Israel claims to have acted alone in the bombing of civilian sites at Yemen’s Hodeidah Port, which resulted in the deaths of at least nine people and injuries to 87 others. Despite these claims, evidence suggests that the United States may have had prior knowledge of the attack.
On July 19, Yemen launched its new ‘Yafa’ drone, successfully targeting a heavily guarded street in Tel Aviv. This strike killed an Israeli reserve soldier and wounded 10 others. The incident has been likened to the “October 7 of Israeli Air Defenses” by Hebrew media outlet Calcalist, highlighting the failure to neutralize the threat.
A furious Israel swiftly retaliated the next day, targeting civilian sites in Yemen’s Hodeidah Port. The attack, described as a “show” for Israeli domestic consumption, aimed at blasting electrical infrastructure and fuel tankers, igniting a massive fire. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated,
The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear… The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required.”
While the United States claimed not to have participated in the attack, they offered diplomatic support, stating, “We fully recognize and acknowledge Israel’s right to self-defense.” American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed Washington’s “ironclad” support for Israel. Unnamed Yemeni sources told Al-Mayadeen News that the attack was likely coordinated with the United States; however, MintPress News could not confirm this information from official sources.
Considering the logistics of the Israeli operation, which involved F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft, and refueling planes, it is improbable that the United States was unaware. Additionally, if the attack originated from Israeli airfields targeting sites nearly 2,000 kilometers away, the strike group would likely have had to traverse Egyptian or Saudi Arabian airspace to execute their mission, dubbed ‘Outstretched Arm.’
Reports from the Israeli media suggest that there was an Italian effort in refueling Israeli fighter jets. This aligns with the fact that the Italian and Israeli air forces conducted a joint drill in 2022, dubbed ‘Lightning Shield,’ aimed at “improving the operational competence of the F-35I Adir array and expanding its capabilities to possible operational scenarios.” In 2021, Israeli F-35 fighter jets also trained in Italy for a joint multinational drill labeled ‘Falcon Strike 2021,’ which focused on joint action against Iran.
Although there is no confirming evidence that Italy was involved in the Israeli operation, this raises questions about the U.S.’s potential role. No nation is likely to take any credit for aiding Israel due to the attack targeting civilian facilities. There is an argument that the Israeli air force, due to the lack of sophisticated targets chosen, could have very well acted alone in this regard, as little intelligence gathering was needed for such strikes. Yet the fact that the U.S.-led multinational naval coalition is currently conducting its Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea and has frequently claimed to have shot down drones fired by Yemen’s Ansarallah towards Israeli targets, suggests that it was more than likely briefed in advance about the attack.
Last April, American, British, Jordanian, and French air forces all aided Israel in defending against Iran’s retaliatory attack, following the Israeli bombing of the consular section of Iran’s Damascus-based embassy. It was also alleged that the UAE and Saudi Arabia played additional supportive roles in confronting the Iranian missiles and drones fired towards Israel. Given such close coordination between Israel and its allies, it seems unlikely that there was no coordination during this highly sensitive mission.
Feature photo | Oil tanks burn at the port in Hodeidah, Yemen, Saturday, July 20, 2024. The Israeli army said it had struck several Houthi targets in western Yemen following a fatal drone attack by the rebel group in Tel Aviv the previous day. Photo | AP
Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47
