In a significant escalation against Houthi aggression, Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted an extensive overnight operation against strategic targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port and the capital Sana'a, striking locations approximately 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) from Israel. The complex operation, which required weeks of planning, involved mid-air refueling capabilities due to the extraordinary distance. The mission was the first time the IDF also struck the capital Sana'a, as the two pervious public strikes on the Iranian-backed terrorists were limited to the norther strategic stronghold of Hodeida.
Video: The aftermath of the Israeli strike on Yemen on Dec. 19, 2024 / Credit: Arab social media
Speaking from the Air Force command bunker where he approved the strike plans, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz delivered an unequivocal message: "We struck strategic targets of the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen again tonight. Israel's long arm will reach you too. Whoever raises a hand against Israel will have it cut off, whoever hits us will be hit sevenfold."
Video: The Israeli strike in Yemen on Dec. 19, 2024
The Israel Defense Forces statement detailed that the operation targeted facilities used by Houthi forces for military operations and the transfer of Iranian weaponry to the region. The precision strikes were coordinated through the Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Navy.
The operation specifically targeted all port tugboats, effectively paralyzing operations at three Houthi-controlled naval ports, following earlier strikes that had disabled the ports' crane systems.
Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari provided context in a foreign press briefing, citing recent Houthi provocations: "In the past two weeks alone, the Houthis launched an unmanned aerial vehicle that hit a residential neighborhood in southern Israel, and on Sunday fired a long-range missile toward central Israel." He emphasized that "the regime in Iran funds, arms and directs the Houthis' terrorist activities."
According to Yemen's Al-Yaman channel, this marked the first strike in Yemen since October. The operation was executed approximately one hour after a ballistic missile launch at 2:37 am. This missile, the eighth launched from Yemen this month, was successfully intercepted by the Arrow defense system before reaching Israeli airspace. The interception triggered warning sirens throughout central Israel. While fragments caused damage to a school in Ramat Efal, no injuries were reported.
