While the Houthis have been active as an insurgent force for years, Israel hasn’t seen them as a priority or invested as much in gathering intelligence against them.
Against Hamas, yearslong intelligence helped target and erode the group’s forces.
With Hezbollah, Israel penetrated deep into the organization, allowing it to unleash an offensive last year that detonated the pagers of rank-and-file members and decimated its senior ranks in secret bunkers.
In Iran, Israel struck Hamas’ top leader in an apartment in Tehran and knocked out many of its air defenses in an October strike that left parts of the capital exposed.
But the Houthis’ hideouts, weapons and infrastructure are less known to Israel, making its counterstrikes somewhat less effective.
Hagari recognized that Israel’s intelligence in Yemen was “an issue” and said the military was working to improve. Until then, some in Israel are steeling themselves for a war of attrition with the distant enemy.
“There’s no quick fix,” Citrinowicz said. “Even if the war in Gaza ends, this is a threat that will not disappear.”
