Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to \u201cdefend ourselves alone\u201d against Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels after US President Donald Trump struck a deal with the Iran-backed group. <\/p>\n
According to Trump, the US would halt an ongoing military campaign against the Houthis in exchange for the group stopping its attacks on US interests in the region. <\/p>\n
The Houthis acknowledged the agreement but made it clear their attacks on Israel would continue. Senior Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi said after the announcement that the agreement was \u201ca victory that separates US support for the temporary entity (Israel) and a failure for Netanyahu.\u201d <\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Netanyahu said, \u201cIsrael will defend itself by itself.\u201d In the past, Israel has carried out joint strikes with the US against the Houthis, but two consecutive days of Israeli attacks on Yemen earlier this week were done alone. \u201cIf others join us\u2014our American friends\u2014all the better. If they don\u2019t, we will still defend ourselves on our own,\u201d he said in a video posted on social media. <\/p>\n
Trump referred to the deal as capitulation from the Houthis on Tuesday but on Wednesday he said they had a \u201cgood outcome with the Houthis,\u201d adding they had a \u201cgreat capacity to withstand punishment\u201d from repeated US strikes. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou could say there\u2019s a lot of bravery there,\u201d Trump said at a swearing-in of his ambassador to China at the White House. \u201cIt was amazing what they took.\u201d <\/p>\n
He added that the US would \u201chonor their (Houthis\u2019) commitment\u201d not to attack US warships or commercial vessels in the region. <\/p>\n
The US-Houthi truce sidelined the Israeli government, according to former US Middle East envoy Dennis Ross. <\/p>\n
He noted that Netanyahu was left in the dark when the US began talks with Hamas in March and only found out about US nuclear talks with Iran when Trump made the announcement seated next to the prime minister in the Oval Office last month. The US-Houthi ceasefire is one more instance where Israel\u2019s concerns were a tertiary consideration for the White House, if at all, he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Trump Administration thinks about America\u2019s interests,\u201d said Ross. <\/p>\n
There has been no public criticism of the White House decision from Israeli officials. Netanyahu, who once openly criticized the Biden administration\u2019s requests and policies, is one of Trump\u2019s most vocal international supporters. Other members of the government have reserved their judgement as well, instead focusing on Israel\u2019s resolve against the Houthis. <\/p>\n
Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Thursday that \u201cIsrael must be able to defend itself by itself against any threat and any enemy. This has been true in the face of many past challenges, and it will remain true in the future.\u201d <\/p>\n
Trump designated the Houthi group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in the final days of his first term as president. President Joe Biden revoked that designation early in his presidency in 2021, and Trump designated it again in January. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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