In response to an unprecedented escalation by Iranian-backed Houthis, Israeli forces conducted multiple targeted strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. The Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike on Thursday, wiping out the military and political leadership of the Iran-backed Houthis. The strike was first reported by the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, and then confirmed by Defense Minister Israel Katz.

“As we warned the Houthis in Yemen: After the plague of darkness comes the plague of the firstborn,” Katz said in a statement, a reference to the Biblical Ten Plagues of Egypt, possibly confirming that top Houthi figures were the target.

According to reports, Israeli intelligence learned that 10 Houthi ministers, including the defense minister, and other senior officials, were gathering outside Sanaa to hear a planned speech by the group’s leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi. The Israeli Air Force then launched a strike targeting the meeting in an area near the presidential complex and a building in southern Sanaa.

On Sunday, the IAF hit a facility owned by Yemen’s main oil company, which is controlled by the Houthis, along with a power plant and a military site in an area where the presidential palace is located.

The Israeli response came after the Houthis fired a ballistic missile with a cluster bomb warhead at Israel for the first time on August 22, 2025 – a clear violation of international humanitarian law. One of the munitions struck the yard of a home in the central town of Ginaton, causing slight damage, demonstrating the Houthis’ deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians with internationally banned weapons designed to maximize casualties.

The immediate trigger for Israel’s latest operations was the Houthis’ August 22 missile attack using cluster munitions for the first time against Israeli territory. This represented a dangerous escalation, as cluster munitions are widely banned under international law due to their indiscriminate nature and the lasting threat they pose to civilians. Following this attack, the Israeli Air Force struck four targets in Sanaa on August 24 using 35 munitions, demonstrating Israel’s commitment to responding decisively to violations of international humanitarian law.

The use of cluster munitions by the Houthis represents a clear war crime under international law, as these weapons are designed to spread submunitions over a wide area, making it impossible to distinguish between military and civilian targets. The fact that fragments landed near a residential home in Ginaton underscores the Houthis’ deliberate targeting of Israeli civilians.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthis have launched an unprecedented campaign of aggression against Israel and international shipping, operating under their militant slogan “Death to America, Death to Israel.” This campaign has unfolded in multiple phases:

The Houthis began firing missiles and drones at Israeli territory in October 2023, with their first recorded attack occurring on October 31, 2023, when they launched ballistic missiles and drones that were intercepted by Israeli air defense systems. Since then, they have maintained near-daily attacks on Israeli cities and infrastructure, including recent attempts to strike Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

The group’s maritime terrorism began in November 2023, initially targeting ships with perceived links to Israel. From October 2023 to March 2024 alone, the Houthis attacked more than 60 vessels in the Red Sea. By July 2025, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi claimed his group had attacked 166 ships associated with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The maritime attacks have evolved through several phases:

• Phase 1: Focused attacks on Israel-linked vessels starting November 2023
• Phase 2: Expanded targeting to include any ships deemed supportive of Israel
• Phase 3: Broader attacks on international shipping regardless of destination
• Later phases: Indiscriminate targeting that has disrupted global trade routes

These attacks have forced hundreds of commercial vessels to reroute around South Africa, significantly increasing shipping costs and delivery times for global trade.

Among the most brazen Houthi actions was the seizure of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in late November 2023, which they continue to hold as a propaganda tool. The group has also launched increasingly sophisticated weapons at Israeli territory, including cluster bomb missiles and advanced drones supplied by Iran.

Israel’s response to Houthi aggression has been measured but increasingly forceful. The IDF has conducted multiple strike operations targeting:

• Port facilities: Including the strategic ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and As-Salif
• Energy infrastructure: Such as the Ras Qantib power plant
• Military installations: Command centers and weapons storage facilities
• Leadership targets: The most recent strikes aimed at eliminating Houthi commanders

These operations have demonstrated Israel’s long-range strike capabilities, with aircraft traveling over 1,000 miles to reach targets in Yemen.

The Houthi threat has prompted unprecedented international cooperation against the group. The United States has led a maritime coalition including multiple nations to protect Red Sea shipping lanes. American and British forces have conducted numerous strikes against Houthi positions, while Israel has coordinated closely with international partners to share intelligence and coordinate responses.

The coalition’s efforts reflect the global nature of the threat posed by the Houthis, whose attacks have disrupted not just regional security but international commerce. Their extremist ideology, encapsulated in their official slogan calling for the destruction of America and Israel, has united diverse nations in opposition to their maritime terrorism.

While the Houthis present themselves as defenders of Palestinian rights, their rule in northern Yemen has precipitated one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. The group’s policies and military actions have contributed to a massive famine affecting millions of Yemenis. International aid organizations have documented how Houthi interference with humanitarian operations, diversion of aid resources for military purposes, and obstruction of relief efforts have exacerbated the suffering of ordinary Yemenis. The irony is stark: while claiming to fight for justice abroad, the Houthis have imposed brutal conditions on their own population, creating widespread hunger and desperation.

The escalating conflict between Israel and the Houthis represents a dangerous expansion of Middle Eastern tensions. Iran’s support for the Houthis as part of its “axis of resistance” has effectively opened a new front against Israel, stretching from Yemen in the south to Lebanon in the north. This geographic expansion of conflict zones increases the risk of a broader regional war.

The targeting of Houthi leadership in the latest Israeli strikes suggests a shift toward more aggressive efforts to degrade the group’s capabilities permanently. If successful, such operations could significantly reduce the Houthis’ ability to threaten international shipping and Israeli territory. However, they also risk provoking further escalation from Iran and its regional proxies.

As Israel continues its multi-front campaign against Iranian proxies, the strikes in Yemen demonstrate the country’s determination to address threats regardless of distance or complexity. The international community’s support for protecting maritime commerce provides Israel with diplomatic cover for its operations, while the Houthis’ extremist rhetoric and actions have isolated them from potential sympathizers.

The success or failure of Israel’s campaign to neutralize Houthi leadership will likely determine whether this conflict escalates further or begins to wind down. With the group’s “Death to America, Death to Israel” ideology driving continued aggression, the current trajectory suggests that military pressure may be the only effective means of reducing their threat to regional and global security.

The stakes extend far beyond the immediate participants, as the Red Sea serves as a crucial artery for global commerce. The resolution of this conflict will have a significant impact on international shipping costs, energy prices, and the broader stability of the Middle East in the months ahead.