On 19 July 2024, Houthi militants in Yemen performed a drone attack on Israel, hitting an apartment building near the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel's economic center in Ben Yehuda Street. The drone strike killed one person in his apartment building, and injured 10 others. The drone was spotted but not intercepted due to what Israel attributed to human error, with the Houthis asserting that they had developed a drone with the ability to evade the Iron Dome. The air raid siren was also not activated. The attack is reportedly the first successful one by the Houthis to hit its target, with previous attempts being intercepted by either Israeli defenses or Western allies located in the region. The following day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded with an attack on Hudaydah Port in Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The attack damaged a power generating station, an oil refinery, fuel storage facilities belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Corporation (YPC), and port cranes. Israel claimed it targeted weapon storage facilities. 14 people were killed, including 12 port employees and more than 90 were injured, many with severe burns. The attack was codenamed by the IDF as Operation Outstretched Arm (Hebrew: מבצע יד ארוכה). Houthi officials condemned the Israeli bombing of Al Hudaydah, promised retaliation, and said that this would "increase our determination to stop the genocide in Gaza". The operation marks the first time Israel directly attacked Yemen. It used F-15 and F-35I jet fighters, along with Boeing 707 jets for aerial refueling. Commentators have noted the significance of the operation, emphasizing that it involved targets 1,700 kilometers from Israel, approximately 200 kilometers farther than Tehran, showcasing the extended reach of Israeli military operations.
Background
War in Yemen
The Houthi movement, officially "Ansar Allah", is Islamist group in Yemen that follows the Shiite Zaydi faith. The movement has been fueled by decades of discrimination against the Shi'ites in Yemen and took power in 2014. In response, it was attacked by Saudi Arabia and its allies, in a war that killed 150,000 people. They were designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Australia. The group has called for the destruction of Israel. The movement, whose militants oppose Yemen's internationally recognized government, has controlled a considerable swath of the country's territory along the Red Sea since 2014.
Houthi attacks on Israel
The Houthis have long called for the destruction of Israel but did not take direct action against it until Hamas's October 7 attacks which initiated the Gaza war. Since the war began, the Iran-backed Houthi forces have launched drone and missile attacks toward Israel, though most were intercepted, causing minimal damage. The Houthis stated these attacks are in retaliation for Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip and vowed to continue until the "Israeli aggression stops." On 19 October 2023, Houthis fired a barrage of rockets and drones into Israeli territory that were intercepted by USS Carney. Israel's Arrow missile defense system saw its first use in combat on 31 October, intercepting Houthi weapons. Subsequently, the Houthis intensified their attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they considered associated with Israel or its foreign allies, disrupting one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. These attacks were deemed by some as international piracy, drawing a military response from a number of countries. In December 2023, the United States and several Western allies launched operations in the Red Sea to thwart attacks on ships originating from Yemeni territory and to ensure the security of shipping routes. Despite these efforts, the campaign largely fell short of its goals. In January 2024, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2722, condemning the Houthi attacks and affirming freedom of navigation. Since 12 January 2024, the US and UK have led coalition air and missile strikes against the Houthis, while other countries are independently patrolling the waters near Yemen.
Events
19 July drone attack on Tel Aviv
On 19 July, a drone launched by Houthi militants from Yemen hit an apartment building near the US Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel's economic center. The drone strike killed one person in his apartment building, and injured 10 others. The drone is suspected by the IDF to have been an Iranian-made Samad-3 modified by the Houthis to carry more fuel (for a longer range) in exchange for a smaller warhead. According to Israel, the drone was spotted but not intercepted and no air raid siren was sounded due to human error. The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that the aircraft was a new drone type, named "Yafa" or "Jaffa" that was able to fly "undetected through Israel's extensive air defence systems." Their claim was challenged by Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Houthis also described the attack on Tel Aviv as the beginning of the fifth phase of their conflict with Israel. According to The Associated Press news agency, this was the Houthis' first successful strike on Israel with the others being "intercepted by either Israeli defenses or Western allies with forces stationed in the region." Likewise, According to Ibrahim al-Marashi, associate professor at California State University, the Houthi attack marked both a technical and symbolic victory in that it marked the first time the group had entered Israeli territory since hostilities began in October 2023, evading Israeli air defense systems and causing damage. Video from the blast site revealed shattered glass scattered across the sidewalks, while onlookers gathered near a building marked by the explosion. The area was cordoned off with police tape. IDF said it had initiated an investigation into the drone attack causing a "large explosion" near the U.S. embassy office and would determine why the country's air defense systems were not activated to intercept the "aerial target". Houthi militants said that the attack on Tel Aviv as the beginning of the fifth phase of their conflict with Israel.
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