Tensions in the Middle East escalated further on Sunday after Yemen launched large-scale drone strikes toward Israel, prompting the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to activate its air defence systems. According to the IDF, three Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were intercepted during the attack, with two being destroyed before they managed to cross into Israeli airspace. Sirens were sounded across parts of southern Israel, warning civilians to move into shelters as the military responded to the incoming threat.
The strikes came against the backdrop of growing hostilities between Israel and the Houthi-controlled administration in Yemen. Just a week earlier, Ahmed al-Rahawi, the Houthi-appointed prime minister in Sanaa, was killed in an Israeli airstrike that also claimed the lives of several other officials. The Houthis confirmed his death, stating that the attack targeted a government workshop in the capital. Al-Rahawi had been serving as prime minister since August 2024, and his killing has been described by the group as a direct act of war. Israel, in turn, justified the strike, declaring that it had “precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target” in Sanaa.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have long positioned themselves as staunch supporters of Palestine amid the ongoing war in Gaza. In recent months, they have intensified their military campaign against Israel, firing missiles and drones toward Israeli territory in what they call acts of solidarity with Palestinians. Although most of these projectiles have been intercepted by Israel’s advanced air defence systems or disintegrated mid-air, the persistent attacks have kept tensions simmering.
The Houthis’ operations have not been limited to direct strikes on Israel. They have also expanded their campaign into the Red Sea, targeting commercial vessels that they claim are linked to Israel. These maritime assaults have drawn international concern, threatening global shipping lanes and prompting a series of retaliatory Israeli strikes on Yemeni territory, including key locations like Hodeida port and Sanaa airport. The latter was rendered unusable in a May strike, further crippling the Houthis’ logistical capabilities.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to rein in the conflict appear fragile. Earlier this year, the US brokered a deal under which Washington pledged to halt airstrikes in Yemen if the Houthis stopped attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea. However, the Houthis have made it clear that the agreement does not prevent them from targeting what they perceive as Israeli-aligned assets. Their continued strikes underscore both their defiance and the regional nature of the ongoing conflict.
The latest drone attack reinforces how Israel’s confrontation with Hamas in Gaza has spilled across borders, drawing in other regional actors such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. With the Houthis vowing to escalate after al-Rahawi’s killing, analysts fear a prolonged cycle of strikes and counterstrikes that could further destabilize an already volatile region.
