In the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, as Defense Minister Israel Katz made his way to the Air Force's underground command center, Israeli intelligence officers were putting final touches on an operation weeks in the making. "Operation White City" was about to unfold.
The campaign, meticulously planned over several weeks, saw 14 Israeli fighter jets execute a complex two-wave strike deep in Yemeni territory. The first wave launched at 3:15 a.m., targeting the coastal region more than 1,700 kilometers from Israel. The second wave struck at 4:30 a.m., reaching – for the first time – the outskirts of the capital Sanaa.
This carefully orchestrated mission came in response to an escalating threat: the Houthis had fired more than 200 surface-to-surface missiles and deployed over 170 UAVs against Israel. The IDF's response would need to be decisive.
Video: The IAF strike on Houthi targets
The operation's scope was unprecedented. Dozens of munitions were dropped on five strategic targets, including the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and Al-Salif, along with two locations near Sanaa. The targets ranged from oil tanks and power stations to maritime infrastructure, including tugboats critical for port operations.
Some targets were located approximately 2,000 kilometers from Israel – marking one of the longest-range strikes in IAF history – requiring the jets to perform aerial refueling during the mission. All aircraft returned safely to base.
"Tonight we struck strategic targets of the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen once again. Israel's long arm will reach you too," Katz declared after the operation. "Whoever raises a hand against Israel – their hand will be cut off, whoever hits us – will be hit seven times over."
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari later explained the strategic timing. "In just the past two weeks, the Houthis launched a UAV that hit a residential neighborhood in southern Israel, and on Sunday fired a long-range missile toward central Israel," he said, adding that "The regime in Iran funds, arms and directs the Houthis' terrorist activities."
The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah network reported at least nine casualties from the strikes. Meanwhile, senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti declared that their "military operations supporting Gaza will continue," warning that "escalation will be met with escalation."
The impact was immediate and severe. Following previous damage to cranes and Thursday's targeting of tugboats, operations at all three Houthi-controlled maritime ports are now completely paralyzed. The IDF emphasized this was not a reactive strike to earlier provocations, but rather a carefully planned operation developed over several weeks of intelligence gathering and strategic planning.
