Israel to face new military threat in its war on Gaza
By Mansour
Barati
Middle East
affairs expert
The recent Yemeni drone strike on the heart of Tel Aviv, Israel, not only caught the regime off guard but also signifies a major shift in the Gaza conflict. Previously, the conflicts between Yemen and Israel had been one-sided, with Yemen carrying out missile attacks on targets mainly in the Eilat port or on ships heading for Israel in the Gulf of Aden. Unlike its northern border with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where there has been a reciprocal exchange of fire, Israel has not retaliated directly to Yemeni attacks. Instead, the UK and US forces have focused on areas within Yemen. Yemeni attacks on Israel, mainly in Eilat, had primarily economic implications and did not present a direct military threat. However, the recent drone strike, which evaded Israel’s air defense system and resulted in casualties in Tel Aviv, has altered the situation. Yemen has now emerged as a direct military threat to Israel. This development compels Israel to reassess its response strategies. Failing to react could undermine Israel’s deterrence, while a direct response could escalate the Gaza conflict into a regional war, which is not in Israel’s best interest.
Reports suggest that Israeli authorities are deliberating on how to address this threat, as not taking action could have significant consequences for Israel. The extent of this response remains uncertain. In this context, one could argue that the assault on Tel Aviv signifies a pivotal moment in the Gaza conflict and Israel’s struggle.
A key question arises: why was Israel’s air defense system unsuccessful in detecting and intercepting this drone? Israeli sources claim human error, suggesting the operator mistook the drone for an aircraft from a neighboring country. However, there are doubts about this explanation. It is possible that the air defense system did not detect the threat at all, as no danger alarms were triggered, highlighting a potential weakness in Israel’s air defense. Until now, it was believed that Israel’s Iron Dome system (air defense) was highly secure, and the only way to penetrate or disrupt it was through extensive missile attacks, as seen during Iran’s missile strikes against Israel. However, the recent infiltration of a Yemeni drone has shown that the Iron Dome is susceptible even to a single drone threat, which is certainly a cause for concern and reflection.
The possibility of an Israeli ground attack on southern Lebanon had been a topic of discussion. With the emergence of this new threat from Yemen, Israel faces an even more challenging task in confronting its adversaries in a potentially broader conflict.