Israel: Yemen Houthis Claim Responsibility for Drone Attack on Port Eliat

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Facts

  • Houthi forces in Yemen on Tuesday claimed to have launched drone assaults against the Israeli port city of Eilat and missiles at the MSC United VIII sailing through the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. The group has ramped up attacks in recent weeks to put pressure on Israel to halt conflict in Gaza.1
  • The spokesman for the Houthi movement Ansar Allah, Yahya Saree, told the Al Masirah television channel that the Houthi air force had carried out a massive drone attack on sensitive facilities in the southern city of Eilat.2
  • The US Central Command said that 12 one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles and two land attack cruise missiles fired by the Houthis had been intercepted over a 10-hour period. Shortly before, the Israel Defense Forces reported the downing of a 'hostile aerial target.'3
  • Additionally, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two explosions early in the day close to a commercial cargo ship in the southern end of the Red Sea, around 50 nautical miles west of Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, which is under control of the Houthis.4
  • The Houthis have reportedly carried out over 100 missile and drone strikes on commercial ships, causing significant disruptions and forcing several shipping companies to redirect their vessels to the longer and more costly route around the Cape of Good Hope in the southern tip of Africa. 5
  • Eilat Port's CEO Gideon Golber told Reuters last week that an 85% decrease in total activity has been seen since Houthi militants disrupted the key trade route through the Bab al-Mandab Strait — the main shipping route to the port that primarily handles car imports and potash exports from the Dead Sea.6

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2TASS, 3The Times of Israel, 4XINHUA, 5Morning Star and 6Reuters.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Mehr News Agency. Yemeni Houthis have carried out military operations against ships bound for the Israeli-occupied territories through the Red Sea in a direct response to the relentless and unlawful Israeli war against the Palestinian people in Gaza. If the US and its allies continue their move towards a coalition response against the Yemeni forces, they should expect both military and prestige defeats.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Haaretz.com. Though there's indeed a risk that a forceful response may escalate regional tensions to the point that Iran and its other proxy groups could engage in the conflict, Houthi rebels have left the US and its allies with very few options to protect commercial shipping. If the defensive task force and diplomacy fail to deter further attacks, a more offensive approach to the Houthis will be required.

Predictions