Good evening. A few hours ago, Air Force jets attacked targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the Hudaydah port area in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks over the past nine months. Just minutes ago, the pilots landed and returned home safely. In recent months, the Houthis launched approximately 200 different aerial threats toward the State of Israel, funded, directed, and armed by Iran.

Casualty and Condolences

During an attack on an unmanned aerial vehicle yesterday, Evgeny Frader was killed. We extend our condolences to the family.

International Coalition Response

Most threats launched towards Israel from Yemen were intercepted or downed by an international coalition led by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and IDF forces in the air, sea, and land. I emphasize that there is no change in the Home Front Command’s policy. If there are changes, we will update accordingly.

Preparedness and Defense

Understand the defense and attack systems in the sea, air, and land, and we are ready on all fronts. However, the defense is not airtight, and it is essential to act according to the Home Front Command’s instructions.

Airstrike Details

Over 17 kilometers from here, our pilots attacked the Hudaydah port area in Yemen. We targeted the port area in its entirety, a supply route for transferring Iranian weapons from Iran to Yemen and a significant economic source for Houthi terrorism. In the port area, we attacked dual-use terror infrastructures, including energy infrastructures.

Complex and Long-Term Operations

This attack was one of the most complex and longest operations executed by the Israeli Air Force. It required meticulous planning and preparation for potential threats. Yemen is a large country, and only part of it is controlled by Houthi terrorism. We have no intention of attacking the Yemeni people; we are acting against Houthi terrorism.

Impact of Houthi Terrorism

In recent months, the Houthis, under Iranian guidance, have attacked dozens of ships, damaging global trade routes. Houthi terrorism is controlled and trained by Iran, threatening regional ports, the Suez Canal, and global commerce.

Israeli Stand Against Terrorism

This evening, the IDF attacked alone. Israel expects the world countries affected by Houthi terrorism, directed by Iran, to stand united against the terror threat the Houthis pose under Iranian direction. This is a shared international interest.

Defense Efforts and Future Challenges

Over the past nine months, we have defended against various threats in several arenas as part of the defense effort. Hundreds of threats were intercepted, most outside the country’s borders. The pilots, sailors, and air defense fighters have been working tirelessly since the beginning of the war to defend the country. This evening’s attack is not the end of the campaign. Iranian terrorism and its proxies will challenge us at all borders, requiring us to continue defending and acting wherever necessary.

Questions from the Media

Reporter: Hori Yitzhak, Channel 12 News

Q1: What has changed today after nine months of Houthi UAVs directed at Eilat? Is it because they suddenly targeted Tel Aviv that we are now attacking?

Q2: Would it not be more accurate to attack those who operate them, the Iranians, since their goal is for us to deal with Yemen and not with them?

IDF Spokesperson’s Response

We are in a multi-arena war. Over the past nine months, hundreds of threats have been launched at the State of Israel, many of them on the night of April 13. Many of these threats come almost daily, especially in the northern area, which poses a different challenge due to the shorter range. This is the first time in nine months that an Iranian UAV penetrated Israeli territory, killed a civilian, and injured people. This is a severe event, no matter where it occurred in Israel. The response is a cumulative response to everything that has happened over the past nine months.

Message to the Region

This is a message to all the countries in the region, all our enemies, and anyone who threatens us that the State of Israel knows how to act far away, as in this operation, “Long Arm,” and knows how to strike anyone who threatens it.