Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed to unleash biblical plagues on Yemen’s Huthi rebels after they intensified missile attacks targeting Israeli territory, raising tensions in the region further.
Katz posted on X that the Huthis were firing missiles again, warning of a “plague of darkness, a plague of the firstborn,” and claimed Israel would enact all ten biblical plagues.
He referred to the ten disasters described in the Book of Exodus, which were sent on Egypt to compel the pharaoh to release enslaved Israelites, using religious symbolism in his warning.
Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli army reported that a missile from Yemen struck just outside Israeli territory, following the interception of two Huthi missiles a day earlier, confirming the ongoing attacks.
The Iran-backed Huthi rebels have vowed to increase their strikes on Israel after an Israeli air attack killed their prime minister and 11 senior officials last week in Yemen.
Since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023, the Huthis have repeatedly launched drones and missiles at Israel, stating their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid rising regional hostilities.
In response, Israel has conducted several retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting Huthi-controlled ports and the rebel-held capital Sanaa, signaling an ongoing cycle of military escalation between the two sides.