Yemen's Houthi Rebels Launch Attacks on Israel

The Houthi rebels of Yemen announced on Tuesday that they had launched a variety of ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel, causing a notable escalation in regional tensions. This alarming development comes in the midst of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, serving to further complicate the tenuous situation in the region.

The Israeli military responded swiftly to these attacks, reporting the use of the ‘Arrow’ defense system, deployed for the first time since conflict with Hamas began on October 7. The Israeli forces managed to intercept a surface-to-surface missile that had been fired over the Red Sea, in addition to destroying an unidentified ‘aerial target’ earlier that day. The stress of the situation was felt by Israeli civilians as well, with air-raid sirens setting off and driving residents to seek shelter in Eilat, a popular Red Sea holiday destination.

Further attacks by the rebel group have been threatened, including by Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Houthi military, who stated that such strikes will persist “until the Israeli aggression stops.” Abdelaziz bin Habtour, Prime Minister of the Houthi government, emphasized that the drones deployed belong to Yemen, and were targeted towards the southern region of Israel.

Reports indicate that these attacks come as the Israeli-Hamas war escalates in Gaza. During the same period, drone-induced explosions occurred in the Egyptian Red Sea towns of Taba and Nuweiba – towns in close proximity to the Israeli border. As per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel, these attacks were perpetrated by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and were intended to harm Israel.

Confirmation also came from Hamas last week, stating that a launched rocket intended for Eilat had landed in an undesignated open field. Meanwhile, the US navy reported the interception of projectiles, believed to be targeted towards Israel, launched by the Houthi rebels from the Red Sea's northern region.