The intense fire exchange between Israel and the Houthis cannot be understood in isolation; it is a violent echo of the wider conflict centered on the Gaza Strip. The Houthis have consistently framed their attacks as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians and a campaign to pressure Israel.
This context is crucial. The Houthi aggression, including the launch of the cluster bomb-equipped missile, is, in their narrative, a direct consequence of the ongoing war in Gaza. They see themselves as a key front in a regional struggle against Israel.
Israel’s massive retaliation on Sanaa, in turn, is seen by many in the region through the same lens. It is viewed as Israel attempting to silence a vocal and active supporter of the Palestinian cause, expanding the battlefield beyond Gaza’s borders.
As long as the core conflict in Gaza continues to rage, it will act as fuel for these secondary fronts. The explosions in Sanaa and the missiles flying towards Israel are sparks from that central fire, threatening to ignite an even larger regional conflagration.