Houthis Threaten Missile Strike on Netanyahu Son’s Wedding Amid Gaza Tensions

A senior Houthi official, Hezam al-Asad, amplified a chilling threat to disrupt the upcoming wedding of Avner Netanyahu, son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, scheduled for Monday, June 16, along Israel’s Sharon Coast. The threat, shared via a repost on X, echoed extremist calls from some within Israel urging the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group to launch missile strikes between 8:00 PM and 3:30 AM during the event. Al-Asad’s post stated, “The anger within the occupation entity towards Netanyahu is growing, with growing calls to attack his son’s wedding in the Sharon Coast area on Monday, due to his disregard for the fate of prisoners and hostages in the resistance tunnels, and his continued massacre of children and women in Gaza. Such a criminal deserves only a deterrent punishment.” This inflammatory rhetoric follows a pattern of Houthi aggression, including a May 4 missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport that injured eight and disrupted air traffic.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen and have fired over 60 ballistic missiles at Israel since October 2023, claim their attacks support Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel’s offensive has killed over 52,000, per Gaza health officials. Their recent threats, including targeting Haifa Port and imposing an “aerial blockade,” underscore their intent to escalate. Israel’s air defenses, including the U.S.-made THAAD system, have intercepted most attacks, but the May 4 incident exposed vulnerabilities. Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed retaliation, stating, “We will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.” Israeli airstrikes have since hit Houthi infrastructure, including Sanaa’s airport and Hodeidah Port, killing dozens.

The wedding threat has sparked outrage in Israel, with some labeling it a new low in exploiting internal dissent. Amid 55 hostages still held in Gaza, including 20 believed alive, the Houthis’ provocative rhetoric risks further destabilizing the region, leveraging Netanyahu’s domestic unpopularity to fuel their terror campaign.