On Sunday, Israel carried out a wave of air strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. This new military action was a direct response to a Houthi missile attack on civilians in Saudi Arabia, which took place last Friday. Or they launched some fancy new type of missile that releases sub-munitions on target. Israeli security officials subsequently admitted that the missile struck Israel, though resulting in minimal damage.
The Israeli air force had to deploy over 10 fighter jets for the operation. They hit critical military infrastructure such as the presidential palace, two power plants, and a fuel depot. Most remarkably, the farthest target of these punches was just over 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) from Israel’s borders.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz left no doubt. He threatened that for each missile fired at Israel, the Houthis would “suffer a thousand fold.” He emphasized the severity of the situation, declaring, “Today we brought upon the Houthis a blow of darkness and blackout—and going forward, there will be a blow of the firstborn as well.” Katz promised that the so-called Houthi regime would pay a heavy price for the attacks against Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed this sentiment, asserting that the Houthi terror regime is learning through experience that it will “pay—and is paying—a very heavy price for its aggression against the State of Israel.” These air strikes in Yemen have resulted in at least two civilian deaths and five civilian injuries. This is reporting from Houthi-operated Al-Masirah TV.
In a controversial turn, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei praised the Houthi actions, stating, “What the brave people of Yemen are doing today is the right thing to do.” Tensions between these two countries, in addition to Israel and Iran, continue to remain high. Iran’s robust support for militant groups around the region.
Police in the Tel Aviv district shared photos from several different locations that showed the impact sites where pieces of the missile attack fell. They haven’t yet released any information regarding damage or casualties inside Israeli territory. The escalation of hostilities underscores the ongoing conflict dynamics in the Middle East, particularly between Israeli forces and Iranian-supported factions.
