Why Did Israel Succeed in Lebanon but Not in Yemen?

Asharq Al-Awsat

3 days ago

Israel's crushing victory in its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year is considered one of its military triumphs, ranked alongside the Six-Day War victory in 1967. Meanwhile, its operations against the Houthis in Yemen, so far, have been more theatrical than effective, resembling its 2006 war in Lebanon.
This, despite the fact that the armed group has no air defense capabilities or a missile arsenal to strike back.
Israel's current goals in Yemen resemble its attacks on Lebanon during what became known as the July War. Most of the attacks destroyed civilian or semi-civilian facilities. This may be because Israel doesn't have a strong target bank in Yemen, which is why it resorted to bombing ports, the airport, and roads to halt the reception and transport of weapons.
The difference between the two fronts is significant. Against Hezbollah, Israel showed overwhelming and terrifying superiority last year; its operations seemed like science fiction. It eliminated most of the top leadership, whether they were in their homes, cars, or hiding underground in ten-story bunkers, and destroyed or disabled most of Hezbollah's offensive arsenal.
If we recall what happened in 2006 during the 34-day war, Hezbollah wasn't destroyed, but Israel paralyzed the Lebanese state. It bombed the airport, the port, power and water stations, highways, around a hundred bridges and crossings, and vast residential neighborhoods. Within two years, Hezbollah had fully restored its capabilities.
In contrast, during last year's battles in Lebanon, which lasted 13 months, civilian life in most of the country remained nearly normal, and infrastructure wasn't targeted. Civilian airplanes were taking off and landing at Rafik Hariri International Airport even as Israel bombed Hezbollah positions in the southern suburb of Beirut. The strikes were visible to airline passengers flying in and out of the nearby airport, which remained fully operational.
Photographers and journalists would wait for announcements of airstrikes and their targets, sitting across from the buildings awaiting the attack in order to film them up close.
Since January, Israel has struck Yemen six times, but not with the same effectiveness as in Lebanon. Few of these attacks actually targeted Houthi forces or leadership. Just last month, Israel bombed Sanaa International Airport and destroyed the last civilian aircraft there, which belonged to the legitimate Yemeni government, not the Houthis. This Yemeni militia resembles ISIS and al-Qaeda and shows little concern for civilian losses or infrastructure damage.
Israeli strikes have not deterred the Iran-backed group from launching drones and missiles. Their arsenal is modest compared to Hezbollah's, which suffered massive destruction of its offensive capabilities. Houthi projectiles are limited and do not pose a major threat to Israel. Most have missed their targets, and those that did enter Israeli airspace briefly disrupted air traffic and forced residents into shelters for a short time.
This ideologically driven Yemeni group comes from a small minority, no more than 7 percent of the population, and relies on terrorizing civilians with its militias to maintain control in cities under its grip. In other areas, it holds sway through a network of allied tribal forces. These groups will abandon the Houthis once they sense a decline in the militia's military strength.
As for why Israel's performance has been so lackluster, I believe there are two possible reasons: First, a lack of intelligence in Yemen, unlike in Lebanon, where it enjoys a vast network of informants and agents, even within Hezbollah itself. This network enabled Israel to gather detailed information and build a target bank over many years in preparation for the awaited day.
The other possibility is that the Israeli government itself is unwilling to escalate the confrontation and is content with punitive strikes proportional to the limited damage caused by the Houthis. It is likely waiting for an agreement under which the Houthis would pledge to stop harassing Israel, similar to the arrangement they made with the United States ahead of President Donald Trump's regional visit.
Still, in my view, the Houthis are like moths drawn to a flame. They appear advanced because they launch drones and missiles. But in reality, they're no more than primitive cave fighters from the Middle Ages – or reckless mountain rams charging toward the fire.