On Thursday, Israel confirmed it had conducted an assault on a Houthi objective in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, making this the second such strike within a single week.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the Houthis were engaged in activities aimed at harming Israel and its allies. The IDF further accused the Houthis of “destabilizing the region and impeding international maritime navigation.”
Following Thursday’s strike, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared, “As we warned: ‘After the plague of darkness comes the plague of death.’ Anyone who threatens Israel will face severe consequences.”
The strikes on Thursday, initiated after Israel intercepted two drones originating from Yemen, took place during a public address by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi. Reports from an Israeli news source indicated that the speech proceeded uninterrupted.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel targeted Yemen’s capital in retaliation for missile launches by the Houthis. According to a Houthi Health Ministry spokesperson, that incident resulted in six fatalities and 86 injuries.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Houthis has persisted for nearly two years. This Iran-supported group threatened Israel mere days after the October 7 massacre by Hamas. Within weeks of the Hamas assaults, the Houthis launched missiles and drones toward Israel, which were intercepted by U.S. forces stationed on the U.S.S. Carney.
Since that time, Israel has retaliated against Houthi missile attacks by striking areas within Yemen controlled by the organization, such as the Hodeidah port.
The Houthis have continued their assaults on Israel, stating their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. On August 22, Reuters reported that the Houthis claimed to have launched a ballistic missile at Israel for this reason.