'Israeli aid against the Houthis will not advance normalization,' Saudi official says - report

Israeli assistance to Saudi Arabia in confronting the Houthis will not prompt Riyadh to soften its conditions for normalizing relations with Israel, a Saudi official familiar with the matter told Kan News on Wednesday.

The official said the kingdom’s position remains unchanged: progress toward normalization depends on resolving the Palestinian issue. From Riyadh’s perspective, limited security cooperation against the Houthis cannot replace that political requirement.

The comments follow reports that Israel has been assisting Saudi Arabia in its response to the growing Houthi threat. Several regional diplomatic sources said Israel has provided Riyadh with intelligence through the US Central Command, or CENTCOM, but has not participated directly in military operations.

Saudi Arabia is not currently seeking a large-scale offensive against the Houthis. Instead, Riyadh reportedly favors a coordinated international effort to reduce the group’s capabilities gradually, beginning with attempts to regain control of areas recently seized near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The situation around the strategic waterway, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, has deteriorated in recent days. Houthi advances in the area have heightened Saudi and international concerns over maritime security and the potential expansion of the conflict in Yemen.