The American Wall Street Journal said on Monday that the Israeli occupation is preparing for its next step in its war against the Houthis by striking the group's senior leaders.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said in late December, following the fourth round of Israeli air strikes against the Houthis since July: “We will pursue all Houthi leaders, and we will strike them as we have done elsewhere.”

The newspaper added: But the Houthis pose a unique security challenge for Israel because of their geographical distance, the lack of intelligence information about the group, and the fact that retaliatory air strikes only amplify local support for the group while doing little to stop the attacks.

The Houthis control only a small, but densely populated, part of Yemen in the northwest of the country. The group's leadership is already concerned about Israeli threats and has taken precautions such as building underground command compounds, avoiding cell phones, and altering its hideouts and movements, according to a person familiar with Houthi thinking who spoke to the Wall Street Journal.