Overview

• Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile targeting northern Israel on April 23, which was intercepted by Israeli defenses without causing injuries.
• This marks a rare escalation in Houthi actions against Israel, as part of their solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
• The US has conducted near-daily airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-March, killing over 200 people, including civilians, to counter threats to Red Sea shipping and Israel.
• Houthi forces claim to have downed seven US MQ-9 Reaper drones in April alone, highlighting their increasing focus on air defense.
• Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since November 2023 have disrupted 12% of global trade through the Suez Canal, forcing costly rerouting of shipping traffic.