The military and strategic expert, Colonel Hatem Karim Al -Falahi, said that the pace of the missile attacks carried out by the Houthis against Israel has become a real confusion at the military and political levels, and at the same time reflects a qualitative development in the operational capabilities of the Ansar Allah group.
Al -Falahi added – in his analysis of the military scene – that the launch of 41 missiles since the war resumes the Gaza Strip in mid -March, as well as 10 drones, revealing a gradual and studied escalation in the combat performance of the Houthis unprecedented since their interference in the conflict began.
He pointed out that the Houthis went through successive escalation stages that began to impose a naval ban on ships heading towards Israel, then they moved to targeting military ships, including American ships, leading to the bombing of the Israeli depth with long -range missiles and marches.
Al -Falahi’s statements came hours after the Israeli army announced his interception of a missile fired from Yemen towards the center of the country, which is the second attack of its kind in less than 3 hours, after a similar missile was launched targeting the Jerusalem area, according to the official account.
The Israeli home front announced the activation of the sirens in the central areas of Israel and some settlements in the West Bank, in a development that reflects the width of the Houthi bombing and its impact on the Israeli home front.
Colonel Al -Falahi explained that the nature of these missiles, which bears names such as “Palestine 2” and “Zulfiqar”, as well as the drones “Jaffa” and “Eid”, indicate the extent of the development of the military industry among the Houthis, and their ability to deliver their fire to sensitive areas in the Israeli depth.
Security confusion and psychological effects
He pointed out that these missiles do not only cause security confusion, but also deported profound psychological effects, as millions of Israelis are forced to go to refugees, which increases the pressure of internal public opinion and causes a state of collective fear.
He added that the Israeli air defense systems, despite their diversity, such as the Iron Dome, “Hayt 2”, “Hayt 3” and “David’s Silence”, suffer from serious challenges in dealing with this new type of threats, especially with targeting of thousands of kilometers.
He explained that the “Hayt 2” and “Hayt 3” systems specifically are considered the most advanced in addressing ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere, and their range reaches about 2,400 km, but the density of release makes the defense response expensive and stressful.
He also pointed out that the economic impact is no less dangerous, as these attacks resulted in the reluctance of a number of international airlines to run trips to Israel, which is reflected in the image of Tel Aviv’s economic and political image in front of the international community.
Al -Falahi considered that the arrival of some missiles to areas near Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, as happened earlier, represented a security shock and pushing the Israeli military establishment to amend the way they deal with these threats and increase coordination between the various defense systems.
Expanding the engagement area
Al -Falahi believes that the Houthis succeeded in expanding the engagement area and installing a new deterrent equation, which reflects a qualitative shift in their strategy, and a clear message that their battle is no longer limited to Yemen or the Red Sea, but rather includes the Israeli depth itself.
In solidarity with Gaza, the Houthi group regularly targets Israel, especially Ben Gurion International Airport, which prompted many airlines to suspend its operations in Israel.
Israel launched raids on Yemen, one of them on May 6, and damaged the main airport in the capital, Sanaa, and killed a number of Yemeni civilians.
However, Ansar Allah group continued to launch missiles at the Israeli depth and target the ships of Israel and those associated with them in the Red Sea.
The group connects the endowment of its attacks on Israel by stopping the extermination war launched by the occupation on the Gaza Strip with American support since the seventh of October 2023.
