29 September 2024 Israeli Strikes on Yemen

The strikes followed sustained Houthi missile and drone attacks against Israel that had escalated during September 2024. The IDF stated that the Houthis had, over the preceding year, operated under Iranian direction and financing and in cooperation with Iraqi militias, carrying out attacks against Israel, destabilizing the region, and disrupting freedom of navigation.[4][5]

In the days immediately preceding the September 29 operation, the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles toward Israel: one on September 27 and one on September 28, both of which were intercepted outside Israel's borders.[6] Houthi spokesman Yahya Saria claimed the September 27 operation targeted areas including Tel Aviv and Ashkelon, while he said the September 28 missile was aimed at Ben Gurion Airport and timed to coincide with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's return to Israel.[6] Debris from the September 28 interception caused slight damage near Tzur Hadassah, with no injuries reported.[3] These launches followed an earlier Houthi missile attack on September 15, while an additional missile was fired toward Tel Aviv on September 26.[7]

Hodeidah's strategic significance extended beyond the immediate military confrontation. Control of the port gave the Houthis access to imports and revenue from cargo taxes, while the port also served as a lifeline for humanitarian aid.[8] A 2022 UN experts' report stated that 69 tankers docked at Hodeidah between April and November of that year, carrying roughly 1.81 million tonnes of oil valued at approximately $271 million. Estimates placed Houthi revenue from the broader oil-related sector at approximately $1.8 billion per year.[1]

The September 29 operation was the second Israeli strike against Yemen. The first, in July 2024, followed a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv that killed a man in his apartment.[3]

The Israeli Air Force launched the operation several hours before sunset on September 29, 2024.[2] Dozens of aircraft participated, including F-15I fighters alongside refueling and intelligence planes, operating at a distance of approximately 1,800 kilometres from Israel's border. Israeli military officials presented the operation as demonstrating the ability to strike precisely at extended range.[3][4]

Targets included Hodeidah port, oil and fuel installations at Ras Issa, and power plants across Hodeidah Governorate; Israeli reporting also listed an airport among the sites attacked.[1] The strikes were conducted under the direction of the IDF Intelligence Directorate, and the IDF said the infrastructure was used to import oil and transfer Iranian weapons and military supplies.[1] The military described the selected sites as civilian locations with military uses.[3]

Arab sources reported seven separate strikes near Hodeidah port, and local media attributed the attacks to Israel before official IDF confirmation.[9] Residents cited in contemporaneous reporting said power was lost across most of Hodeidah following the operation.[10] Arabic-language media described explosions at several locations, fires at the port, and multiple oil tanks burning.[5]

Casualty figures varied among Houthi-affiliated accounts. The Houthi-run health ministry reported four people killed and 29 wounded; available reporting did not establish a clear civilian-military breakdown.[3] Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV gave an initial toll of four dead — described as one port worker and three engineers — and 33 wounded, and said rescue and ambulance teams were still searching for missing people.[11] Houthi spokesman Yahya Saria separately claimed five civilians were killed and 57 wounded, alleging that the operation was conducted with American support.[6] None of these figures received independent verification outside Houthi-affiliated institutions.

Electricity-company sources cited in Israeli media claimed that two power plants were severely damaged, with at least one taken out of service.[6] A local oil-company executive said the Ras Issa tanks were only slightly damaged because they were empty at the time of the strikes.[6] The Yemeni Oil Company, in a statement relayed through Al-Masirah, said supplies in Houthi-controlled areas remained stable and urged the public not to create an oil crisis.[3]

Houthi officials responded with condemnations and threats of escalation. Spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam said the strikes would not weaken Yemeni resolve and that the Houthi movement would not abandon its support for Gaza and Lebanon.[3] Yahya Saria subsequently threatened that Houthi military operations against Israel would escalate.[6] Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani characterized the targets as civilian infrastructure, including a power plant and fuel tanks,[3] and called the attack evidence of what he described as Israel's "inhuman character."[6]

Contemporary accounts of the strikes reflected competing official descriptions rather than independent, target-by-target verification. The IDF maintained that Hodeidah port, the Ras Issa oil installations, and the power plants served military purposes as conduits for Iranian weapons and supplies.[1] Houthi and Iranian statements characterized the same infrastructure as civilian, while Houthi officials also alleged American involvement or approval.[3][5]

The available sources do not independently resolve the characterization of each target or confirm the IDF's claims concerning Iranian weapons transfers. Casualty reporting also differed among the Houthi health ministry, Al-Masirah television, and Yahya Saria, with no independent count available. These limitations require the military-use descriptions, civilian-infrastructure claims, and casualty totals to remain attributed to the parties that advanced them.