July 2024 Houthi–Israel attacks

On 19 July 2024, Houthi militants in Yemen performed a drone attack on Israel, hitting an apartment building near the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel's economic center in Ben Yehuda Street. The drone strike killed one person in his apartment building, and injured 10 others. The drone was spotted but not intercepted due to what Israel attributed to human error, with the Houthis asserting that they had developed a drone with the ability to evade the Iron Dome. The air raid siren was also not activated.

The attack is reportedly the first successful one by the Houthis to hit its target, with previous attempts being intercepted by either Israeli defenses or Western allies located in the region.

The following day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded with an attack on Hudaydah Port in Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The attack damaged a power generating station, an oil refinery, fuel storage facilities belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Corporation (YPC), and port cranes. Israel claimed it targeted weapon storage facilities. 14 people were killed, including 12 port employees and more than 90 were injured, many with severe burns.

The attack was codenamed by the IDF as Operation Outstretched Arm (Hebrew: מבצע יד ארוכה). Houthi officials condemned the Israeli bombing of Al Hudaydah, promised retaliation, and said that this would "increase our determination to stop the genocide in Gaza".

The operation marks the first time Israel directly attacked Yemen. It used F-15 and F-35I jet fighters, along with Boeing 707 jets for aerial refueling. Commentators have noted the significance of the operation, emphasizing that it involved targets 1,700 kilometers from Israel, approximately 200 kilometers farther than Tehran, showcasing the extended reach of Israeli military operations.