Houthi fighters have now become a direct target for Israel. On Monday, 25 August, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a major operation in Yemen with the objective of eliminating top Houthi leaders, including their military chief and even Yemen’s President. But despite heavy strikes, Israel failed to hit its intended targets. Instead, civilians lost their lives, while not a single senior Houthi commander was killed.

This failure has raised a sharp question: Why couldn’t Israel succeed against the Houthis, when it has previously carried out successful operations in places like Iran?

Why Israel Missed Its Target

1. Language and Codes a Big Barrier
   Houthis primarily communicate in Arabic, and often in coded dialects that even Mossad and CIA struggle to decode. Israeli intelligence officers are reportedly still being trained in advanced Arabic to improve real-time tracking. This makes intercepting Houthi communications extremely difficult.

2. Incomplete Ground Preparation
   Israel’s operations in Iran and against Hamas were the result of years of planning, infiltration, and detailed intelligence gathering. In Yemen, however, Israel’s spy networks are still in their early stages. According to Al Arabiya, Mossad agents are still mapping key Houthi locations for future strikes.

3. Hidden Leadership Structure
   Unlike Hamas or Iran-backed groups, the Houthis do not openly project their commanders. Apart from their military chief Al-Houthi, most leaders remain faceless and operate from the shadows. This makes targeted strikes nearly impossible, as there are no clear high-value individuals visible on the battlefield.

What Happened in the Operation

According to the Houthi Health Ministry, Israel struck three key sites on Monday:

• Near the Presidential Palace

• A power station in Sanaa

• A fuel storage facility

These strikes left four people dead, but none of them were senior Houthi commanders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded after the failed operation, saying: “The Houthis will have to pay the price. They are repeatedly launching missile attacks on innocent civilians.”