Israeli army bombs Sanaa, a day after Houthi strike on Israel

The Israeli army claimed on Sunday to have bombed several sites in and around Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which is controlled by Houthi rebels, resulting in at least two deaths and 35 injuries. The military said it was acting in response to repeated attacks by the "terrorist regime" against Israel.

The Israeli army said that its air force struck several targets in the Yemeni capital, including "a military site located in the presidential palace, the Assar and Hezyaz power plants, and a fuel storage site, all used for military activities" by the Houthis. "The presidential palace is located within a military site from which the armed forces of the Houthi terrorist regime operate," Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said, adding that the power plants "served as a significant source of electricity supply for military activities."

Claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, who are caught up in the war between Israel and Hamas, the Houthis regularly launch missile and drone attacks toward Israeli territory, but most are intercepted.

"Israeli aggression against the capital Sanaa," wrote Al-Massirah, the media arm of the rebel group, on X. "Several strikes targeted a company oil station on al-Sittine Street" and a "power plant" in southern Sanaa, which was already bombed by Israel a week ago. A Houthi security source told AFP that the attack had targeted "the municipal security building in central Sanaa." The health ministry of the pro-Iranian faction reported two dead and 35 wounded in the Israeli strikes.

Israel dropped around 30 munitions on the Yemeni capital from nearly a dozen fighter jets, supported by refueling planes participating in the operation, Al Jazeera reported. Several videos circulating on social media since early Sunday afternoon showed large explosions at the scene.

The Israeli Defense Ministry released a photo showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi monitoring the military operation in Yemen from a command bunker.

Houthis threaten 'military escalation'

The Houthi rebels denounced the Israeli strikes, claiming that Israel "is trying to compensate for its losses" with these attacks and warning that they still have "additional military options."

According to Al Jazeera, citing a Houthi official, these raids targeted "densely populated residential areas," adding that "the presidency headquarters was neither occupied nor used." The same source further stated that "targeting civilian facilities and residential areas constitutes a war crime" and promised "an escalation of Houthi operations with even more significant targets in the heart of the enemy entity." The official also asserted that the movement’s air defenses had "neutralized part of the bombardments on Sanaa." He warned, "If American involvement in these strikes is confirmed, we will resume targeting its interests."

On Friday night, the Houthis fired a missile toward Israel, located about 1,800 kilometers away. According to an Israeli army investigation cited by Israeli daily Haaretz, this missile was equipped with a warhead containing cluster munitions. This is the first time Houthi fighters have launched such a missile toward Israel. Iran had also used at least three cluster-munition missiles during its 12-day war against Israel. The Israeli army used them in Lebanon in 2006 and was accused of launching them during its most recent autumn war against Hezbollah. The army stated that the interception failure is currently under review and is not related to the type of missile launched.

Israeli authorities said it "most likely broke up in mid-flight." In addition to attacks against Israel, the Yemeni rebels had resumed in July, after a months-long pause, attacks launched after the outbreak of war in Gaza against ships off Yemen that they accuse of having ties to Israel. In May, they struck a truce with the United States, ending months of American bombings in Yemen.