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Israel Launches Unprecedented Airstrikes on Houthi Targets in Yemen, Sending Clear Message to Iran
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a major escalation of military operations across multiple fronts, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted a large-scale airstrike on Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah on Sunday. The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS.org) reported that the strikes targeted key military infrastructure used by the Iranian-backed Houthi regime, marking the first time that Israel has publicly confirmed military action in Yemen. According to a statement released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the operation was part of a broader strategy to counter growing threats from Iranian proxies in the region.
“In a large-scale operation, dozens of Air Force aircraft, including fighter jets, refueling, and intelligence planes, under the direction of the Military Intelligence Directorate, attacked military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the areas of Ras Issa and Hodeidah in Yemen,” the IDF said in a statement. The targets included power plants, military supplies, and a seaport, all of which were being used by the Houthis to facilitate the transfer of Iranian weapons into the region.
Israel continue air campaign, destroying numerous location in Yemen, including oil, hangers, and the port.@IDF #Yemen pic.twitter.com/LCsNVLLp9p
— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) September 29, 2024
The Israeli strikes are seen as a direct response to recent Houthi attacks against the Jewish state, which have been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent weeks. “The attack was carried out in response to the latest attacks by the Houthi regime against the State of Israel,” the IDF confirmed, as quoted by JNS.org. Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that the Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have been acting under the direction and funding of Iran, in close cooperation with Iraqi militias, to destabilize Israel and disrupt regional stability.
💥 YEMEN: At least seven Israeli airstrikes reported in the Houthi city of Hodeidah.
A power station and port have been struck in the attack thousands of kilometers from Israel.
Follow the TJNEWS channel on
WHATSAPP 🔗 https://t.co/EJdU3YPZTT
TELEGRAM… pic.twitter.com/P7VymTPhyP— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) September 29, 2024
Yemen’s strategic position, particularly its Red Sea ports like Hodeidah, makes it a critical point of concern for global trade and maritime navigation. Iran has used the Houthis as a proxy force to target shipping lanes and to harass neighboring states aligned with the West. According to JNS.org, Israeli military planners aimed to disrupt these Iranian supply chains, targeting key logistical hubs in Hodeidah to cripple the Houthis’ ability to transfer weapons and maintain their military strength.
Another #helicopter #crash in #Iran ! #Hezbllah #Houthis #Hamas https://t.co/yHFSr273Hg
— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) September 29, 2024
One of the most significant aspects of the airstrikes is the message it sends about Israel’s military reach. The targets in Yemen lie approximately 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Israel, demonstrating Israel’s capacity to conduct precision strikes far beyond its immediate borders. Also noted in the JNS.org report was that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant echoed this sentiment in a statement following the attack, quoting from Psalms: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till I destroyed them” (Psalms, chapter 18, verse 38).
Gallant added, “I followed the attack against the Houthis from the control room of the Air Force. The message is clear—for us, no place is too far.” According to JNS.org, this operation was as much a strategic blow to the Houthis as it was a broader warning to Tehran: Israel is willing and capable of projecting military power over vast distances to defend its interests and safeguard regional stability.
Israel Had Opened the Gates of Hell on the Houthis @Israel @IDF #Houthis @USEmbassyYemen #Iran #proxy
Follow the TJNEWS channel on
WHATSAPP 🔗 https://t.co/EJdU3YQxJr
TELEGRAM 🔗https://t.co/yBKqtBti6D 🔗 https://t.co/EJdU3YQxJr https://t.co/blIJRm0y9I— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) September 29, 2024
According to unnamed senior officials in Jerusalem, the airstrikes caused significant damage to Houthi infrastructure, with one official describing the destruction as “enormous” in comments to Israel’s Channel 12. “It will take the Houthis a long time to recover from this unprecedented attack,” the official added, indicating that Israel’s objective was to deliver a crippling blow that would degrade the Houthis’ operational capabilities for the foreseeable future.
An Israeli official also told Ynet that the strikes serve as a warning: “The purpose of the attack is to exact a heavy price for the attacks by the Houthis. If they continue to attack Israel, the attacks will increase.” JNS.org reported that the official emphasized that Israel’s message to Iran is equally clear: the Jewish state has the capacity to launch powerful military operations even at a distance of 2,000 kilometers, and can operate in multiple theaters simultaneously.
Someone should ask the Houthis how that FAFO tastes. pic.twitter.com/DIRwJQXdmI
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) September 29, 2024
“Today, we attacked in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen,” the official noted, underscoring the unprecedented scope of Israel’s military operations on that day.
The airstrikes in Yemen represent one part of a larger Israeli strategy to counter the growing influence of Iran across the Middle East. For years, Israel has faced threats from Iran’s proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and now the Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis, who have been embroiled in Yemen’s civil war since 2014, have increasingly turned their attention toward Israel, likely at Iran’s behest, in an effort to stretch Israel’s military resources thin.
Iran-backed Houthis fire nearly two dozen ballistic and missiles and drones at U.S. warships in Red Sea Friday. No response.
Houthis fire one missile and a drone at Israel Friday. This is the response:
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) September 29, 2024
The military campaign in Yemen also highlights the broader geopolitical contest between Israel and Iran. Tehran has used the Houthis as part of its network of proxy forces to gain influence and destabilize its rivals in the region. By attacking key Houthi targets, Israel is attempting to not only neutralize an immediate threat but also weaken Iran’s foothold in Yemen, a country of critical strategic importance due to its proximity to major shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In a bold statement on Saturday night, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi militia, claimed responsibility for a surface-to-surface missile attack on central Israel, timed to coincide with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return from the United States. The missile, launched just hours before Netanyahu landed in Israel, was intercepted by Israel’s advanced aerial defense system. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the missile was shot down “outside of the country’s borders,” preventing it from reaching Israeli territory.
In a televised address, al-Houthi also issued a chilling vow that the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli forces would “not be in vain.” This rhetoric is seen as part of a broader Iranian-backed strategy to intensify pressure on Israel through proxy groups like the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas, all of whom have escalated attacks in recent months. As JNS.org reported, this latest missile strike reflects the Houthis’ increasingly aggressive role in the conflict, acting in concert with Hamas following the group’s October 7 invasion of southern Israel.
On Friday, the IDF revealed that Israel’s “Arrow” defense system successfully intercepted another surface-to-surface ballistic missile fired by the Houthis from Yemen. According to JNS.org, this marked the latest in a string of Houthi missile launches aimed at Israel. Just a week earlier, on September 15, Israeli air defenses intercepted debris from a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen, which exploded over central Israel.
The escalation of Houthi aggression reached a tragic point in July when a Houthi suicide drone attack killed an Israeli civilian in central Tel Aviv. That attack prompted Israel to launch a major retaliatory strike on Hodeidah, a port city in Yemen under Houthi control. According to Israeli military sources, the strikes targeted dual-use infrastructure, including energy facilities that were being used to facilitate terrorist activities. JNS.org reported that these attacks marked the first time Israel had conducted military operations on Yemeni soil since the Houthis formally entered the conflict.
In the wake of these attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasized that Israel will not tolerate aggression from the Houthis or any other Iranian-backed militia. Following the drone attack that killed an Israeli civilian in July, Netanyahu ordered retaliatory strikes on Hodeidah. “The strikes were a direct response to the drone attack that killed an Israeli citizen and wounded several others,” Netanyahu said at the time, as quoted by JNS.org. He went on to stress that the strikes were also aimed at curbing ongoing Houthi aggression against Israel since the start of the current conflict.
Netanyahu added that over the past eight months, the Houthis had launched “hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones” at Israeli targets. These attacks, often coordinated with other Iranian proxies in the region, represent a concerted effort to stretch Israel’s defenses while increasing the risk of a broader regional war.
The Houthis’ role in the conflict cannot be understood without considering the broader context of Iranian involvement in the region. Iran has long supported the Houthis in Yemen, providing them with advanced military technology, financial backing, and logistical support. By leveraging proxy forces like the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Iraqi militias, Iran seeks to apply pressure on Israel from multiple fronts while maintaining plausible deniability regarding direct involvement.
JNS.org notes that the Houthis have increasingly become a tool in Iran’s strategy to disrupt regional stability and threaten Israel, particularly through missile and drone strikes aimed at Israel’s civilian and military infrastructure. This strategy mirrors the tactics employed by Hezbollah in Lebanon, another Iranian proxy that has launched its own attacks on Israel over the past year.
In his televised speech, al-Houthi made clear that his group’s activities are closely linked to the broader agenda of Iran and its regional allies. By vowing that Nasrallah’s death “would not be in vain,” al-Houthi underscored the growing coordination between these groups in their shared aim to challenge Israeli security and territorial sovereignty.
As tensions continue to rise, Israel faces a multi-front conflict involving Iranian proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. The increasing frequency and intensity of attacks from the Houthis, combined with their use of advanced missile and drone technologies provided by Iran, pose a serious threat to Israeli national security. The recent missile attacks are a stark reminder of the Houthis’ growing capabilities and their willingness to escalate the conflict.
While Israel’s advanced missile defense systems, such as the Arrow and Iron Dome, have proven effective in intercepting most incoming threats, the sheer number of attacks raises concerns about the potential for a larger, more coordinated assault. Israel’s ongoing strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen and other Iranian-backed groups in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria highlight the extent of Israel’s military reach, but also risk drawing the country deeper into a wider regional conflict.
