Israeli airstrikes hit multiple sites in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa on Sunday, according to the Houthi media office. The strikes, which residents said caused loud explosions near the presidential palace, a power plant, and a gas station, are the latest in a series of retaliatory attacks by Israel against the Iran-backed group.
The strikes come just two days after the Houthis fired a ballistic missile toward Israel, which an Israeli Air Force official confirmed for the first time contained a cluster bomb warhead. The missile, which the Houthis claimed targeted Israel’s largest airport, broke up mid-air and caused minor damage. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the use of cluster munitions as a “new threat” that is harder to intercept and indicates additional technology provided by Iran.
The Houthis have been launching missiles and drones toward Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea for nearly two years in what they say is an act of solidarity with the Palestinians during the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. These attacks have significantly disrupted global shipping, a crucial route through which an estimated $1 trillion in goods passes annually.
While the Houthis claimed their Friday missile strike was successful, an Israeli military investigation concluded that the projectile fragmented before reaching its target. An Israeli Air Force official said the failure to intercept the missile was under investigation, but was not due to the type of warhead.
This is not the first time Israel has targeted the Houthis in Yemen. In May, Israeli airstrikes hit Sanaa’s international airport, destroying the terminal and leaving craters in the runway. This action was taken in response to a Houthi ballistic missile attack on Tel Aviv, which hit the perimeter of Ben Gurion Airport and caused eight injuries.
Sunday’s attack in Sanaa marks a renewed escalation of the conflict. The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television channel described the event as an “aggression on the capital Sanaa,” but gave no further details. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, though the Israeli army’s Telegram channel confirmed its attacks on Sanaa, stating it targeted Houthi “military infrastructure” in response to “repeated attacks” on Israel.