Yemen Monitor/Ramallah/Exclusive:
The Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom, reported on Wednesday that the Israeli army is focusing on eight Houthi leaders, including an Iranian official, days after the Hebrew press discussed a wide-ranging attack on the Houthis in Yemen.
The newspaper, which published the names and photos, added: “Now, with the fall of Al- Assad’s regime and the defeats of Hezbollah, Israel’s attention is turning to the leadership of the terrorist Houthi group, from its spokesperson to Al-Quds Force envoy.”
The newspaper stated that the leaders are “Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who is the ‘spiritual authority’ officially but is the ruler of the Houthi state in northern Yemen.”
The second figure is Mehdi al-Mashat, the head of the Supreme Political Council. Followed by Muhammad al-Atifi, the Minister of Defense in the Houthi government, then “Muhammad al-Ghamari,” the Chief of Staff. And Muhammad Fadl Abdul Nabi, commander of the naval forces. And Muhammad Ali al-Qadri, commander of the coastal defense forces. Muhammad Ahmed al-Talbi is the procurement director for the Houthi group. And the military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree.
The newspaper said: “As with other Iranian-backed groups, a senior Al-Quds Force agent oversees Houthi operations in Yemen. Abdul Reza Shahlai, known as Hajj Yusuf, represents Iran in Sana’a. The US has placed a $15 million bounty on his head for information about his activities.”
The Israeli army and air force have requested a matrix of operational targets in Yemen to launch attacks on the armed Houthi group, according to Israel’s Kan public broadcaster on Tuesday.
The Israeli occupation attacked twice, the first attack in July, in which it bombed the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen in addition to fuel facilities at the power plant that supplies the city with electricity. The second attack in September targeted other wide-ranging civilian targets.
