that Israel and the West appear to not have the same intelligence on the Houthis as they have had on Hezbollah and Hamas, and that the Houthis have already withstood years of Saudi-led coalition bombing and survived.
Mohammed al-Samaei, a Taiz-based political researcher and journalist, said: The Houthi group still holds significant strengths – 1. it possesses vast arsenals, 2. thousands of fighters, 3. firm control over its territories, 4. and, most crucially, the weakness of its Yemeni opponents
These factors, al-Samaei noted, allow the group to endure confrontations with both local and foreign forces.
“Even if the Yemeni government, backed by Western powers, launches a new offensive against the Houthis, their rapid collapse – similar to what happened with Assad’s regime in Syria – is not guaranteed.”
From: Haaretz February 13, 2025 Yemen's Houthis said they will immediately take military action if the U.S. and Israel attack Gaza
