Tel Aviv: Israel has announced that its fighter jets carried out a powerful counterattack in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, targeting what it described as Houthi military and intelligence sites. The strikes, Israel said, resulted in the deaths of “dozens” of Houthi fighters, though Houthi officials dispute the claim, reporting significantly fewer fatalities.
According to Israeli defense sources, the operation was a direct retaliation for a recent Houthi strike on Eilat, a southern Israeli city on the Red Sea coast. That attack reportedly left 22 civilians injured and marked a further escalation in Houthi involvement in the conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned that Israel would respond forcefully to any aggression from Yemen, a promise fulfilled with the latest strike.
The counterstrike was conducted with 12 Israeli fighter jets, which launched precision-guided munitions on sites that Israel identified as the Houthi General Staff headquarters and associated intelligence facilities. Defense Minister Katz later confirmed that “dozens of militants were neutralized” during the attack, portraying the operation as a decisive blow against Houthi command structures.
Houthi officials, however, offered a sharply different account. They reported that only two militants were killed and about 48 were wounded, while also accusing Israel of causing destruction in civilian-populated areas of Sanaa. Independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult due to restricted access in Yemen’s conflict zones, leaving the true scale of the losses unclear.
The strike highlights a worrying development in the ongoing regional crisis. By targeting Sanaa, Israel has expanded its battlefield beyond immediate border threats, sending a signal that it is prepared to confront hostile forces wherever they operate. Analysts warn that such cross-border attacks risk further destabilizing the already fragile situation in Yemen, where civil war has raged for nearly a decade.
The Houthis, who control large parts of northern Yemen, are backed by Iran and have increasingly projected power beyond Yemen’s borders. Their involvement in attacking Israel marks a dangerous new phase, raising fears of a wider conflict engulfing the Red Sea and Arabian Peninsula.
International observers have expressed concern that the escalation could spark broader regional instability. Humanitarian agencies fear the strikes in Sanaa may worsen the plight of civilians already enduring years of war and poverty. Diplomatic calls for restraint are expected to intensify, but for now, both Israel and the Houthis appear unwilling to step back from confrontation.
The events underline the fragility of Middle Eastern security dynamics, where a single strike or counterstrike has the potential to draw in multiple actors, intensify hostilities, and reshape alliances.