Houthis threaten Israel over recognition of Somaliland: ‘Any Israeli presence is a military target’

Israel pushes back against criticism: ‘Israel alone will decide whom it recognizes’

The leader of the Yemeni Houthi movement, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, issued a direct warning regarding the possibility of any Israeli presence in Somaliland, following the Jewish State’s recognition of the breakaway country.

“We consider any Israeli presence in Somaliland a military target for our armed forces, as it constitutes aggression against Somalia and Yemen, and a threat to the security of the region,” Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a statement on Sunday.

Israeli recognition of the region that is widely seen as part of Somalia had been widely condemned in the Arab world, including the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, which generally oppose the Houthis.

Al-Houthi characterized Israel’s move to recognize Somaliland as an attempt to “fragment the region.”

“This Zionist aggression, aiming to gain a foothold in Somalia and fragment the region, under the declared project of changing the Middle East, is something our entire nation must confront in every possible way,” al-Houthi continued.

The rebel leader called Israel’s recognition of Somaliland “a hostile stance targeting Somalia and its African surroundings, as well as Yemen, the Red Sea, and the countries along both shores of the Red Sea.”

Middle East analysts believe that recognition of Somaliland is part of an attempt by Israel to secure access to the Red Sea, possibly enabling it to better respond to threats by the Houthis in Yemen.

According to Al-Arabiya, Somalia's Information Minister Daud Aweis Jama accused Israel of wanting a military presence in Somaliland, following the example of the United Arab Emirates, which notably hasn't condemned Israel's move.

Calling the recognition a "blatant violation of Somalia's sovereignty,” he said that Israel wants to establish military bases in Somaliland, and warned that Somalia will not accept settlement operations in the region.

Open Source Intelligence account AfriMEOSINT on Saturday posted satellite pictures showing the recent construction of infrastructure at Berbera Airport in Somaliland, which is indicative of a military facility.

Following Israel’s 🇮🇱 recognition of Somaliland as an independent sovereign state, questions remain over who will operate the base at Berbera Airport and which country is overseeing its ongoing expansion.

The list of potential actors now includes 🇦🇪🇺🇸🇮🇱🇪🇹. https://t.co/eJGWVQX6mw pic.twitter.com/mJim7ps8dS
— Rich Tedd 🛰 ✈️ (@AfriMEOSINT) December 27, 2025

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also called the recognition a “threat to the security and stability of the world and the region” during a speech to an emergency parliamentary session.

The recognition by Israel drew criticism and condemnation from a variety of regional countries, with at least 21 countries signing a statement condemning the move.

A group of 21 Arab, Islamic and African countries, organizations and entities issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland sovereignty.

The statement’s signatories said that they condemn and reject Israel's recognition of Somaliland “in light of the… pic.twitter.com/G08LmEKbcE
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) December 27, 2025

Notably, the countries that recognized Israel as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords, including UAE, Bahrain and Morocco, did not sign the statement or issue condemnations.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials, such as Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and UN Ambassador Danny Danon, pushed back against the condemnations.

Responding to a post by the “State of Palestine Ministry of Foreign Affairs” on 𝕏, Sa’ar posted in Hebrew, “The Foreign Ministry of a ‘virtual country’ condemns the recognition of a country that has actually existed for over 34 years.”

משרד החוץ של ״מדינה״ וירטואלית מגנה הכרה במדינה שקיימת בפועל מעל ל-34 שנים.🤣😂 https://t.co/IIenv4W8Bj
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) December 27, 2025

Sa’ar also released a statement saying, “The attacks on Israel’s recognition of Somaliland are hypocritical. Israel alone will decide whom it recognizes and with whom it maintains diplomatic relations.”

On Saturday evening, Ambassador Danny Danon wrote, “We will not shy away from political discussions. Israel will continue to act responsibly and with discretion, in order to strengthen cooperation with partners who contribute to regional stability.”

The UN Security Council will convene on Monday for an urgent session following Israel's recognition of the Republic of Somaliland.

We will not shy away from political discussions.

Israel will continue to act responsibly and with discretion, in order to strengthen cooperation…
— Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) December 27, 2025

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to raise the issue of recognizing Somaliland with U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit with him on Monday evening at Mar-a-Lago.