Israel Strikes Yemen, Lebanon After Tel Aviv Drone Attack

Facts

• Israel conducted airstrikes on Yemen, Lebanon, and Gaza in quick succession on Saturday, a day after Yemen's Houthi rebels carried out a suspected drone attack on Tel Aviv that killed one person.¹
• Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said its fighter jets struck on Yemen's Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah — killing three and injuring over 80 people, according to Houthi-linked press.²
• Following Saturday's strike, the Israel Defense Forces said it shot down a missile fired by the Houthi rebels toward the southern Israeli city of Eilat early Sunday, adding that 'the projectile did not cross into Israeli territory.'³
• Meanwhile, Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon, targeting two suspected depots storing ammunition, including rockets, allegedly belonging to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Hezbollah said it had launched 'dozens of Katyusha rockets' on Israel to retaliate against the strike that reportedly injured at least six civilians.⁴
• According to the health ministry in Gaza, at least 64 Palestinians were killed and 105 others were injured in Israeli attacks across the Strip in the past 24 hours, while rescue operation is underway to find survivors among people trapped under debris.⁵
• The attacks come after the International Court of Justice said on Friday that Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories — namely the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza — was 'unlawful' and labeled its policies in the territories as 'de facto annexation.' Israel dismissed the ruling as 'absurd.'⁶

Sources: ¹Dw.Com, ²BBC News, ³Timesofisrael, ⁴Voice of America, ⁵Aa and ⁶Verity.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Timesofisrael. The Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas are part of an Iran-backed axis of resistance conspiring to wipe out the state of Israel. Saturday's strikes makes it clear to its enemies that Israel will defend itself by all means, strike any force that endangers its citizens, and ensure that anyone who dares to attack the country will have to pay through their nose for their aggression.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. It's incomprehensible that Israel could simultaneously bomb multiple countries and cast the attacks on innocent civilians as a warning to emboldened adversaries around the Middle East without a peep from the international community. Saturday's deadly strikes signal a further expansion of Israel's illegal war in Gaza — the West must finally begin questioning its seemingly unending support for an occupier.

Predictions