Israel conducted airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, targeting a gathering of senior Houthi officials, including the chief of staff and minister of defense, according to Israeli security sources and reports from Israeli media. The operation, codenamed "Lucky Drop," utilized precise intelligence and a ruse to allow aircraft to approach undetected. The timing of the strikes coincided with a speech by Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. Israeli defense officials stated that the Air Force "precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target" in Sanaa, with assessments indicating the elimination of Houthi Defense Minister Muhammad al-Atifi and Chief of Staff Muhammad al-Ghamari. Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed, "We warned the Houthis there would be more blows. Anyone who attacks us takes his life in his hands." Sources indicated that the strike targeted a meeting where over 10 senior Houthi political and military officials were present, potentially gathered to watch al-Houthi's speech. The Houthi leader himself was reportedly not present and not a target of the strike. In parallel, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have initiated a process to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran, citing its continued defiance of nuclear commitments. The United States supports this decision and urges diplomatic engagement with Iran. Separately, the UN Security Council unanimously extended the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until the end of 2026, with a planned orderly withdrawal by 2027. The Lebanese Army reported that an officer and a soldier were killed, and two others wounded, after an Israeli raid in the Naqoura area.
