The Yemeni militia began its 11-month-long campaign against Israel on October 19, 2023 with the launch of missiles and drones toward Israeli cities, followed by attacks on suspected Israeli-owned or linked merchant shipping in the Red Sea, in solidarity with Gaza.

Israeli media has expressed growing concerns over the military’s silence on a string of reports that Houthi fighters have begun trickling into southern Syria, possibly to open a new front against Israel, amid explosive regional tensions.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Office offered “no comment” Thursday to reports by i24 News’ Hebrew language service citing Syrian and Yemeni sources that Houthi fighters are being concentrated on the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel’s Kan News claims there are as many as “a few thousand” Houthi special forces in Syria, and that they are commanded by a general. Israel's Alma Research and Education Center assessed last week that "there is a Houthi presence in Syria," but that its extent is unknown.