Israel threatens Yemen with 'plagues', vows to hold Mount Hermon
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has used the imagery of "Biblical plagues" to apparently threaten children in Yemen while simultaneously vowing that Israeli troops would remain on Syria's Mount Hermon, which they seized after the fall of the Assad regime.
On Monday, Katz posted on X that "today we destroyed the Houthi presidential palace. For every missile they launch toward Israel, the Houthis will pay with compound interest."
"Today we brought upon the Houthis a plague of darkness and gloom, and in the future – there will also be a plague of the firstborn," he added.
The references were drawn directly from the showdown between Moses and Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus.
In the story, the "plague of darkness" cast Egypt into total blackness for three days for defying Moses, immediately followed by the "plague of the firstborn", in which every Egyptian firstborn child and heir was killed by the Angel of Death — the most devastating of the ten plagues.
Katz’s language suggests that Israel’s attacks on Yemen could escalate into mass, indiscriminate bombing of civilians - including children - similar to the genocidal campaign against Gaza.
His words came just hours after Israeli airstrikes hit power plants and civilian areas in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, cutting off electricity and killing residents.
Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have controlled Sanaa and most of northern Yemen since 2014, have continued to launch missiles at Israel, saying that this is in solidarity with Gaza.
Katz’s phrasing is reminiscent of Israeli genocidal rhetoric, using Biblical imagery, made about Palestinians at the start of the Gaza war.
In a swiftly deleted tweet in November 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu equated Gaza’s population with Amalek, a people who the Bible commands the ancient Israelites to exterminate.
Continued occupation of Syrian territory
Katz also made fresh comments on Tuesday regarding Syria, asserting that the Israeli army would not withdraw from recently occupied positions on Mount Hermon and a designated "security zone" near the Golan Heights.
"The IDF will remain on Mount Hermon … and in the security zone to protect the Golan and the Galilee settlements from threats from threats looming from the Syrian side," Katz said on X. "This is a fundamental lesson from the events of 7 October, 2023. We will also continue to protect the Druze in Syria."
His comments came amid Israeli media reports that senior officials are working toward a "non-aggression agreement" with Damascus, with Washington pressing for a deal before the end of September.
According to Israel’s Kan 11 broadcaster, the proposal would see Israel pledge not to attack Syria while guaranteeing protection for the Druze minority, in exchange for Syrian assurances.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is expected to attend the UN General Assembly in New York for the first time next month. Israeli outlets framed a potential agreement as a chance for him to consolidate international legitimacy.
Reports suggested that US President Donald Trump is eager to present progress publicly and has pushed Israel to speed up the talks, raising the possibility of a trilateral meeting with Trump, Sharaa, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN gathering.
Syria’s state news agency SANA confirmed last week that Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met an Israeli delegation in Paris, alongside US envoy Thomas Barrack, to discuss de-escalation in Suweida province and a return to the 1974 disengagement lines. Israeli officials, however, have rejected basing any new agreement on the 1974 framework, which remains a sticking point.
While Israeli sources quoted by the Walla news site downplayed the likelihood of a final deal by September, Katz’s statement that Israel will stay on Mount Hermon underlines the government’s position that territorial withdrawals are not on the table.