Objective – Catch them off guard: How the IDF’s deception tactic worked against the Houthis

An attack in Yemen following the ballistic missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport was preplanned by the IDF and the Israeli Air Force (IAF) as two separate strikes carried out over the course of a day and a half, Kan 11 News reported on Tuesday evening.

The goal was to deceive the Houthi rebels and catch them off guard. The operational concept was to make the Houthis believe that after Monday’s strike on Hodeidah Port, Israel had concluded its response. However, the arrival of IAF jets in Yemen during daylight – a highly unusual time for an airstrike – one day later, was a surprise.

The strike on Sana'a International Airport was considered complex not only due to the distance but also because it targeted a location deep inside Yemen, where the Houthis possess some air defense systems. This made it a more challenging operation than previous strikes on coastal cities like Hodeidah and Ras Issa.

“The Houthis threatened to impose an aerial blockade on us, and we destroyed two of their major ports – aerial and maritime,” security sources told Kan News. Yemen is now effectively under blockade.

Earlier in the evening, the IDF confirmed that the Israeli Air Force struck and destroyed Houthi infrastructure at and around Sana’a International Airport, the capital’s main airport. The strikes rendered the airport completely inoperative and were part of Israel’s response to the Houthi missile that struck Ben Gurion Airport two days ago.

This marked the seventh time Israel has struck Yemen since the war began, and the second consecutive day of attacks – following Monday's airstrikes around Hodeidah Port. The IDF stated the operation was named “Standing Tall.” According to Arab media reports, there were power outages across most of Sana’a due to the strikes.

The airport, like Hodeidah Port, which was hit the previous night, is used by the Houthis to transfer weapons and operatives and operates regularly for terror-related purposes. In addition, several key power stations in the Sana’a area – used by the Houthis as vital energy infrastructure – were also targeted.

The Al-Amran cement factory, located north of Sana’a, was also attacked. It serves as a crucial resource for building the Houthis’ tunnels and military infrastructure. The IDF emphasized, “The strikes were conducted in a precise manner with precautionary measures taken, where possible, to minimize harm to civilians and civilian property.” The operation was approved by IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.

Monday’s strike on Hodeidah and the Ben Gurion hit

The IAF also struck Yemen on Monday in an operation called “Port City.” According to reports from Yemen, two people were killed and 42 injured in strikes on a cement factory in Bajil.

According to the IDF, the targets included mainly the Hodeidah seaport, a key income source for the Houthi regime. The port is used to transfer Iranian weapons, military equipment, and other terror-related supplies. Also targeted was the Bajil cement factory, east of Hodeidah, an important economic asset supporting the Houthi regime’s tunnel and military infrastructure efforts.

About 20 fighter jets participated in the attack, launching 50 munitions at dozens of targets. The IDF spokesperson confirmed that the IAF “struck targets belonging to the Houthi terror regime in and around the Hodeidah seaport.”

Before this recent wave of strikes, Israel had attacked Yemen five times: the first in July, the second in September, two strikes in December, and the last one in January.

On Sunday morning, a surface-to-surface missile was launched from Yemen toward Israel and struck Ben Gurion Airport. Air defense systems, including Israel’s Arrow defense system and the American-made THAAD system, failed to intercept the missile, which left a crater about 15 meters (50 feet) deep at the airport site.

As a result of the impact, eight people were injured, most of them lightly. According to Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services, the casualties included a 50-year-old man in mild-to-moderate condition with limb injuries, two women aged 54 and 38 with mild blast injuries, a 64-year-old man mildly injured by a flying object, a 22-year-old woman and a 34-year-old woman who were injured on their way to a shelter, and two individuals suffering from anxiety. Several airlines have subsequently announced flight suspensions or cancellations to Israel.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the launch, saying, “We successfully hit the target with Allah’s help.”

Saree warned international airlines against continuing flights to Israel and stressed, “Ben Gurion Airport is not safe for air traffic.”