Deputy FM Haskel tours diplomats around Ramat Gan school struck by Houthis

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel led a group of ambassadors and diplomats on a tour around the site of the Houthi missile strike at Ramat Efal Elementary School in Ramat Gan on Monday.

On Thursday last week, shrapnel from a ballistic missile caused significant damage to the main building of the school, causing it to collapse. This marked the second time the Houthis targeted Israel last week.

Among the diplomats were ambassadors from Hungary, Australia, Bulgaria, Nepal, Lithuania, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and several Deputy Heads of Mission, from Japan, Norway, Italy, Canada, and the European Union.

The diplomats were briefed by the mayor of Ramat Gan’s chief of staff, who informed them of the work being done by the municipality following the incident emergency.

Haskel's office stressed the importance of showing the diplomats the extent of the damage, the threats faced by Israelis on a daily basis, and the overarching danger posed by Iran and its proxies.

Haskel told the diplomats that Israel would not hesitate to act to defend itself and its citizens from Houthi attacks. Part of this would be continued air strikes on terror targets and infrastructure in Yemen, she added, as part of attempts to reduce the strength and capacity of the Houthis. 

Israeli strikes on Yemen

Israel Air Force (IAF) fighter jets struck Houthi targets in the capital of Sana'a in Yemen last week, at the same time as the Houthis fired the missile which damaged the school.

The IDF struck targets used by the Houthis for military purposes, which reportedly included infrastructure used for smuggling Iranian weapons into the country. The IDF also confirmed that ports and energy infrastructure in Sana'a were hit during the strikes.

The threat posed by the Houthis does not only apply to Israel: the Yemen-based group have directed attacks on multiple countries, including the United States, via strikes and missile attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. This has significantly impacted international trade.

"Stability and order in this region is vital for global security and global trade," Haskel added.

"Together with our allies we can defeat the Houthi menace and continue to thwart the activity of Iran, the true cause of instability and conflict in this region.“

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to the report.