A court in Houthi-controlled Yemen sentenced 17 people to death on Saturday for spying on behalf of Israel, the United States and Saudi Arabia, the Iranian-backed terror regime’s state media reported.
The court in the capital, Sanaa, convicted the individuals for “operating espionage cells within a spy network affiliated with American, Israeli and Saudi intelligence,” according to the Saba News Agency, which added that those found guilty will be executed by firing squad.
Lawyer Abdulbasit Ghazi, who represents some of the defendants, said on social media that the sentences can be appealed, AFP reported.
The charges include “colluding with foreign nations in a state of enmity with Yemen during the 2024-2025 period—namely Saudi Arabia, Britain and the United States—and spying for their interests through officers from those countries and from the Israeli Mossad.”
The defendants were also accused of “incitement and aiding in the recruitment of a number of citizens, which led to the targeting of several military, security and civilian sites, resulting in the deaths of dozens and widespread destruction of infrastructure.”
A man and a woman were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, while a third defendant was acquitted.
The Houthis vowed on Nov. 8 that the terrorist group would resume its missile and drone attacks on Israel if the U.S.-brokered truce in Gaza collapses, Tehran’s IRNA agency reported.
The Houthis have carried out many missile and drone attacks on Israel—including one that wounded 22 Israelis in Eilat on Sept. 24—since the Hamas-led assault on Oct. 7, 2023.
They have also launched repeated drone and missile strikes on shipping in the Red Sea during the Gaza war in support of Hamas.
The Houthis are rebuilding their ranks and smuggling in weapons and missiles amid the Gaza ceasefire, senior Israeli officials warned last week, adding that Jerusalem will not permit a renewed Houthi threat from Yemen.
After suffering major losses during the war—including the deaths of top security leaders in Israeli air and sea operations—the Houthis are working to replace their leadership and stockpile advanced armaments, Israeli intelligence assessments indicate.
“We will not allow the Houthis to regain strength; we will act with a strong hand against any such attempt,” a senior Israeli official told Israel’s Channel 12 News on Nov. 17.
The United Nations Security Council on Nov. 14 renewed sanctions against the Houthis for another year, calling for an end to cross-border and maritime attacks by the radical Islamist group.
