In a dramatic escalation early Monday, air raid sirens echoed through parts of the West Bank and the Dead Sea region as at least two missiles were launched toward Israel, reportedly by an Iran-backed faction.
The attempted attack came just hours after Israel carried out a major aerial offensive against several Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, marking its first strike on the country since the reported assassination attempt on the Houthi military chief.
No injuries or property damage were recorded in the pre-dawn attack, but the launches marked a sharp uptick in hostilities that had temporarily quieted in the wake of a fragile ceasefire with Iran.
The Israeli military confirmed it had launched a series of precision airstrikes on key infrastructure at the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and As-Salif, areas under the control of the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
The strikes also hit additional targets, including the Ras Khatib power station and the Galaxy Leader, a ship seized by the Houthis in 2023 and allegedly repurposed for military use.
The operation was named Black Flag by the Israel Defense Forces.
“The same fate awaits Yemen as Tehran. Under Operation Black Flag, the IDF has powerfully struck Houthi terror targets. As I have warned, anyone who tries to harm Israel will be struck, and any hand raised against Israel will be cut off. The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz in a statement following the strikes.
Before launching the operation, the IDF issued warnings in Arabic, urging civilians in the targeted port zones to evacuate immediately in anticipation of incoming strikes.
The military action comes amid continued missile threats from Yemen despite the ceasefire arrangement with Tehran, in place since late June.
Israeli defense officials had previously observed a decrease in Houthi missile launches, likely tied to a targeted strike last month on senior Houthi military commander Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari.
Al-Ghamari, reportedly the head of the Houthi missile division and a key liaison with Iran, is believed to have been either seriously wounded or killed in that strike, which targeted a facility where he was holding a meeting.
His removal is seen as a significant disruption to the group’s operations and a blow to Iranian regional influence.
“The Houthi chief of staff came to chew qat, and we hit him there. That’s not a joke,” a senior Israeli official told Ynet, highlighting the symbolic and strategic importance of the strike.
Yemeni security sources corroborated the incident, describing al-Ghamari as one of the Houthis’ most dangerous operatives, trained in Iran and instrumental in coordinating missile attacks.
Still, in recent days, the lull in Houthi fire has ended. The latest attempted strike occurred Saturday night, prompting missile defense alarms in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea region.
According to the IDF, the missile was launched from Yemen but was intercepted mid-air, preventing any harm. Emergency services confirmed there were no casualties or property damage.
As tensions persist, Israeli authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, with expectations that further retaliation could follow.