Photo source : Voa.com / Houthi troops ride on the back of a police patrol truck after participating in a Houthi gathering in Sanaa
Sanaa, Yemen – June 3, 2025
In a bold escalation of its military operations against Israel, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Tuesday evening that they had successfully targeted Lod Airport (Ben Gurion International Airport) in the occupied Yaffa area using an advanced “Palestine 2” hypersonic ballistic missile. The strike marks the latest in a series of retaliatory actions by Yemen in response to Israel’s ongoing war and siege on the Gaza Strip, which has claimed over 50 ,000 Palestinian lives since October 2023.
Operation Details & Impact
According to a statement released by Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, the missile strike forced millions of Israeli settlers into shelters, triggering widespread panic in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas. The attack halted all flight operations at the Airport, a critical hub for Israeli military and civilian air traffic, and prevented a US military cargo plane from landing for the second consecutive day, disrupting suspected arms shipments to Israel.
The operation was framed as a direct response to the “crime of genocide” in Gaza and in solidarity with Palestinian resistance factions. Saree warned that Yemen would continue its military campaign until Israel “stops its aggression and lifts the siege” on Gaza.
Yemen’s Growing Military Capabilities
The use of the “Palestine 2” hypersonic missile—a domestically developed weapon—signals a significant leap in Yemen’s military technology. Hypersonic missiles, which travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, are extremely difficult to intercept with conventional air defense systems, posing a major challenge to Israel’s Iron Dome and Arrow missile defenses.
Major General Mohammed Al-Atifi, Yemen’s Defense Minister, emphasized in a report to the Sanaa government that the Armed Forces possess continuous strike capabilities with missiles and drones, expanded range and precision in targeting Israeli strategic sites, and readiness for further escalation if directed by Yemen’s leadership.
The Houthi movement, officially Ansar Allah, emerged in the 1990s as a Zaydi Shia opposition force. Since 2014, it has controlled northern Yemen and engaged in a brutal war with a Saudi-led coalition. The Red Sea blockade has disrupted over 30% of global shipping, with major insurers refusing Red Sea routes due to Houthi attacks. A May 2025 Oman-brokered US-Houthi truce collapsed after renewed strikes.
US & UK Failures to Contain Yemen’s Campaign
The strike comes despite months of US and UK military efforts to suppress Yemen’s operations. Since November 2023, the Houthi-led government (Ansar Allah) has blockaded Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea, cutting off a key global trade route. Yemeni forces have downed US drones and damaged warships, including the USS Truman, which reportedly suffered hull cracks and lost three F/A-18 jets ($67 million each) before retreating from Yemeni waters. The conflict has forced four US aircraft carriers out of the region, marking a strategic humiliation for Washington.
In January 2025, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2768, demanding an end to Houthi attacks, but Yemen has defied international pressure, framing its actions as legitimate resistance against Israeli and American aggression.
Regional & Global Reactions
The UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg warned of escalating regional conflict, urging de-escalation and the release of detained UN personnel in Yemen. Israel confirmed sirens in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, though it has not disclosed damage assessments. Meanwhile, US CENTCOM posted a vague X (Twitter) message with fighter jet footage, signaling continued airstrikes on Yemen.
Yemen’s Defense Ministry issued a stark warning to foreign companies and investors in Israel, urging them to evacuate immediately. A senior official stated that Yemen’s missiles carry multiple warheads—even if intercepted, they split into several targets, overwhelming enemy defenses.
A Prolonged Conflict with No End in Sight
With Yemen vowing “more missiles and drones” and Israel refusing to halt its Gaza offensive, the conflict shows no signs of abating. The Houthi movement, backed by regional allies, has transformed from a local Yemeni faction into a major player in the Axis of Resistance, challenging US-Israeli dominance in West Asia.
As Yemen’s Defense Minister declared, “We have rewritten modern warfare. Small nations, with will and technology, can defy empires.”
The Houthi Movement: From Local Rebels to Regional Power
Once dismissed as a fringe Zaydi revivalist group, Yemen’s Houthi movement has emerged over the past two decades as a formidable military and political force, reshaping regional dynamics and drawing the attention of major global powers.
Photo source : Voa.com / Houthi fighters in Yemen on the anti-US and the anti-UK rally
The roots of the Houthi movement lie in the rugged highlands of northern Yemen, where in the 1990s, Hussein al-Houthi—an influential cleric and former parliamentarian—founded the “Believing Youth” movement. Originally conceived to preserve Zaydi Shia religious identity and culture in the face of perceived marginalization and Sunni Wahhabi encroachment, the group soon adopted a more confrontational posture.
In 2003, amid growing resentment toward U.S. involvement in the Middle East and Israeli policies in Palestine, the movement embraced the now-infamous slogan: “Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews, Victory to Islam.” This marked the beginning of its evolution from a religious movement to an armed resistance.
Rise Through War: 2004–2014
The group’s militarization accelerated following the death of Hussein al-Houthi in 2004 during the first of six successive wars against the Yemeni central government. Through these conflicts, the Houthis honed their guerrilla tactics, using Yemen’s mountainous terrain to their advantage and steadily expanding their support base.
Their most significant political breakthrough came in 2014 when they formed an unlikely alliance with former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh—once their staunchest enemy. This coalition enabled the Houthis to seize the capital, Sanaa, marking their transformation from a rebel faction into a national political player.
Present-Day Power and Capabilities
Today, the Houthis—officially known as Ansar Allah—control territory encompassing over 70% of Yemen’s population. Their transformation from an isolated insurgent group into a well-equipped military force is evident in their current capabilities:
- An arsenal of over 500 ballistic missiles, many of which have been used against targets in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and now, increasingly, in support of Palestinian factions.
- A fighting force exceeding 100,000 trained personnel, including specialized units and intelligence wings.
- Domestic production of drones and missile systems, despite years of blockade and military pressure from a Saudi-led coalition.
In recent months, the Houthis have widened their focus beyond Yemen’s borders, launching missile and drone attacks in solidarity with Palestinians, including a hypersonic missile strike on Lod Airport in occupied Yaffa—signaling a new phase in their regional engagement.
As regional tensions intensify, the Houthis stand as a key player in the shifting balance of power in the Middle East—a stark evolution from their modest beginnings in the mountains of Saada.
