Yemen's Ansarullah Claims Drone Attack on Israel; Israel Denies

The Ansarullah group of Yemen, known as the Houthis and supported by the Islamic Republic, claimed on Wednesday night that they carried out extensive drone attacks on the Eilat region in Israel. However, the Israeli army did not confirm such an attack. According to the Times of Israel, the Houthi group stated in a statement: "The armed forces of Yemen launched numerous drones towards several targets in Israel in the past hours and reached their objectives, and they will continue their military operations in support of the Palestinian people." Hizam Al-Asad, a member of the political office of the Iranian-backed Houthis, wrote in Hebrew and Arabic on X: "Beyond Eilat." The Israeli army, however, did not confirm this claim and stated that no air raid sirens had sounded in Eilat. The Ansarullah group took responsibility for the attack with drones and ballistic missiles against Israel, while the Israeli army announced that it intercepted and destroyed a ground-to-ground missile that had been fired towards Israeli territory. Following the Houthi attacks, the Israeli army announced on Wednesday that it had deployed its missile boats in the Red Sea as a reinforcement force. The Houthis, who are part of the Iranian-backed "Axis of Resistance," stated that they are "behind the Palestinians" and have opened a new front against Israel following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7. The Iranian Foreign Minister warned on Friday, October 27, during a meeting with the UN Secretary-General about the "possibility of expanding the war and opening new fronts in the region" against Israel. Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, stated in an interview with ABC News aired on Sunday, October 29, that the U.S. will continue to respond to attacks from the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxy groups. The Biden administration removed the Houthis from its list of terrorist organizations in 2021, with proponents of their removal arguing that labeling the group as terrorist could exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and complicate aid distribution in Houthi-controlled areas. The group was designated as a terrorist organization during Donald Trump's presidency. The leader of the Israeli Labor Party in the Knesset stated: "We have no hostility towards the Iranian people; the regime seeks the annihilation of Israel."