On July 20, the Israeli air force attacked the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, controlled by the Yemeni militia, Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis. Local media reported a large explosion at a fuel storage facility and a power plant and the death of at least six people. The air raid came in retaliation for the long-range drone launched from Yemeni territory that struck Tel Aviv on July 19, killing one person.

The Houthi attack achieved a technological and symbolic victory, as the group managed to penetrate Israeli territory, dodging the Israeli air defence system and inflicting damage for the first time since the start of the hostilities in October 2023. Israel’s decision to retaliate against civilian infrastructure instead of military targets is a sign that the tensions in the Red Sea region may escalate into an all-out conflict.

These developments demonstrate not only the failure of the United States’ bombing campaign to deter and degrade the Houthis’ capability of attacking Israel and Red Sea shipping, but also the US’s inability to prevent a regional war – its declared top diplomatic priority since October 2023.

The Houthis’ attack on Israel came at the nine-month mark of the start of their intervention on the side of Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups fighting the Israeli occupation forces. On October 19, they........

© Al Jazeera