# 20 July 2024 Israeli attack on Yemen

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On 20 July 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an attack on Hudaydah Port in Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The attack damaged a power generating station, an oil refinery, fuel storage facilities belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Corporation (YPC), and port cranes. Israel claimed it targeted weapon storage facilities. 14 people were killed, including 12 port employees and more than 90 were injured, many with severe burns.
The attack was codenamed by the IDF as Operation Outstretched Arm (Hebrew: מבצע יד ארוכה). The day before the attack, a Houthi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into an apartment building in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing one civilian. The Houthis have been attacking Israel in response to the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians at the time. Houthi officials condemned the Israeli bombing of Al Hudaydah, promised retaliation, and said they will not stop until what they called "the genocide in Gaza" is stopped.
The operation marks the first time Israel directly attacked Yemen. It used F-15 and F-35I jet fighters, along with Boeing 707 jets for aerial refueling. Commentators have noted the significance of the operation, emphasizing that it involved targets 1,700 kilometers from Israel, approximately 200 kilometers farther than Tehran, showcasing the extended reach of Israeli military operations.

## Background

The Houthis have long called for the destruction of Israel but did not take direct action against it until Hamas's October 7 attacks which initiated the Israel–Hamas war. Since the war began, the Iran-backed Houthi forces have launched drone and missile attacks toward Israel, though most were intercepted, causing minimal damage. The Houthis stated these attacks are in retaliation for Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip and vowed to continue until the "Israeli aggression stops." More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's invasion of Gaza, including thousands of women and children.
Houthi attacks on international shipping vessels in the Red Sea were deemed by some as international piracy, drawing a military response from a number of countries. In January 2024, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2722, condemning the Houthi attacks and affirming freedom of navigation. The United States-led Operation Prosperity Guardian was launched to protect Red Sea shipping. Since 12 January, the US and UK have led coalition air and missile strikes against the Houthis, while other countries are independently patrolling the waters near Yemen.

### War in Yemen

The Houthi movement, officially "Ansar Allah", is Islamist group in Yemen that follows the Shiite Zaydi faith. The movement has been fueled by decades of discrimination against the Shi'ites in Yemen and took power in 2014. In response, it was attacked by Saudi Arabia and its allies, in a war that killed 150,000 people. They were designated a terrorist organization by the United States, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Australia. The group has called for the destruction of Israel. The movement, whose militants oppose Yemen's internationally recognized government, has controlled a considerable swath of the country's territory along the Red Sea since 2014.

### 19 July drone attack on Tel Aviv

On 19 July, a drone launched by Houthi militants from Yemen hit an apartment building near the US Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel's economic center. The drone strike killed one person in his apartment building, and injured 10 others. The drone is suspected by the IDF to have been an Iranian-made Samad-3 modified by the Houthis to carry more fuel (for a longer range) in exchange for a smaller warhead. According to Israel, the drone was spotted but not intercepted and no air raid siren was sounded due to human error. The Houthis countered, claiming that their drone, which they named "Yafa", was able to overcome the Iron Dome defense by being invisible to radar. Their claim was challenged by Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Houthis also described the attack on Tel Aviv as the beginning of the fifth phase of their conflict with Israel.

### Israeli preparation for an attack

Israel's Defense Ministry stated that the operational plans for the strikes on Yemen were reviewed and approved on 20 July morning, with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and other top defense officials overseeing the discussions. The Israeli cabinet convened for a special emergency meeting, with ministers summoned on short notice, to approve the operation. The cabinet meeting, chaired by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi, was conducted under strict censorship.

## Attack

The Israeli attack commenced at 6pm local time. The attacks hit a refinery, electricity power station, fuel storage facilities, cranes, and equipment belonging to humanitarian aid agencies. (Hudaydah port has been used to supply humanitarian aid to Yemen). Nine port employees of the Yemen Petroleum Company were killed, and 87 people were injured, most of them with severe burns. Witnesses (about 2 miles from the bombed areas) reported about 12 separate blasts in two barrages, and said the Israeli attack was so intense it reminded them of the Saudi bombing of the city in 2015.

### Targets

The Israeli attacks specifically targeted an electricity generation station, according to local Yemeni channel Al-Masirah TV (run by the Houthis). Other expert also confirmed attacks on the power station. Residents confirmed widespread power outages. A Middle East expert at Navanti Group said power shortages will increase suffering of the local population.
A fire described as "huge" was created after Israel bombed a refinery and fuel storage depots at the port, belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC). It was estimated the fuel storage contained more than 100,000 litres (26,400 gallons) of fuel. Some of the fuel was owned by YPC, while the rest was owned by independent Yemeni businesses. The Houthis, who form the government in Hudaydah, have also been known to make money off fuel sales in Yemen.
Israel also hit cranes at the harbor. The World Food Programme reported damage to a crane its aid vessel was using. There were other merchant vessels adjacent to the cranes the IDF struck, and its not clear the extent of their damage. The warzone reported that Hudaydah port had just two heavy dockside cranes, and both were severely damaged by Israel. Their loss will considerably slow down humanitarian shipments into Yemen. Israel, however, claims these cranes were used to unload Iranian weapons and published footage of destroying the cranes.
American and Israeli officials claimed that Israel only targeted Houthi military sites in the area of the port, used for weapon storage. According to these officials, Israel attacked the Hudaydah Port because it is used for transfers of weapons from Iran, and facilitates export and import of goods.
Images and videos posted on social media have shown flames and smoke rising in the city. Fires continued to burn, with smoke lingering, for several days after the attack.

### Military logistics

The airstrike involved complex logistical and tactical measures due to the significant distance of 1,700 kilometers from Israel. The operation used aerial refueling with Boeing 707 "Re'em" aircraft, low-altitude flights to evade enemy radar, and possibly coordination with Saudi Arabia. The airstrikes mark the first time Israel has attacked Yemen. The IDF's task force included aerial intelligence and surveillance by the "Nachshon" squadron, naval support from warships and possibly a submarine in the Red Sea, and the use of "stand-off" munitions from a range of 100 kilometers. The primary strike force comprised F-35I "Adir" and F-15 fighters.
The Israeli government awaited the return of the aircraft before confirming responsibility for the operation.

### Involvement of other countries

Saudi Arabian outlet Al Arabiya said the bombing was a joint operation between Israel, the US and the UK. US officials denied involvement. The Guardian noted that US forces had bombed Hudaydah as recently as June 2024.
Israeli news outlet Ynet News reported that Israel likely coordinated the attack with Saudi authorities, given the proximity of Saudi airspace to the likely route Israeli jets took to reach Yemen.

## Firefighting and repairs

Firefighting teams arrived immediately to the port, but struggled to contain the blaze. The fire had expanded and threatened both humanitarian ships and food storage facilities. Meanwhile, Yemeni port authorities kept other parts of the port facilities functional to receive ships carrying food, medicine and fuel. Yemeni human rights group, Mwatana, reported that some additional casualties may be buried under the rubble and could not be reached due to the fires.
Repairs on the power plant damaged by Israel were started, as authorities tried to bring back electricity to the Yemeni people.
Two container ships docked at the port on 23 July, making them the first merchant vessels to use the port since the Israeli airstrikes. By 28 July, the port had become fully operational.
The Yemen Red Sea Ports Corporation, which runs the Hudaydah Port, estimated that the strikes caused over US$20,000,000 in damages, excluding losses caused by the destruction of fuel storage facilities. Two cranes and a small vessel were destroyed, while damage was caused to nearby buildings and docks.

## Reactions

* Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the strikes targeted the port because it was used for the military purposes and that they displayed that "there is no place that the long arm of the state of Israel will not reach." Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed responsibility for the attacks on behalf of the Israeli Defense Forces, stating that Israeli fighter jets struck Houthi military targets "in response to the hundreds of attacks against the State of Israel in recent months" to "send a message". Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that the strikes served as a warning to Iran and dealt a "severe blow to Iran's terrorist branch in Yemen". Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated, "the blood of Israeli citizens has a price," and emphasized that any attack on Israelis will be met with a response "identical" to those in Lebanon and Gaza. Gallant added, "The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear." He further noted, "The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required."
* Houthis: Houthi spokesperson Nasruddin Amer referred to the attacks as "a brutal Israeli aggression" specifically meant to cause suffering to the Yemeni population and force the Houthis to stop support for Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. He stated that the attacks would only increase the Yemeni population's resolve in supporting Gaza and their willingness to face hardship for their sake. Chief Houthi negotiator reiterated this sentiment in a public statement. Houthi policymaker Mohammed al-Bukhaiti stated that the airstrike would only increase Yemeni military operations conducted against Israel until the war ended, stating that they would "meet escalation with escalation", he also stated that "the Zionist entity will pay the price for targeting civilian facilities, and we will meet escalation with escalation". Houthi officials said "This will increase our determination to stop the genocide in Gaza."
* Iran: The country condemned the attack, a foreign ministry spokesperson warned about a possibility for a wider regional conflict and calls Israeli allies responsible for the attack.
* Hamas: The group condemned the attack. A member of the political bureau, Izzat al-Rishq, stated that "the occupation state will undoubtedly be burned by the fire ignited in Hudaydah today, and the mounting Zionist crimes will change the entire equation".
* Hezbollah: The group called the operation a "foolish step" and said that it sparked a new and dangerous phase of confrontation across the Middle East.
* Iraq: The foreign ministry condemned the attacks which targeted oil and civilian facilities, including Al Hodeidah port and the electricity company, leading to the deaths and injuries of civilians. They considered the attack a dangerous escalation which threatened stability in the region. Iraq affirmed its full solidarity with the Yemeni people, and holds the Israeli entity responsible for any military escalation in the region.
* Kuwait: The foreign ministry condemned the attack, stating that Israel's actions contribute to the "undermining of international efforts aimed at ending the cycle of violence" in the region.
* Oman: The foreign ministry condemned the attack, stating that the attack "represents a new escalation of tension in the region that would further complicate the regional situation and hinder efforts to calm the situation".
* Saudi Arabia: Defense ministry spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said that Saudi Arabia was not involved in the attack, adding that Saudi Arabia will not allow its airspace to be infiltrated by any party.
* United Nations: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over Israel's attack on Yemen.
* United States: A spokesperson for the US National Security Council stated that the US had not coordinated with Israel on the airstrikes, adding that the country fully recognizes Israel's right to self-defense.
* Yemen: The internationally recognized government condemned the Israeli attack but also cautioned the Houthis against dragging the people of Yemen "into absurd battles in the interests of the Iranian regime," and warned Iran and Israel not to turn the country into "an arena for their absurd wars and their subversive projects in the region."

### Media

According to Ynet, the operation was meant as a deterrent to the pro-Iranian government in Sanaa and as a signal to the US-UK coalition that the IDF will no longer rely solely on allied air defense.
According to The Washington Post, analysts from Yemen determined that the operation would likely not deter the Houthis, but would instead enable them to mobilize Yemenis to fight against a perceived foreign threat, consolidating their local support.
The Economist wrote that with its strikes, "Israel was trying not only to deter the Houthis. It was also sending a message to Iran: Hodeidah, after all, is farther away from Israel than most of Iran’s big cities."
The Jerusalem Post observed that the operation bore similarities to the 1985 Operation Wooden Leg, where the Israeli Air Force targeted PLO sites in Tunisia, 2,200 kilometers from Israel. It emphasized the role of the F-35s in the 2024 operation, noting their stealth capabilities were crucial for striking the Houthis, who already used anti-aircraft missile systems to shoot down American UAVs. The Post described the operation as "an important milestone" for the F-35s within the Israeli Air Force, marking eight years since their initial deployment in Israel.
The Human Rights Watch called the strikes a possible war crime since they were apparently an "indiscriminate or disproportionate attack on civilians".

## Aftermath

On the morning of 21 July, the IDF intercepted a missile fired from Yemen. Rocket and missile sirens sounded in Eilat, however the IDF stated that the city was not targeted and denied reports of an explosion. The Houthis stated that they had targeted Eilat with several missiles.
On 29 September 2024, following the Houthi missile launch on Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv that came in retaliation to the 2024 Hezbollah headquarters strike, Israel launched another attack on Hodeidah port and power station, killing at least 4 civilians. Over 10 airstrikes struck the port, causing major explosions that reverberated throughout the city. The strikes reportedly targeted oil tanks at Ras Issa port and other facilities. According to the IDF the Houthi regime facilitates the transfer of Iranian weapons and supplies to the region, including oil, for military purposes.