Press Briefing by IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari- July 20, 2024

Over the last nine months, the Houthi terrorist group, Iran's terror proxy in Yemen, has launched over 200 aerial attacks against Israeli civilians and infrastructure.

On Friday morning, in one of these UAV attacks, the Houthis fired an Iranian Explosive UAV from Yemen into Israeli territory. The UAV hit an apartment building in the center of Tel Aviv - near the US Embassy Branch Office in the city, killing an Israeli civilian, 50-year-old Yevgeny Ferder, and injuring several others.

The Houthi's attacks are acts of aggression, a violation of international law, and a threat to international peace and security.

Today, Israel has stepped up its actions in self-defense against these attacks. The Israeli Air Force conducted precise strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen. The military target was the Al Hudaydah Port, used by the Houthis as the main supply route for the transfer of Iranian weapons from Iran to Yemen, like the UAV itself that was used in the attack on Friday morning. In the area of the port, the Israeli Air Force struck dual-use infrastructure used for terrorist activities, including energy infrastructure. Israel's necessary and proportionate strikes were carried out in order to stop the Houthi's terror attacks.

However, this threat goes far beyond Israel. The Houthis target other countries in the Middle East, the United States of America, and the world with their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, and not just the Red Sea. Who is behind the Houthis? One country, Iran. The Iranian regime funds, arms, and directs the Houthi's terror activity.

Israel is fighting a multi-front war against Iran's aggression proxies Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen.

The international maritime coalition, led by CENTCOM, as well as the IDF, have stopped many of those Houthi attacks in recent months. We see a common interest for all countries attacked by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorism to stand together against this threat.

Today, this was an IDF-only action. I wanna repeat it: today, this was an IDF-only action. We will continue to defend the people of Israel from all threats near and far.