Israel prepares for military campaign against Yemen's Ansarallah
Shafaq News/ Tel Aviv is preparing for a military campaign against Yemen's Ansarallah (Houthis), expecting challenges due to the potential presence of tunnels, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
In closed-door meetings, Israeli security officials acknowledged that “any operation in Yemen would take longer than expected, with intelligence gathering crucial for airstrikes in a location far from Israel, unlike other fronts,” reports said.
Israeli officials are discussing expanding the international coalition, which has an interest in “weakening” Houthi capabilities and targeting their infrastructure and leaders in the military campaign.
“Any campaign not involving an international coalition will take a long time,” Israeli security sources told the Walla news site.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation quoted military sources saying, “The upcoming campaign aims to disrupt the Houthis' military and technological infrastructure.”
Houthi drones and missiles are reportedly posing a "major challenge" to Israeli air defense systems, with an Israeli official noting that the Houthis are “more technologically advanced than expected” and that “Iran plays a key role in supporting them.”
Notably, the confrontation between Israel and the Houthis has escalated significantly, with Israel directly launching military attacks in an unprecedented move to target the group's military and technological capabilities.
Earlier, Israeli airstrikes targeted key Houthi sites, including Sanaa Airport, Hodeidah Port, and locations inside caves and hideouts allegedly used to conceal missile launch systems and weapon storage. However, the military spokesperson for Ansarallah Yahya Saree noted that the Israeli aggression in Sanaa and Hodeidah was “against civilian facilities”, resulting in deaths, injuries, and material damage.
For their part, the Houthis recently claimed to have targeted Ben Gurion Airport with a "Palestine 2" hypersonic ballistic missile. In a second operation, the group reportedly hit a “vital target” in Yaffa with a drone. For the third operation, the Houthi UAV force targeted the Santa Ursula ship in the Arabian Sea, east of Socotra Island, with several drones.
Additionally, the Houthi movement claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile targeting Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel.
The group affirmed that the Yemeni armed forces possess the capabilities to “expand the target bank" in Israel, to strike additional “vital” facilities.
“[Houthis] Operations will not stop until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted.”