Brig. Gen. Yahya al-Sari’, the military spokesman of the Houthis.
Yemen is launching a military operation against Israel, Yahya Saria, a representative of Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, claimed during his briefing on October 31. The military operation is aimed at supporting “the oppressed Palestinian people and their militant resistance.”
Ansar Allah clarified that the first strike on the enemy has already been launched. On the same day, the Yemeni Houthis claimed responsibility for launching attack UAVs on southern Israel. They promised to continue the attacks, confirming the launch of at least three waves of drones and ballistic missiles.
Earlier on October 31, the Israeli military said that it used the Hetz (Arrow3) air defense system to intercept a surface-to-surface missile launched toward the country from the “Red Sea region” for the first time since the escalation of the conflict.
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The IDF stated that the Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted a surface-to-surface missile over the Red Sea. Radio Kan reported that a drone launched from Yemen towards Israel had been shot down over the Red Sea.
Israeli media reported that the ballistic missile targeted the southern Israeli city of Eilat. For the first time in recent years, the resort town of Eilat has become a target for missiles. In addition, IDF fighter jets shot down two more air targets this morning, presumably drones, in the Red Sea area.
All threats were intercepted outside the territory of the State of Israel. There was no invasion of the country’s territory – the IDF said in a statement.
Earlier, on Friday, October 27, the IDF reported that Israeli Air Force fighters intercepted another air target over the Red Sea, apparently a drone launched towards the Jewish state by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The incident occurred shortly after a drone crashed in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Taba, injuring six people. Taba is located on the border with Israel and about ten kilometers from Eilat.
In mid-October, Houthi leader warned that the group would launch drones and missiles if the US intervened directly in the war between Israel and Hamas. On October 19, a US destroyer in the Red Sea intercepted missiles and drones fired from Yemen.
