Houthi Forces Strike Israeli School in Alleged 'Hypersonic' Missile Attack

Israel is alleging Houthi terrorist air strikes hit a school in central Israel during the early hours of Thursday, December 19th. 

The Houthi strikes closely followed US and Israeli strikes on Houthi operations and command centers in recent days. 

A Houthi spokesperson claimed the air strikes were part of a “military operation targeting two specific and sensitive military targets of the Israeli enemy in the area of occupied Jaffa with two hypersonic ballistic missiles.”

While the strikes were confirmed by Israel, the hypersonic missile claims have not been validated. 

Military experts are skeptical that the Houthis possess a hypersonic missile, a complex weapon believed only to be in possession of the US, China, India, and Russia. 

Hypersonic ballistic missiles are difficult to intercept given their high speed and unpredictable trajectory. 

Houthi possession of hypersonic weapons would be highly worrisome for Israel and its allies given the Houthi’s continued aggression against the former. 

Almost daily, Houthi forces have executed drone and missile attacks against ships believed to have direct or indirect links to the US, Israel, or any of their allies.

US and allied forces have consequently struck back at the Houthis in a long chain of tit-for-tat actions in response to Houthi aggression against US, Israel, and allies traversing the Gulf of Aden. 

The latest of such actions occurred earlier this week when the US struck Houthi terrorist command centers.

However, the timing of the US strikes against Houthi forces was questioned by military experts.

According to experts from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), the military strikes on Houthi command centers seem to have arrived far too late. 

Bradley Bowman, the Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power, characterized the strikes as “half-steps for fear of escalation.”

“One wonders how long the administration knew about this command-and-control facility and why it wasn’t hit earlier,” said Director Bowman. “If we want the worst assault on maritime shipping in decades to end, the United States should impose greater consequences on the Houthis and their patron in Tehran.”