Israel initiates lethal assaults in Sanaa

In a significant development, the Israeli Air Force conducted airstrikes on Houthi rebel sites in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, marking the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two parties.

The bombing, which occurred a week after similar raids on the Yemeni capital, resulted in six fatalities and injured 86 individuals. The Israeli army stated that it had targeted a petrol company station on al-Sittin Street and an electric power station in the south of Sanaa.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense released a photo showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, monitoring the military operation. In a stern warning, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that the Houthi terrorist regime will pay a heavy price for its aggression against Israel.

The Houthi rebels, who are part of an anti-Israel alliance backed by Iran, have been launching missile and drone attacks towards Israeli territory. However, most of these attempts have been intercepted by Israel's robust defence systems. In a recent incident, a missile fired by the Houthis towards Israel, located some 1800 km away, probably disintegrated in mid-flight.

The Houthi rebels claimed to act in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza, echoing sentiments expressed by the Iranian government, which strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes in Yemen. The anti-Israel alliance supported by Iran also includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian groups like Hamas. These actors form part of the so-called "Axis of Resistance" against Israel, coordinated and backed by Iran.

The war in Yemen has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and plunged the Arab world's poorest country into one of the worst humanitarian crises globally. The Houthis resumed their attacks off the coast of Yemen in July, after a pause of several months, targeting ships they accuse of having links with Israel.

Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza, sparked by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas in October 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths in the Palestinian territory, which is facing famine, according to the UN. The war in Gaza has claimed the lives of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians.

As the conflict between Israel and the Houthi rebels continues to unfold, both sides have warned of potential retaliation. The Houthi rebels, following the latest Israeli airstrikes, have vowed to retaliate, while Israel remains resolute in its stance against the Houthi's aggression.