A report in the Haaretz newspaper says Mossad chief David Barnea has pressed the country’s leaders to concentrate on attacking Iran as a way to stem Houthi attacks, in contrast to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, who prefer to keep striking Yemen.
There is no immediate confirmation or response to the report, which cites an unnamed source with knowledge of discussions reportedly held to discuss the lack of results from three earlier rounds of strikes in Yemen.
According to Haaretz, while Netanyahu and Katz support continued direct attacks on the Houthis by Israel or its allies, Barnea believes it would be more effective to go after Iran, which funds and arms the Houthis, a Shiite group that has long enjoyed Tehran’s support.
Netanyahu, Katz and military leaders have indicated in recent days that Israel is set to expand its attacks against the Houthis, including targeting their leaders.