Yemen's Houthis launch third rocket barrage at Israel

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebel group has broadcast a video showing what it said were missiles and drones fired toward Israel on Tuesday, as Israel ramped up its naval presence in the Red Sea.

The Houthi group’s "Yemeni war media" video was first broadcast on their Al-Masirah satellite channel, and then shared widely on social media.

It shows about 15 missiles and 30 drones being launched both during daytime and at night. A Palestinian flag flutters in the foreground. 

"Death to America, death to Israel," chants could also be heard towards the end of the video.

عمليات مشتركة للقوة الصاروخية اليمنية وسلاح الجو المسير على أهداف في عمق الكيان الإسرائيلي في فلسطين pic.twitter.com/HWI6Tc54YN

— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) November 1, 2023

On Tuesday, Israel said it intercepted "several" drone and rocket attacks over the Red Sea coming from Yemen and another late at night. None of the aerial munitions entered Israeli territory.

In a statement published in English on his page on X, formerly Twitter, Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare'e said the missiles and drones were fired "at various targets of the Israeli enemy in the occupied territories".

He said this was the third operation carried out against Israel, vowing to carry out more attacks until Israel stops its aggression against the Palestinians.

pic.twitter.com/LgJIOAYheo

— Yahya Sare'e (@Yahya_Saree) October 31, 2023

In response to Tuesday’s attacks, the Israeli army announced it was sending more navy missile boats to the Red Sea "in accordance with the assessment of the situation, and as part of the increased defence efforts in the area", as quoted by Israeli media.

The Israeli army shared images of the vessels patrolling the Red Sea on X.

בהתאם להערכת המצב וכחלק מתגבור מאמץ ההגנה במרחב, ספינות טילים של זרוע הים הגיעו אתמול למרחב ים סוף pic.twitter.com/UCrQl3bUTO

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) November 1, 2023

On 17 October, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi denounced Saudi Arabia - with which it has been locked in a years-long conflict - for ignoring calls to allow a land, air, and sea passage for Yemeni fighters to move to Palestine.

Hamas carried out a surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October, killing an estimated 1,400 Israelis, and capturing over 200 others.

Israel has since unleashed a ruthless and indiscriminate bombing campaign of the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of people every day. 8,796 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza as of 1 November, most of them women and children.

Entire neighbourhoods have been levelled and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, amid calls by some nations for a ceasefire.

Iran has previously warned that its regional allies could get involved in the Gaza war. US forces in Iraq and Syria have already been targeted several times in recent days, and cross-border skirmishes between Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Israel have not stopped since 7 October.