Houthi rebels elevate readiness amid potential confrontation with Israel

SANA'A, Yemen

The Yemeni Houthi group said Tuesday it increased its readiness to confront all possibilities against Israel, following an indication by Tel Aviv that it would use force against the group.

"We must make every effort to strike the enemies, elevate the level of readiness, and prepare to deal with all possibilities in the face of these significant challenges," the head of the Supreme Political Council of the group, Mahdi al-Masha.t said while addressing his forces.

Earlier Tuesday, the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker off Yemen as it sailed to Israel.

"Regarding the Houthi attacks on international cargo ships, these attacks pose a threat to international trade and Israel, and this threat will be dealt with force," Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said at a news conference.

Gendelman did not provide further details.

Tension escalated between Houthi rebels in Yemen and Israel amid an Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which killed at least 18,412 and injured more than 50,100 others.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio​​​​​​​