The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes Wednesday in Yemen’s Houthi-held capital of Sanaa and a nearby province, reportedly killing and injuring scores, in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated attacks on Israel.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said the strikes in Sanaa and in the al-Jawf area north of the capital hit Houthi military camps where operatives were gathered, the headquarters of the terror group’s propaganda division, and a fuel depot.
The Houthis’ health ministry spokesman, Anees Alasbahi, said on X that the strikes killed nine people and wounded a further 118.
The IDF said the strikes came as a response to the Houthis’ ballistic missile and explosive drone attacks on Israel, the latest coming on Tuesday night. Earlier this week, a Houthi drone struck Ramon Airport in southern Israel.
According to the military, the Houthis’ military propaganda division “is responsible for spreading incitement and propaganda messages in the media, including speeches by the leader Abdul-Malik [al-Houthi] and statements by spokesman Yahya Saree.”
“During the war, the headquarters has spearheaded the regime’s propaganda and psychological terror efforts,” the military said.
The Houthi camps that were struck were used by the Iran-backed group to “plan and execute attacks against the IDF and the State of Israel. The camps also contained operations and intelligence command centers used by the regime,” the IDF added.
The strikes on Wednesday marked the longest flight carried out by the IAF since the fighting began, with fighter jets flying over 2,350 kilometers (1,460 miles) to reach the targets, according to the military.
It involved over 10 IAF fighter jets dropping some 30 munitions on 15 targets in Sanaa and in the al-Jawf area north of the capital, the IDF said. Aeveral aerial refuelings were conducted en route to carrying out the strike and on the return to Israel.
Wednesday’s strike was not the most distant attack of the war — Sanaa is located only some 1,800 kilometers from Israel, but the jets took a detour to avoid Saudi airspace, lengthening their flight. The most distant strike carried out by the IAF in direct air distance was conducted at Iran’s Mashhad Airport in June, some 2,300 kilometers from Israel.
The Houthis in Yemen claimed that their air defenses managed to confront “the Zionist aggression against our country, forcing some of the combat formations to withdraw before carrying out their attack, and foiling the majority of the assault.”
In a statement, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “We promised more strikes, and today we dealt another painful blow to the Houthi terror organization in Yemen.”
“The long arm of the State of Israel will reach and strike terrorism wherever it exists and from wherever a threat is posed to our citizens,” he added.
Sunday’s strike marked the 17th time that Israel has attacked the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Most of the strikes have been carried out by Israeli Air Force fighter jets and drones, though some have been conducted by Israeli Navy missile boats.
The last Israeli strike on Yemen, on August 28, killed the prime minister of the Houthi government and at least 11 other ministers.
In the past two weeks, the Houthis have launched at least nine ballistic missiles and 12 drones at Israel. The Houthis last attacked Israel on Tuesday night with a ballistic missile that was intercepted.
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.
The Houthis held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July 2024, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched 81 ballistic missiles and at least 35 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.