Israel Plans New Strikes on Houthis Amid Rising Tensions in Yemen

According to Radio Monte Carlo International, Israel is planning a fifth wave of airstrikes on Yemen as military tensions in the region escalate.

The report, citing Israeli sources, mentioned that the United States has urged Tel Aviv to focus on military targets belonging to the Houthis while minimizing strikes on civilian facilities such as ports and power plants.

Reports indicate that the lack of intelligence on Houthi military sites and leadership movements has led Israel to consider deploying its navy off the Yemeni coast. This move aims to provide rapid fire support and potentially dispatch commando units if necessary.

The British newspaper The Telegraph noted that Israel faces significant challenges in gathering intelligence on the Houthis, who were not considered a threat until the attacks on October 7, 2023.

An Israeli intelligence source highlighted the difficulty of operations due to starting intelligence collection from scratch, coupled with the absence of shared borders and the geographical distance.

Meanwhile, American security expert Mark Toth suggested that Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration later this month could lead to an escalation in U.S. strikes against the Houthis.

These developments come at a time when U.S. forces have intensified their strikes on Houthi positions in Sana’a, Yemen. Israel has also threatened a large-scale military operation against the Houthis, who have declared their readiness to repel any attacks.

Backed by Iran, the Houthis have begun targeting ships off the Yemeni coast and launching missiles and drones toward Israel in support of Palestinians following the outbreak of the Gaza war.

These attacks have significantly disrupted maritime navigation in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, negatively impacting global trade. Additionally, Houthi attacks have increased since the November ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.