Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking approval from Saudi Arabia to join the war in Yemen against Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, Haaretz reported on Monday.
The report cited an unnamed diplomatic source who also said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opposed Israeli military involvement over concerns about likely domestic backlash.
The source linked Netanyahu’s desire to get involved in the war to advancing a Saudi-Israel normalization agreement, though Saudi officials in recent years have maintained that the kingdom won’t normalize relations with Israel until there’s a path toward a Palestinian state.
Israel’s intervention in the war would also serve Netanyahu’s electoral interests, as a regional escalation involving Israel could bolster his coalition’s chances of gaining enough seats in the Knesset to form a government. The Israeli elections are scheduled to take place on October 27.
Israel has launched multiple bombing raids in Yemen in recent years as Ansar Allah imposed a Red Sea blockade on Israeli shipping and launched drone and missile attacks on Israeli territory in response to Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. Any more direct Israeli strikes on Yemen would likely trigger Ansar Allah attacks on Israeli territory.
So far, President Trump has declined requests from MbS for the US to launch direct airstrikes against Ansar Allah, though the US is deeply involved in the war by providing intelligence and refueling Saudi warplanes to support the bombing campaign, which has killed a large number of Yemeni civilians.
A US-Ansar Allah ceasefire reached in May 2025 remains in effect, and an Ansar Allah official has warned that if the US breaks the truce, it would lead to attacks on US assets and the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to US shipping.
