Israeli Strikes on Yemen Fail? Houthis Laugh Off ‘Useless’ Attack!
Israeli airstrikes on Houthi targets in Sanaa killed six and injured dozens, but Yemeni opposition figures argue they’re ineffective without targeting Houthi leaders, who use the attacks to bolster their narrative. The Houthis, undeterred, vow to continue supporting Gaza, while a local newspaper dismisses Israel’s efforts as futile amid ongoing regional tensions.
Israeli airstrikes targeting Houthi military infrastructure in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on August 24, 2025, have sparked mixed reactions, with opposition voices dismissing the attacks as futile unless they target Houthi leadership. The strikes, which hit a military site near the presidential palace, the Adar and Hizaz power plants, and a fuel storage facility, killed six and injured 86, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. Despite dramatic scenes of fire and thick black smoke rising over Sanaa, a Yemeni opposition figure argued the strikes missed their mark. “If the attack doesn’t hit the Houthi leadership, it’s useless and has little impact. The Houthis are merely an Iranian tail. The last thing they care about is the Yemeni people, their infrastructure, or their economy,” the figure stated, emphasizing that the Houthis exploit such attacks to rally support by claiming, “Israel is attacking you and your interests, while we remain unscathed.”
A Yemeni newspaper headline declared, “The (Zionist) entity, a thread of smoke,” framing the strikes as a “desperate attempt against Sanaa’s missile power.” The article described the attacks as targeting civilian facilities, causing intense fires and civilian casualties, while asserting, “Tel Aviv is chasing a false victory image in Sanaa after failing to achieve real military gains.” Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti vowed resilience, stating, “The Israeli attack on Yemen won’t deter us from supporting Gaza, no matter the cost.” The strikes followed a Houthi missile launch toward Israel, described by the Israeli military as the first cluster bomb attack since 2023, intercepted before impact.
The Houthis, backed by Iran since their 2014 takeover of Sanaa, have launched over 400 missiles and drones at Israel since October 2023, often citing solidarity with Palestinians. Israel’s long-range strikes, conducted over 1,000 miles from its borders, aim to disrupt Houthi military capabilities and Iranian arms smuggling but risk exacerbating Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, with 21.6 million people needing aid. The opposition’s call to target Houthi leaders echoes Israel’s strategy against other Iranian proxies like Hezbollah, suggesting a need for precision to weaken the group’s command structure.