Operation Long Arm - Yemen - 20 July 2024

The Israeli military conducted strikes against Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah in response to attacks by the Houthi group. This marked the first time Israel admits to directly attacking Yemen, in what was officially named Operation Long Arm. The press added that the strikes targeted and hit oil depots and Iranian arms storage facilities hidden by the Houthis, as well as an airport used for arms transfer.” The military said the strike were carried out by Israeli F-15 fighters, all of which returned safely. F-35s, reconnaissance planes and refueling planes participated, as the target was more than 1,800 km from Israel.

For years, Iran has been using the port of Hodeidah to smuggle weapons to the Houthis and it is used for the organization's military strengthening. The Houthis control the port, which serves as an essential supply pipeline for their rule and has so far been immune from attacks. According to the IDF, 70% of the goods that arrive at the port of Hodeida - are transferred to areas controlled by the Houthis. In addition, the port is considered a major economic source for Yemen, which relies on oil infrastructure, and this is well known to the entire region. The attack is a message to the Middle East that watched the large flames and broadcast the images on the Arab media.

The Israeli military confirmed that the port has been used repeatedly to bring in weapons from Iran, and that Israel has therefore considered it a "legitimate military target," according to the Times of Israel. The raid also targeted fuel and energy warehouses and other facilities in the port. The Houthi-run news agency said the strikes killed at least six people, 83 wounded and three missing. However, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to the Saudi newspaper Okaz, all those killed and wounded in the attack are members or commanders in the ranks of the Houthis.

The targets of the attack were oil installations and refineries in the port of Hodeidah, the Ras Katib power plant, the headquarters building of the Yemen Economic Corporation, as well as the national security and military police buildings in the north of Hodeidah. The attack caused a complete power outage in all the neighborhoods in Hodeida district and disruptions in the communication network.

“The fire currently burning in Hudaydah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear,” said Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant. “The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required.”

“The blood of Israeli citizens has a price. This has been made clear in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Yemen, and in other places - if they will dare to attack us, the result will be identical." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “The port that was targeted is not an innocent port. It’s used as their entry point for weapons that are supplied by Iran to its Houthi terrorist proxies. The Houthis have used those weapons to attack Israel, to attack Arab states in the region, to attack many others.

“Air Force jets embarked on an operational strike over a distance of more than 1,800 kilometers and attacked targets in the Hudaydah Port area in Yemen,” said IDF Spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagary. “The Hudaydah Port area serves as a supply route for the transfer of Iranian weapons from Iran to the Houthi terrorist regime and constitutes a significant economic source for it. This is the most distant target from Israeli territory ever attacked by the Air Force.”

“In recent months, Houthi terrorist elements have been working to destabilize and disrupt order in the Middle East and the region as a whole. The Houthi terror is controlled and funded by Iran, and it harms the freedom of navigation, regional ports, the Suez Canal, and global trade as a whole. The IDF will continue to operate anywhere and as necessary against terrorist threats and to ensure the security of the citizens of the State of Israel.'

Extending Israel's Long Arm, the aircrews of the "Desert Giants" Squadron make sure that no place is too far for the IAF delve into the complex and delicate mission that is aerial refueling. The "Desert Giants" Squadron in the Israeli Air Force, which operates the "Re’em" (Boeing 707) from Nevatim AFB, is exclusively responsible for aerial refueling in the IAF and is capable of refueling all types of aircraft.

An Israeli official confirmed to The Times of Israel that his country carried out the raids on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah “alone.” The official said that the Israeli bombing was carried out "alone, without any American military intervention," according to the newspaper, which quoted an unnamed Israeli military official as saying that "the United States was informed of the latest developments before the attack."

After the raids, which Israel said targeted Houthi targets, accusations grew of the participation of other parties in the attack, such as American forces, or even of indirect participation by Arab countries by allowing Israeli aircraft to fly in their airspace. An Israeli military official said Israel notified its allies before carrying out an air strike on Houthi military targets in Yemen. Israel also informed its allies before launching the airstrikes.

The US and UK carried out four airstrikes in the Hodeidah province in western Yemen, reports Al Masirah TV channel, controlled by the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement (Houthis). “US and UK carried out four airstrikes in the Ras Isa area in Al-Salif district,” the TV channel said in a statement. Earlier, it was reported that the US and UK carried out five airstrikes on Houthi positions in Hodeidah, which started a large fire in fuel tanks in the port of Hodeidah. The US-led coalition did not target the port, seeing it as being used to bring humanitarian aid into the war-torn country.

For its part, the Saudi Ministry of Defense denied the Kingdom's involvement in any way in the Israeli raids in Yemen. In a tweet on its Twitter account, the Saudi Ministry of Defense quoted a brief statement from its spokesman, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, as saying that "the Kingdom has no relation or involvement in targeting Hodeidah." Al-Maliki stressed that "the Kingdom will not allow its airspace to be violated by any party." Saudi Arabia had led an anti-Houthi coalition since 2015, launching thousands of airstrikes on the Houthis over the years, but is now seeking a ceasefire and military withdrawal.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry also issued a statement saying: "We are following with great concern the developments of the military escalation in Yemen after the Israeli attacks in Hodeidah, which double the current tensions in the region and harm the ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and distance the region from the dangers of war."

The drone that struck Tel Aviv was an Iranian-made Samad-3, modified for extensive range, the IDF said. Although it had flown to Israel from Yemen for several hours it was not intercepted due to a human error. Shrapnel from the explosion heard clearly throughout the city, killed 50-year-old Yevgeny Ferder in his home, wounded several others, and caused extensive property damage.

The Houthi Ministry of Health, which operates in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, said three people were killed and 87 wounded, many with severe burns as a result of the Israeli strikes. The toll has risen to six. The Israeli air raids on Saturday were carried out a day after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone attack that killed one person in Tel Aviv and injured 10 others. On the morning of 21 July 2024, Houthi military spokesman General Yahya Saree said during a televised address that the group attacked the Israeli port city of Eilat with a number of ballistic missiles in an operation that “achieved its goals successfully”.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a spokesman for the Houthis, told Al Jazeera on Sunday afternoon that Israel’s attack on “civil establishments” must be met with “a painful reply”. “When we took part in this war, we understood there might be sacrifices and losses, but our stand is just and ethical and will never stop until the Zionist entity stops its crimes in Gaza”, he said. According to Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV, the Israeli attack on Hodeidah targeted oil storage facilities and a power plant, igniting a fire. The news outlet cited health officials as saying the air raids resulted in casualties, including fatalities, without specifying a number.

The assault came amid growing fears of escalating violence across the Middle East. The Houthi Supreme Political Council promised to respond to the attack. “This aggression will not pass without an effective response against the enemy,” it said in a statement. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam said the “brutal Israeli aggression against Yemen” aims to “pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza, which is a dream that will not come true”. Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, added later that the group would not hesitate in attacking “vital targets” in Israel, maintaining a promies that Tel Aviv remains “an unsafe area”.

As the war in Gaza continued, the Houthis were intensifying their attacks on Israel and Western targets, saying they are in solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas. The Houthis began attacking Western ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, disrupting global trade and forcing ship owners to reroute away from the Suez Canal shortcut.

The Israeli Security Cabinet met on Saturday and approved the attack, and they were meeting when the strikes were carried out at around 6 pm local time. Until Saturday, Israel had not responded to the Houthi attacks, preferring that the US-led coalition continue to strike the Houthis over their behavior in the Red Sea.

In the face of Houthi attacks, the United States created a multinational naval coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea in December called “Sentinel of Prosperity.” This mission is authorized to fire to defend commercial ships or defend itself, but it will not strike land targets against Houthi rebel positions in Yemen, according to France Presse.

The Houthi group's Supreme Political Council said there would be an "effective response" to the Israeli air strikes. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group "will not hesitate to strike vital targets of the Israeli enemy." Egypt, which is trying to help broker a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages, said it was following the Israeli raid with "grave concern." The attack on Yemen highlights fears that the war in Gaza could turn into a regional conflict, according to Reuters.

Yemeni commentator Hussain al-Wadei emphasized that "Israel's excessive display attacks on Hodeida port are a message to the entire Middle East echoed by its official spokesmen. The Houthis are a weak enemy in the face of the Israeli arsenal." Al-Wadei added that "it took the Houthis ten months and 200 failed attacks until one UAV managed to kill a single Israeli citizen. Israel will take advantage of the fragility of the Houthis and their backward armaments to display its power. The Houthis cannot respond in the same way. The victim in the end is Yemen and the Yemenis."

Hodeidah residents who spoke to the Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awast said that after the attack there were long queues at the gas stations - amid fears of a fuel crisis and price increases. "The Houthis take advantage of such crises on purpose to sell fuel at exorbitant prices, close official stations and operate a black market," the residents said. They added that they "are also afraid of a cooking gas crisis and renewed attacks." According to them, "the Houthis were unable to control the fire" that broke out in Hodeidah after the attack.

A representative of the Yemeni government, which opposes the Houthis, in the Hodeida province and near Al-Qadoumi told the Saudi newspaper that "the Houthis have exposed the population to repeated attacks by the United States, Britain and finally Israel." He added that these attacks caused many residents to flee to the cities According to him, the goal of the Houthis is "to achieve Iran's ambitions in the region and to control the trade corridor in the Red Sea."