Unclear if Israel will respond to the Houthi missile attack, sources tell 'Post'

It is unclear if or when Israel will respond to the Yemen Houthi ballistic missile attack on Israel on Sunday, sources have told or indicated to The Jerusalem Post.

The ballistic missile was shot down outside of Israeli territory and no Israelis were killed or wounded directly from the missile, but some shrapnel did land in certain central areas and a small number of persons got injured rushing for shelter.

The missile set off warning sirens for almost all of the Center since it was unclear exactly where it might hit if it had penetrated the country’s air defense.

Because no one was killed or wounded; because Israel is trying to wrap up a ceasefire with Hezbollah and is then hoping to wrap up a deal with Hamas; because Yemen is more than 1,800 km. away; and because some of Israel’s grand strategy for the region is waiting for US President-elect Donald Trump to enter the White House on January 20, there are no signs whatsoever to date of an Israeli response.

If Yemen does not attack again, Israel might choose not to respond at all.

Compare and contrast

Unlike the other two instances when the Houthis attacked in July and September and top Israeli officials quickly vowed a response, here officials were largely silent.

In contrast, almost every significant official commented on the need to respond harshly to two mortars Hezbollah fired into the Golan Heights on Monday, which objectively speaking were far less threatening.

Moreover, the cost of shooting down ballistic missiles can be as high as $2 million to $3m. per interceptor when the Arrow 2 or 3 is used, given that the Iron Dome cannot shoot down ballistic missiles.

On September 29, the IDF undertook a massive strike against the Houthis, one that greatly exceeded the massive strike on Hodeidah in July, sources told the Post ahead of an IDF announcement about the attack.

Dozens of Israeli aircraft, including F-15I fighter planes, participated in the operation, striking 1,800 km. from Israeli territory after the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles on the Tel Aviv and central Israel areas earlier in September.

The Houthi Health Ministry said the attack resulted in the deaths of four fighters and the wounding of 29, without any attempt to distinguish between Houthi members and civilians.

According to Hezbollah-affiliated outlet Al Mayadeen and confirmed by the IDF,  the targets of the strikes were oil reserves in Ras Issa and the port of Hodeidah.

Additional targets included power plants and a seaport used to import oil, which the Houthis used to transfer Iranian weapons to the region, in addition to military supplies and oil, the IDF reported.

“Israeli aggression targets the city of Hodeidah,” Houthi-owned Lebanese media Al Masirah posted.

The IDF noted that the Houthis have cooperated with Iraqi militias, who are Iranian proxies, to attack.

Pressed, multiple military sources implied in September that Israel was still trying to avoid directly striking these militias. This is done to prevent unnecessarily complicating the situation in that country for the US, which Jerusalem hopes can maintain its influence there.

The military said it was impressive that the air force had managed such a large and complex operation while also attacking Israel’s adversaries in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and elsewhere – all in the last 16 hours.

At the time, IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, and defense minister Yoav Gallant all congratulated the pilots and vowed that Israel’s long arm would strike any enemies who continued to harass the Jewish state.

The terror group has launched many ballistic missiles and drones at Eilat. In July, a drone from the Houthis killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.

This led to the first Israeli airstrikes in July targeting oil-refining facilities in Hodeidah, as well as Yemeni air force assets, to disrupt the transport of Iranian weapons to Yemen. Reports indicate that those strikes resulted in the deaths or injuries of dozens of people.

Until July, the IDF had outsourced responses to the Houthis to the US, which was fighting the group over various maritime aggression issues. However, after the Houthis killed a civilian in Tel Aviv, the Jewish state struck back directly for the first time.

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.