Israel preparing for massive strike on Houthis in Yemen: report

The IDF failed to intercept a Houthi missile that reached Israel on Friday, with the projectile said to be carrying cluster munitions.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel is preparing for a large-scale strike against the Yemen-based Houthis, compiling an extensive list of targets aimed at finally halting the aerial attacks by the terror group that have repeatedly plagued Israel since October 7.

A political source told the Hebrew-language outlet Walla that Israel has decided to escalate its campaign, intensifying efforts to strike key Houthi military and infrastructure sites.

According to the source, the IDF recently attempted to assassinate Houthi Chief of Staff Muhammad Abdel Karim al-Roumari while he was meeting with senior officials, but the commander narrowly escaped.

For nearly two years, Houthi missile attacks have forced millions of Israelis into bomb shelters, often in the middle of the night. Despite numerous retaliatory strikes on Houthi infrastructure in Yemen, the Iranian-backed group has continued its campaign undeterred.

On Friday evening, the Houthis launched a ballistic missile they claimed was aimed at Ben Gurion Airport — a target they successfully struck in May.

Hebrew-language media reported that the latest projectile was not intercepted by Israeli defenses. Systems including THAAD, Arrow-3, and David’s Sling allegedly failed to successfully destroy the missile.

The missile reportedly disintegrated mid-air, but fragments hit a home near Ben Gurion Airport. The IDF is investigating whether the missile contained cluster munitions, a weapon frequently used by Iran during the June war to target Israeli civilian communities.

If confirmed, it would mark a clear escalation in the Houthis’ campaign and the threat posed to Israeli civilians.

The source also said that Operation Rough Rider — an American-led effort to stop Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping — had not achieved its goals. Despite more than 1,000 U.S. airstrikes in Yemen and the deaths of hundreds of Houthi operatives, the campaign was ultimately abandoned.

According to the source, President Donald Trump ended the operation through diplomatic negotiations, as he believed the campaign was too expensive and ineffective.

Trump, the source said, “preferred to cut his losses and stop the operation,” closing the chapter with the Houthis through mediation rather than military victory.