In just a few minutes, radar operators tracked a UAV that was launched from Iraq.

On Sunday, the Israeli Air Force released footage of its airstrikes on the Houthi controlled port of Hodeida located in western Yemen a day before. This was after a drone attack that killed four people on Tel Aviv overnight on Thursday by an Iran-backed group.

The video shows missiles fired by IAF fighters hitting four large container cranes in the port where shipments are unloaded.

IAF released video footage of fighter jets being refueled during the “Outstretched Arm” operation as well as some aircraft returning to Israeli air bases following the strike.

The cranes were not the only targets of the strike. Dozens of Israeli aircraft also targeted the fuel depots, energy infrastructure, and other port facilities.

The Israeli strike group consisted of F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighters, reconnaissance planes and refueling aircraft. This was because the target was 1,800 km (1,100 miles), making it the IAF’s farthest-ever action.

The military said that the attack on the fuel depot had been a major blow for the Houthi’s economy. Also, by taking out the cranes, they prevented the group from bringing more Iranian weapons into the port, which were used to target Israel and commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea.

The IAF used more force in Saturday’s attack on Hodeida Port than was necessary to send a deterrent message, as well as to cause financial damage to Iran-backed groups and to impede their ability to import arms.

The coalition led by the United States has only struck the Houthi’s military infrastructure in Yemen, not civilian sites such as Hodeida Port which also brings in humanitarian aid and Iranian weapons to the war-torn nation.

IAF thought that this strike would send a clear message to Israel’s enemies – especially Hezbollah in Lebanon – that Israel was willing and capable of targeting dual-use infrastructure that could be construed as disproportionate.

Anticipating the response

The IAF was also on high alert in case retaliation were to be taken as a result of the airstrike. The IAF assessed that the Houthis, as well as other Iran-backed groups, such those in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, would intensify their attacks in response to the airstrike in Yemen.

IAF estimates that Iran-backed groups in Yemen will continue to attack Israel despite any Israeli response.

According to the Israeli army, Yemeni Houthis fired more than 220 missiles and drones in the last nine months at Israel. The latest was on Sunday morning, mainly toward Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city, in solidarity with Gaza Strip where Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists.

Most of the projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group have either been intercepted or missed their targets by US forces in the Red Sea, Israeli fighter jets and Israeli air defenses. Only one Houthi cruise missile had ever hit Israel before the attack on Tel Aviv on Friday morning. It was launched in March and struck an open area near Eilat.

Israel did not respond to these attacks until Friday’s deadly attack on Tel Aviv. Instead, it preferred that the United States-led Coalition continue to strike against the Houthis. This was mainly in response to attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis group in the Red Sea.

The military stated Sunday that there were no changes to the instructions given to Israeli civilians. However, it anticipated a response from the Houthis.

Officials from the IAF said that Israel’s air defenses were not “hermetic” and warned that more drone attacks would be likely. However, they added that the IAF was doing all it could to prevent these attacks.

IAF said that it was not concerned by social media clips showing Israeli fighter jets and refueler tanks, as well as spy planes, heading toward Yemen on Saturday afternoon. This may have provided an early warning to the Houthis that an attack would be coming.

IAF officials saw the footage on social media, and the fact that it was carried out under the open sky, as a way to deter Israel’s enemies.

Israel was the only country involved in the strike, with no American involvement.

A senior Israeli military official confirmed that US Central Command was updated prior to the attack and, in turn, updated its allies throughout the region.

Houthi drone flies 2,600 km to Tel Aviv

According to an Israeli Air Force investigation, the Iranian-made drone that was launched at Tel Aviv by the Houthis early on Friday traveled over 2,600 kilometers (1600 miles) before reaching Israel.

The modified Iranian Samad-3 flew in a non-direct path. It is possible that this contributed to the fact that it was not classified as a danger by air defense troops. This resulted in its not being intercepted, and it striking a Tel Aviv residential building.

According to IAF investigations, the drone carrying explosives flew westward from Yemen, over the Red Sea and Eritrea before flying north over Sudan, Egypt, and reaching the Mediterranean Sea. The drone turned and approached Tel Aviv in the west.

The drone only appeared on Israeli radar at this stage as an unidentified object. According to the investigation, the army now claims that the drone was tracked by radar for six minutes as it approached Tel Aviv in the direction of sea. It then dropped out and back into radar for several more minutes.

According to the probe the drone was in the sky for 16 hours and flew at speeds between 80-100 knots or 148 – 185 kilometers per hour.

The IAF knew that the Houthis had such weapons, but they did not have any specific information about the attack.

After failure to identify threat, more radar operators are needed

The investigation found that, if the target was classified as a suspected UAV when first identified, then the IAF had sufficient time to engage the target using fighter jets, or ground-based or sea-based air defence systems. The target was misclassified as a threat by air defense soldiers due to an error. It impacted Tel Aviv.

The IAF radar was being analyzed by human operators at the time. They were tracking a drone that had been launched from Iraq by a group backed by Iran. The fighter jets shot down the drone. IAF explained that radar operators often see targets disappear and reappear, which can be birds or cloud distortions. The IAF also focused on targets that were approaching Israel from north.