Unilateral Israel Strikes on Houthis Prompt Republicans' Critique of Biden's Inaction

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have executed a series of strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. 

According to the IDF, the strikes targeted Houthi military infrastructure in locations including airports and power generating facilities. 

“The targets that were struck by the IDF include military infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime for its military activities in both the Sana’a International Airport and the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations,” reads an IDF statement. 

Seaports on the Yemeni West coast were also allegedly hit.

Israel has justified its attacks as countering the “exploitation of civilian infrastructure for military purposes” by the Houthis, whom Israel categorizes as “a central part of the Iranian axis of terror.”

Houthi forces have executed daily drone and missile attacks against commercial shipping ships believed to have direct or indirect links to the US, Israel, or any of their allies and have recently increasingly directly attacked Israel’s civilian population.

Last week, Israel alleged Houthi air strikes hit a school in central Israel during the early hours of Thursday, December 19th. 

Republican American lawmakers have harnessed Israel’s latest response to criticize President Joe Biden’s handling of the Houthi-Israel confrontation, depicting President Biden’s support to Israel as insufficient. 

Representative Brian Mast (R-FL), an ex-IDF volunteer, claimed the Houthis’ attacks persist “because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are weak.”

Last week, military experts and former military officials openly undermined the Biden administration’s Houthi policy.  

Experts from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) characterized Biden’s strategy for countering Houthi attacks as ineffective. 

Bradley Bowman, the Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power, deplored Biden’s strategy as “half-steps for fear of escalation.”

Similarly, Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery claimed the US should impose greater costs on the Houthis and strike Iran, their primary funder. 

Given a third of the global container shipping trade traverses the region targeted by the Houthis, their strikes have increased shipping costs, consequently raising prices for consumers.

Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) has claimed the US military will be striking Houthi forces in the near future.