Israeli warplanes have launched a second wave of intensive airstrikes against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen within 24 hours, leaving at least 38 dead or wounded, according to statements from Yemeni medical officials and local reports. These strikes are part of Israel’s broader self-defense campaign against Iranian-backed terror networks in the region, as the Israeli military seeks to deter attacks on its territory and on global shipping routes in the Red Sea.
The operation, conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) under Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, targeted a series of Houthi military installations near Sanaa and along Yemen’s western coast. According to Israeli security sources, these sites included drone launching pads, missile depots, and command centers used by the Houthis to attack commercial and military vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Medical officials in Sanaa, reporting to international news agencies, indicated that a significant portion of the casualties were believed to be Houthi fighters, though concerns were also raised about possible civilian injuries due to the proximity of some targets to residential areas. The Houthis, backed and supplied by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have intensified their attacks on the Red Sea shipping lanes over recent months, threatening vital international trade routes and increasing regional instability.
Israel’s military command confirmed that the strikes were launched in precise response to an uptick in Houthi missile and drone launches aimed at Israel and allied international shipping. The IDF emphasized the strikes were calibrated to minimize civilian harm, with thorough target verification and the exclusive use of precision-guided munitions. Israeli officials underscored that this operation is one element in a broader campaign to neutralize Iranian-backed terror threats across the Middle East, which have grown in frequency and scope following the October 7, 2023 massacre by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians.
The campaign in Yemen highlights Tehran’s growing reliance on proxy groups, such as the Houthis, to project influence and threaten Israel and Western interests without direct confrontation. Over the past year, Houthi forces have paraded new missile capabilities, including Iranian-origin anti-ship and cruise missiles, while expanding their use of remotely piloted suicide drones. This escalation has prompted not only Israeli action but also periodic Western interventions, notably coordinated U.S. and U.K. strikes on Houthi missile launch facilities in early 2024.
In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have framed these operations as both a necessary defensive measure and a deterrent message to Iran and its regional proxies. “Israel will not permit the spread of Iranian terror through the Houthis on our southern flank,” Katz stated in a government briefing. IDF spokespeople added that while the primary targets were military, Israel remains committed to international legal standards and humanitarian responsibilities in armed conflict.
As part of a broader strategy, Israel has been marshaling regional intelligence, electronic surveillance, and aerial capabilities to monitor and preempt Iranian-aligned threats not only from Yemen, but from Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Syria and Iraq, and Hamas in Gaza. Israeli analysts stress that the multi-front campaign aims to break the so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’—a network directed by Iran that seeks to destabilize Israel through attrition and terror.
Regional experts note that continued strikes on Houthi infrastructure serve dual purposes: degrading the group’s operational capabilities and signaling to Iran that cross-border attacks will carry direct consequences. The United States, under President Donald Trump, has reiterated its support for Israel’s right to self-defense and increased naval deployments to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Despite the declared military objectives, humanitarian organizations are calling for restraint. Yemen’s decade-long war, exacerbated by the Houthi rebellion, has already produced one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing famine and disease. Both Western and Israeli officials maintain that renewed Houthi aggression—prompted and armed by Iran—remains the central obstacle to peace and recovery in the region.
The airstrikes mark a further escalation in Israel’s engagement in the southern theatre, reflecting both operational necessity and evolving threat perceptions since October 2023. As the IDF continues to act against Iranian-backed proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond, the latest operations in Yemen reinforce Israel’s resolve to act wherever and whenever its security is threatened.
