The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa on September 25, targeting the Iran-backed terror group’s military and economic infrastructure. The Houthi-controlled health ministry claims that the strikes killed eight people and injured 142, but the IDF believes more Houthi fighters were killed. The airstrikes were a response to a Houthi drone that hit a shopping center in Eilat, Israel, injuring more than 20 people the day before. It was the third successful Houthi drone attack on Israel in September 2025.
The Israeli attack hit seven targets using about 20 jets and more than 65 munitions. The IDF released a target list that included “Houthi General Staff Command HQ, Security & Intelligence compounds, Military public relations HQ, Military camps where weapons & operatives.” The strikes also hit a power station.
“We have now delivered a powerful strike on numerous terror targets of the Houthi terror organization in Sana’a as part of Operation ‘Passing Package.’ Air Force aircraft attacked several military camps, including a camp of the Houthi General Staff, eliminated dozens of Houthi terror operatives, and destroyed stockpiles of UAVs and weaponry,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said. Israel has struck similar infrastructure in the recent past, but the emphasis on UAV-related targets is likely in response to the recent Houthi attacks on Eilat.
The Association of Mothers of Abductees, a Yemeni human rights organization that has advocated for arbitrarily detained individuals, issued an appeal expressing “deep concern and strong condemnation over reports that the Security and Intelligence Prison and its surrounding areas, along with other detention facilities in Sana’a, were subjected to heavy airstrikes this afternoon, Thursday, September 25.” Individuals, arbitrarily and illegally detained by the Houthis, including potentially humanitarian workers, according to Yemen expert Mohammed al Basha, are held in prisons in compounds run by the Security & Intelligence Services. The Association of Mothers of Abductees’ statement also lamented the lack of information that families have about their loved ones’ well-being. The Houthis routinely prevent families from communicating with detained individuals.
The IDF conducted the attack while a speech from Houthi leader Abdulmalik al Houthi was airing. In the speech, Houthi claimed that the Houthis targeted a ship that he alleged violated the group’s ban on Israeli-linked vessels and those doing business with Israel. On September 23, a ship off the coast of Aden in southern Yemen reported noises consistent with an attack near the vessel.
In response to the Israeli strikes, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport that triggered sirens in the center of the country and was successfully intercepted.
The Houthis have launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, commercial shipping, and US forces, claiming these attacks are carried out in solidarity with Gazans during Israel’s war in the territory following the Hamas-led terror attacks on October 7, 2023.
In July 2024, a Houthi drone struck Tel Aviv, killing one and injuring 19. The Houthis have also attempted to enforce naval and air blockades of Israel by frequently launching missiles at Ben Gurion International Airport and attacking merchant ships connected to Israel. The United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom have all carried out airstrikes against the Houthis in response to the group’s Red Sea terrorism that threatens global shipping.
