Israel’s targeted strike on the leadership of Yemen’s Houthi movement has opened a new chapter in an already volatile regional confrontation. The operation, which eliminated senior figures within the group—including ministers and military officials—was described by observers as one of the most significant blows dealt to the Houthis in recent years. Beyond the loss of individual commanders, the strike was a deliberate attempt to weaken the group’s governing capacity by hitting the civilian-military cabinet that manages its day-to-day operations. By choosing this layer of leadership, Israel signaled that it was not only responding to cross-border fire but also trying to undermine the Houthis’ ability to function as a governing force inside Yemen.
The Houthis, who have declared themselves part of the “axis of resistance” alongside Hamas and Hezbollah, have been vocal supporters of Gaza since the beginning of the war on Oct. 7. Their leaders repeatedly promised to target Israel, framing their involvement as an act of solidarity with Palestinians. Over the past year, the group has launched dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel, most intercepted by air defenses or falling short over the Red Sea. Naval attacks on shipping lanes in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait further underlined their regional role as Iran’s southern proxy.
What makes the latest developments notable is that, for the first time, the Houthis managed to strike inside a functioning Israeli airport. The drone attack on Ramon Airport near Eilat came just months after the group narrowly missed Ben Gurion International Airport, when one projectile fell close to its outer terminal zone. Until now, Israeli officials had described Houthi fire as harassing and disruptive but not strategically threatening. The successful strike inside Ramon’s perimeter—though limited in damage—changes the psychological equation by proving that Israel’s air defense umbrella is not impermeable.
While some celebrated the Israeli strike as a decapitation of the Houthi leadership, analysts caution that its impact may be more nuanced.
“The damage of the Operation Drop of Luck was very intense and significant on the Houthis. If we talk about the elimination of 11 ministers, including a prime minister, a head of state, a head of the army, let’s say it was a big blow,” Laura Silvia Battaglia, an Italian journalist and Yemeni expert, told The Media Line.
The Houthis are organized and compact. First of all, they have a huge clan structure, especially quantitatively. They also have a ‘magic circle’ that surrounds the Abdulmalik family, which remains extremely cohesive.
Yet she stressed that the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, retain deep-rooted resilience. “Obviously, the Houthis are organized and compact. First of all, they have a huge clan structure, especially quantitatively. They also have a ‘magic circle’ that surrounds the Abdulmalik family, which remains extremely cohesive,” Battaglia explained.
This structural strength, she argued, means that Israel’s elimination of political figures drawn largely from middle-class clans may consolidate even more Abdulmalik al-Houthi’s aristocratic inner circle. “The Israeli attacks didn’t hit the aristocratic circle within Ansar Allah’s political party, instead people with a lower social status and those coming generally from the General People’s Congress, so this empowered Abdulmalik’s inner circle even more,” she said.
“Aside from that, as Israel has done on other occasions with Hamas or Hezbollah, its actions will make the militia’s ideology and response even stronger and intransigent within the country,” she added.
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From an Israeli security perspective, the strike created new dilemmas rather than resolving old ones.
The strike was significant, and in my view it deepens existing cracks within an already troubled regime while also creating new dilemmas for its decision-makers
“While some contend that Israel has eliminated the Houthi leadership and others argue that those killed were merely figureheads rather than part of Abdulmalik’s inner circle, the truth likely lies somewhere in between,” Ari Heistein, a research fellow at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told The Media Line. “The strike was significant, and in my view it deepens existing cracks within an already troubled regime while also creating new dilemmas for its decision-makers,” he added.
The Houthis’ response came quickly. Drones were launched against Israeli territory for days after the operation, with one striking Ramon Airport in Eilat. While the damage was limited, the incident raised concern about evolving tactics.
“The strike yesterday on Ramon Airport does not appear to stem from any technological breakthrough but rather from a new tactic to evade air defenses. Once employed, such a tactic can be studied and countered. At best, it represents a small tactical win for the group, which seeks symbolic successes to create a sense of momentum, especially when it is otherwise stuck in a strategic spot,” Heistein noted.
Battaglia emphasized that beyond the battlefield, the Houthis use such attacks to bolster their image and project strength. “These attacks have the function of galvanizing the population, of continuing to give an image to the outside that they side with Gaza since the beginning. This contributes to show that their foreign policy goes forward, without ifs and buts, and that they are willing to pay the consequences,” she said.
For the Houthis, the message is twofold: deterrence abroad and legitimacy at home.
“The Houthis’ primary goal in this attack is to justify their existence domestically while deterring their enemies abroad,” Heistein explained. “The group fears that a combination of growing public resentment in Yemen and a perception of weakness, especially after serious blows such as the targeting of its cabinet, could prove fatal to its regime,” he added.
The group fears that a combination of growing public resentment in Yemen and a perception of weakness
At the heart of the Houthis’ ability to sustain their military operations lies Iran. Tehran’s support has long been documented by international monitors.
“Houthi military industries remain heavily dependent on Iran for ballistic missile components and, to a lesser extent, drone parts. The latest U.N. Panel of Experts report on Yemen mentions Iran about 500 times in connection with weapons smuggling, documenting large-scale violations of the U.N. Security Council arms embargo,” Heistein noted. “At the same time, Houthi leaders are working to indigenize military industrial capabilities, and we should be extremely concerned by this ambitious aim,” he added.
Battaglia agreed that Iranian assistance remains critical, pointing out that “the Iranians continue to send military-type resources, which are smuggled through the coasts. Coasts that are not only located in the north of Yemen but also in the south,” she noted.
Looking ahead, Israeli officials have signaled that further retaliation is possible. The rhetoric from both sides suggests that escalation could intensify. As Battaglia warned, “Israel has clearly manifested the intention of striking strongly the Houthis after the hit on the airport and the ongoing drone attacks, so for sure the retaliation is near,” she concluded.
For now, the Houthi leadership appears wounded but not broken, drawing strength from Iran’s backing and their entrenched clan structure. Israel’s strategy of targeted killings may succeed in inflicting pain, but whether it can deter a group that thrives on projecting defiance remains an open question.