It is speculated that Houthi officials, including the Minister of Defense and other military chiefs, were targeted
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The Israeli Air Force launched a targeted strike against a group of senior Houthi military officials in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, in what the media described as Israel's most significant operation in that country to date.
According to intelligence reports cited in Israeli media, about ten Houthi ministers, including the Defense Minister and other military chiefs, were gathered on the outskirts of the capital to listen to a televised speech by their leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi.
Real-time information reportedly allowed Israel to locate and strike the meeting, despite the heavy air defenses in the area.
The outcome of the bombing was still unclear at press time, although reports were increasing that the Houthi Defense Minister and the military chief may have been killed in the attack.
The preparations of the Israeli Air Force
However, Houthi sources denied that their leadership had been hit and accused Israel of bombing civilian targets.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz followed the operation from army headquarters alongside Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu monitored events in real time from a secure command post.
"As we warned the Houthis: after the plague of darkness comes the plague of the firstborn," Katz said in a statement, suggesting that the strike aimed to eliminate the rebel leadership.
The attack came hours after the Israeli army intercepted two drones launched by the Houthis at Israeli territory, as part of a campaign of missile and drone attacks initiated by that group on October 19, 2023.
Israel began responding with counterattacks in Yemen in July 2024, but so far hasn't managed to stop the Houthi launches, although no fatalities have been reported in Israel since then.
According to Arab media, about ten airstrikes hit different areas of Sana'a, including an area near the presidential complex. Israel confirmed that its targets were linked to the Houthi regime and its government infrastructure, but didn't specify the results of the operation.
This is the second Israeli strike against Houthi targets in Yemen in the same week, amid rising regional tensions and with the war in Gaza as a backdrop.
